Director, Merchandising & Buying

POSITION OVERVIEW:

As the leader of the North America Merchandise and Buying team, you will be responsible for developing the quarterly product brief, strategy, line architecture, assortment curation, and regional product creation for The Disney Store across all distribution points. Your accountability will be centered on North America, encompassing all product categories. You will leverage guest and demographic data to evaluate assortments and respond to in-season performance, trends, hindsight analysis, and learnings to inform future seasons. A comprehensive understanding of the connection between financial strategies and merchandise objectives is essential, as you will drive the business by partnering and influencing various cross-functional teams.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This role focuses on essential product strategies and initiatives that will enable The Disney Store in North America to achieve both short-term and long-term growth. You will deliver innovation, increased value, and new business opportunities to the organization.

Areas of Responsibility

Drive Regional Excellence:

• Spearhead the creation of quarterly product briefs, line architecture, assortment plans, and cross-category integration for The Disney Store locations, ensuring the brand's best expression.

• Lead the team in developing regional product creation strategies and activations with vendors and licensee partners to drive product differentiation and frequency.

• Shape the merchandising strategy and assortment curation for North America, covering hardlines and softlines, to deliver the most comprehensive tiered assortment strategy across all distribution points, including marketplaces, brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce, and more.

• Curate line assortments that support a segmented 'go-to-market' approach, from Flagship to Outlet, regionally and across other business models as appropriate.

• Champion the development of seasonal 'big bets' by partnering cross-functionally to align and activate.

• Build and curate a divisional, consumer-centric assortment that aligns with the brand's strategic intent and drives significant growth at retail for each region or site.

• Foster partnerships with site and regional commercial and marketing teams to implement new initiatives that drive increased value and capture for The Disney Store.

• Craft product assortment strategies that not only meet regional profit thresholds but also deliver the best price/value ratio to consumers.

• Foster strong partnerships with commercial, marketing, and planning leadership teams in North America to ensure optimal item depth and investment, maximizing sell-through and profitability.

• Collaborate with commercial, marketing, planning, and visual merchandising (VM) teams to uncover new growth opportunities and unlock future value.

• Analyze regional business performance and develop strategies and growth objectives that align with the organization's needs.

• Take ownership of the divisional profit and loss (P&L), working closely with planning and finance partners to set annual plans (AOP) and manage in-season trends to maximize results.

• Serve as a conduit for The Disney Store's global businesses, leveraging opportunities across the entire organization.

• Stay actively engaged in the macro marketplace, keeping a keen eye on the competitive retail landscape, trends, and financial dynamics.

Develop High-Performing Teams to Fuel Organizational Growth:

• Lead the North America team with passion and purpose.

• Be a catalyst for change, fostering a culture of teamwork, innovation, and accountability.

• Serve as a role model within the company, coaching and mentoring team members to enhance their skills and knowledge.

Training and Professional Development

• Lead with integrity, champion change, and be a stellar ambassador for The Walt Disney Company (TWDC).

• Be an integral part of an effective and inclusive team by demonstrating awareness of others, welcoming and valuing unique perspectives and ideas, offering support, sharing knowledge, and best practices to contribute to overall departmental commitments.

• Take charge of your professional development through regular career conversations with your line manager and by utilizing available resources such as internal tools, instructor-led courses, and on-the-job learning.

• Proactively suggest ways to enhance departmental performance and processes, leveraging technological tools where applicable.

• Build connections with other TWDC functions to develop a broader understanding of the business.

• Promote and maintain an inclusive workplace, championing diversity and inclusion, and make use of available resources to extend knowledge and best practices.

• Contribute to maintaining and enhancing the standard of training and development, encouraging participation so that everyone has the tools and resources to perform their roles effectively and efficiently.

Experience and Professional Qualifications Required

• 15+ years’ experience in product merchandising, specialty retail and product assortment strategy at leadership level 

• Bachelor's Degree required.

• Experience in product development required

• Experience in curating a product line that is both locally relevant and globally leveraged

• Experience in merchandising for vertical specialty retail environment

• Experience working with multiple commercial and marketing partners to bring product assortments to market

• Experience managing direct reports

• Experience working, and thriving, in a highly matrixed company structure

Skills Required

• Skilled in building effective networks and influencing key stakeholders and achieving buy-in at all levels

• Commitment to team engagement and development

• Financial acumen

• Demonstrable ability to capitalize on market trends and consumer Zeitgeist to maximize value creation throughout the trend cycle

• Demonstrated ability to manage revenue creation while maintaining brand integrity

• Strong working knowledge of the omni-channel marketplace

• Strategic thinker with the ability to drive execution against a financial plan

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to influence a diverse audience including experience working with external partners to bring product and assortments to the market

• Robust leadership and talent development abilities and a collaborative and effective management style

• Ability to build and foster collaborative partnerships across departments

• Strong communication skills

• Proven ability to think creatively to bring and infuse new ideas into product design and not be afraid to challenge the status quo

• Demonstrated ability to lead the organizational and cultural change efforts needed to ensure new, innovative concepts, business practices, and technologies are fully adopted and integrated into the business

Additional Information

• Flexibility for domestic travel may be required

• Contribution to ad-hoc projects as the business requires

• Flexible hours may be required to meet business needs

The hiring range for this position in Glendale, CA is $185,500 - $248,800 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.