Merchant and Commercial Strategy

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Lead the merchandising strategy for designated product categories, focusing on assortment planning, line structure, SKU performance, pricing, and seasonal product flow.

• Collaborate with Product Development to convert the product roadmap into successful commercial assortments.

• Formulate category strategies that balance innovation, flagship products, replenishment, and new product launches.

• Enhance product assortments across direct-to-consumer (DTC), retail, wholesale, marketplaces, and international avenues.

• Drive the commercial strategy for product introductions and create go-to-market plans in conjunction with Marketing.

• Prepare commercial product briefs that encompass customer value propositions, flagship products, pricing strategies, launch sequencing, and key selling messages.

• Work alongside Product, Marketing, and Creative teams on product narratives, campaign priorities, launch schedules, and promotional strategies.

• Ensure that each product launch is backed by a unified merchandising, marketing, and channel strategy.

• Oversee category performance metrics, including sales, gross margin, inventory efficiency, turnover rates, sell-through rates, markdown risk, and overall profitability.

• Collaborate with Planning and Finance on inventory investment, forecasting, pricing structure, retail positioning, and promotional timing.

• Evaluate business performance, customer insights, and competitive trends to propose assortment, pricing, and commercialization strategies.

• Create channel-specific assortment and merchandising tactics across various customer contact points.

• Team up with eCommerce to enhance digital merchandising, product display, category navigation, and conversion rates.

• Suggest product positioning and assortment strategies based on channel, geography, and customer demographics.

• Act as a commercial partner to Product Management throughout the product lifecycle.

• Collaborate with Product, Planning, Finance, Marketing, Creative, eCommerce, Retail, and Operations teams.

• Convert customer feedback, sales data, returns, and market trends into actionable insights.

• Develop customer-focused assortments and enhance category performance, gross margin, channel efficiency, and launch execution within the first 6–12 months.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 7 years of experience in merchandising, category management, or commercial strategy within a high-growth apparel, footwear, home, or consumer products sector.

• Proven track record in developing assortments, driving category growth, and managing product performance across diverse sales channels.

• Strong background in assortment planning, retail mathematics, inventory management, pricing strategy, margin optimization, and financial analysis.

• Experience in leading commercial go-to-market strategies and collaborating closely with Marketing on product launches, campaigns, and storytelling.

• In-depth understanding of omnichannel merchandising, including eCommerce, retail, and wholesale business models.

• Demonstrated capability to analyze customer insights, sales performance, and market trends to influence strategic business decisions.

• Exceptional cross-functional leadership abilities, with experience collaborating across Product, Marketing, Finance, Planning, Creative, and eCommerce teams.

• Highly analytical, strategic, and customer-centric, with the capacity to balance creativity with commercial decision-making in a dynamic, high-growth setting.

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP, Power Query, financial modeling, and retail analytics.

• Familiarity with ERP systems such as NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle, or similar platforms.

• Experience in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems.

• Proficient in merchandise planning and inventory management systems.

• Experience with business intelligence and reporting tools like Power BI, Looker, or similar.

• Knowledge of eCommerce platforms such as Shopify Plus and digital merchandising tools.

• Familiarity with project management tools like Asana.

• Positive attitude and a team-first approach.

• Adaptable and flexible in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong sense of urgency and accountability.

• Excellent organizational and communication skills.

• Ability to multitask and manage a high volume of work.

• Strong follow-through and attention to detail.

• Self-motivated and solutions-oriented, especially in a remote working context.

• Comfortable navigating an evolving, high-growth environment.

• Displays resilience, urgency, and ownership while upholding high standards of execution in challenging situations.

• Ability to remain calm and effective under pressure.

• Proactive mindset with a willingness to support the team and business priorities wherever necessary.

• Hands-on attitude and ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial culture where speed, collaboration, and execution are vital.

🏝️ Benefits

• Generous paid time off.

• Company-covered health insurance.

• 5% 401(k) match.

• Discounts on all Comfrt products.

• Fully remote work environment.

• Supportive and creative environment where ideas and growth are appreciated.