Apparel Merchandiser (Contract Role)

Duration: 9 months

Position Purpose and Summary:
As a Merchandiser, the person will report to Merch Manager to Lead and direct product development process from receipt of specifications from home office until commercialization. He/she will anticipate problems, offer solutions and addresses issues within the development process.
 

Responsibilities:

Drive Commercialization Excellence: Lead the delivery of Brand promises from the region by driving product excellence for assigned categories. Deliver Accuracy, Completeness and Timeliness in Costing, Product Development and Commercialization Process for all assigned categories. Facilitate direct development opportunities with key Suppliers and Home Office Teams. Develop, standardize, and continually improve processes related to commercialization.

• Initiate, manage and direct the Product development process to ensure the successful completion of a fully commercialized style ready for production.
• Monitors progress of the process to ensure that style development is accomplished within established timelines. Review new style request prior to dispersal to supplier to ensure accuracy, completeness and practicality for mass production. Anticipate problems, offer solutions, develop strategies and address issues within the product process.
• Responsible for the successful execution of the costing process related to styles under merchandiser’s responsibility. Negotiate cost to meet CSC price margin targets.
• Initiates and manages sales sample process and makes sure that sales samples of correct quality are delivered in time for the sales meeting. Coordinates between departments and teams within and outside CSC to make sure successful execution of sales samples from all factories.
• Ensure Styles are Buy Ready for production.
• Ensure all PDX/LO processes are adhered is all assigned category tasks during execution of Development, Costing and Commercialization.
• Update and maintain CSC tracking reports to monitor Product development, Costing and commercialization progress against calendar timelines. Analyze respective category status and provide updates on progress to MM.

Drive cost Competitiveness and Accuracy Work with MM to continually seeking improvements and efficiencies for the category, through product engineering opportunities. Investigate and recommend product cost savings opportunities, as an input to the Cost Engineering process.
 

Calendar Timelines & Sales Sample Process: Execute seasonal category calendar as it relates to LO activities. Find efficiencies and drive improvements in calendar and workflow management internally and externally. Ensure adherence to deadlines through effective team and process management. Lead the sales sample buy ready process and enable full clarity of styles for quality sales sample production.
 

New Product type development: Work along with MM to Drive in Development Support to HQ/LO Category teams. Collaborating with cross functional teams on new Material/Product development by providing technical inputs, market price trends, product related issues, pricing, sourcing etc.
 

Exemplify Brand Ambassadorship and Consumer Focus: act as the brand/category advocate in every interaction, proactively communicating the Category’s needs & reinforcing overall Columbia Sportswear Company’s expectations with vendors and internal partners.

Product Quality, On-Time Delivery, and Standards of Manufacturing Practices: Understands Corporate goals on Quality, Delivery and CR. Take proactive steps throughout the Commercialization process to build quality into the product.

Establish and maintain strong relationship with HO Departments and Vendors: Networks within the industry to keep abreast of latest developments in the Source base. Accompanies Visitors for Supplier trips when necessary to stay strategically aligned with new seasonal developments and strategic opportunities.

• Participate in cross-functional meetings, with the objective of solving category needs and establishing long-term process improvement with the vendor. Communicate CSC category expectations to vendors to ensure seamless adoption of new technology and/or innovative processes.
• Frequent factory visits to review development/production/quality assurance issues with factory personnel.
• Support Global and LO projects - Works with CTM and Project-leads to participate and support in Global and Regional projects.

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Job is frequently varied and may include new or unique work situations of moderate diversity with occasional periods of highly complex work.
• Open to work with various product lines.
• Complexity is found in reviewing garments, construction techniques and quality requirements. Usually operates from established and well known procedures which may be written or implied.
• Duties are performed with only general direction and work is appraised or verified in general terms over extended period of time.
• Decisions are made within general company policy constraints
• Maintain positive open lines of communication with all Columbia Sportswear Company business partners in order to contribute to the smooth flow of information and efficient operation of the organization.

Minimum Education/Experience Requirements:

• University degree in Manufacturing, Business, or related field.
• 2-3 year’s relevant experience in production, merchandising, development or a manufacturing environment, preferably in the garment industry or related soft goods industry.
• Knowledge of the Apparel Manufacturing and its associated upstream and downstream business processes.
• Requires a well-developed ability to read, write, and speak English, in relation to topics of a highly complex or technical nature.

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#Hybrid

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company.