Who We Are: 

Since 1906, New Balance has empowered people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. We innovate fearlessly, guided by our core values and driven by the belief that conventions were meant to be challenged. We foster a culture in which every associate feels welcomed and respected, where leaders and creatives are inspired to shape the world of tomorrow by taking bold action today.

JOB MISSION:

Develop and implement the New Balance Footwear and Apparel seasonal directed assortments for the Must Win & Priority key accounts, consistent with key brand initiatives and financial expectations.  Drive the Go-To-Market process and execution, in cooperation with the respective Global Business Units, North America Sales and Account Marketing.  Drive differentiation & product segmentation for key retailers.  Drive model and style efficiency and eliminate product redundancy.

MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Drive the footwear product & apparel distribution, segmentation strategy and account category mix for our must win & priority accounts.
• Develop Seasonal Must Land Assortments, from the Regional Footwear/Apparel product line, for these specific key accounts, to support key brand initiatives and delivers financial objectives across categories, price and margin, as well as turn.
• In cooperation with RBU Merchants, Sales and Marketing, develop best in class Go-To-Market process, timing and execution.  Evaluate and implement seasonal introduction strategy.  Define key merchandising touch points and function ownership.  Ensure alignment within and across the RBUs to support key drivers and “Head-to-Toe” merchandising.
• Develop seasonal story/product introduction timing and flow consistent with Customer Seasonality and balanced with supply chain capacity considerations.
• Drive model and style efficiency; tighter assortments, eliminate overlap between categories and price points, increase expectations within categories we compete – reduce non-strategic and/or non-high volume models, and increase style level expectations – tighten up excessive color options.
• Develop mid and long-term key account product line-ups that clearly communicate model/style lifecycle.
• Identify gaps and opportunities in the range architecture and brief into the Global Business Units accordingly.  Generate SMU requirements when considered appropriate or essential to meet or exceed commercial goals.
• Track financial results by key accounts against plan (annual budgets and 3yr OGSP targets); category mix, unit, revenue, go in and standard gross margin, ASP and forecast accuracy
• Track product sell through and market share by account (monthly)
• Style efficiency (pairs/style)
• Lead, coach, and train direct report merchandising manager

REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS

• Bachelor’s degree required, with 5+ years of industry experience preferably in footwear and/or apparel buying and/or merchandising.
• Experience with product planning, sales forecasting and working to budgets
• Knowledge of account segmentation & differentiation, range architecture, product assortments, concept drivers, and product flow.
• Leadership skills with the ability to influence, both formal and informal.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the desire to build lasting relationships internally and with key retail partners.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills are essential.
• Superior communication skills, especially presentation skills.
• Computer skills including advanced Excel
• Travel required

Regular Associate Benefits 

Our products are only as good as the people we hire, so we make sure to hire the best and treat them accordingly. New Balance offers a comprehensive traditional benefits package including three options for medical insurance as well as dental, vision, life insurance and 401K. We also proudly offer a slate of more nontraditional perks – opportunities like online learning and development courses, tuition reimbursement, $100 monthly student loan support and various mentorship programs – that encourage our associates to grow personally as they develop professionally. You’ll also enjoy a yearly $1,000 lifestyle reimbursement, 4 weeks of vacations, 12 holidays and generous parental leave, because work-life balance is more than just a buzzword – it’s part of our culture.

Temporary associates are provided three options for medical insurance as well as dental and vision insurance and an associate discount.

Part time associates are provided 401k, short term disability, a yearly $300 lifestyle reimbursement and an associate discount.

Flexible Work Schedule

For decades we have fostered a unique culture founded on our values with a particular focus on in-person teamwork and collaboration. Our North American hybrid model encourages rich in-person experiences, showcasing our commitment to teamwork and connection, while maintaining flexibility for associates. New Balance Associates currently work in office three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). Our offices are fully open, and amenities are available across our North American office locations. To continue our focus on hybrid work we have introduced “Work from Anywhere” (WFA) for four weeks per calendar year. This model will help us enhance our culture while continuing to maintain elements of flexibility.

Equal Opportunity Employer

New Balance provides equal opportunities for all current and prospective associates to ensure that employment, training, compensation, transfer, promotion and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment are provided without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, handicap, genetic information and/or status as an Armed Forces service medal veteran, recently separated veteran, qualified disabled veteran or other protected veteran, or any other protected status.