Work Group Manager Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Overview

The Work Group at Wolverine Worldwide includes market‑leading brands Wolverine Boots and Apparel, Cat Footwear, Merrell Work and Tactical, Bates, Harley Davidson Footwear, and Hytest. Across the Work Group there are 100+ year old businesses, global and domestic brands, as well as licensed and owned entities. Through building awesome products that blur the line between work and lifestyle, we tap into the collective power of all these brands to deliver our customers amazing stories and the trusted features they demand: comfort, durability, and style. As Work Group’s Senior Manager, Merchandising, you will be responsible for creating, leading and driving assortment strategies, as well as overseeing its execution. You will own the creation and execution of merchandise strategy and execution for the DTC/Strategic accounts and will be accountable for and oversee additional marketplace channels. This role will have additional reporting and channel responsibilities overseeing: Key Accounts and Independents.

Primary Duties

• Develop seasonal & annual strategies for Work Group’s brands that meet or exceed sales goals, margin targets, and align to the overarching group strategy.
• Oversee execution of seasonal & annual strategies for additional marketplace channels.
• Create and communicate seasonal line plans to guide design, product and production in support of work group’s portfolio’s objectives.
• Merchandise and present seasonal milestones the product assortments that meet sales and margin targets.
• Present seasonal product assortment to upper management, wholesale and global product teams.
• Create assortment strategies with an understanding of consumer need and product creation, as well as lead times.
• Track business performance; identify risks and opportunities for reacting to current business.
• Create and communicate pricing strategies that align with brand positioning.
• Communicate to appropriate cross‑functional partners.
• Lead as reference point of contact for cross‑function partners regarding calendar, and deliveries.
• Provide thorough and meaningful analysis of channels and effectively articulate learnings to product brand teams and cross‑functional partners.
• Maintain and demonstrate expert knowledge of customer base through strong sales and ecommerce relationships, frequently visiting stores and constantly reaching out for direct consumer feedback.
• Maintain and demonstrate constant understanding of the competitive environment.
• Participate in product review to ensure execution meets product briefs.
• Participate in key business meetings throughout the product creation process.
• Drive operational excellence across the work group to deliver efficiencies, timeliness and go‑to‑market execution.
• Always a champion of the Work Group informing the WWW organization by communicating and educating strategic plans in and outside of milestones.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

• Minimum of 7+ years of merchandising experience.
• 5+ years of leadership/management experience preferred.
• Entrepreneur spirit.
• Strong relationships and experience with product development, design, production and buying teams.
• Deep knowledge of current Work market.
• Extensive brand knowledge and understanding of international markets and competitors.
• Natural leader and problem solver with a growth mindset.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Strong excel and PowerPoint skills.
• Bachelor’s degree required/MBA preferred or equivalent work experience.

Working Conditions

In office position with domestic and international travel required (approx. 20%). Wolverine Worldwide has a flexible, hybrid work schedule, with three days in office and two days remote.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. is committed to creating a company that is as diverse as our consumers. We value the differences in one another and believe our differences make us stronger. Our diverse and inclusive corporate culture starts with the recruitment process. We are committed to being an equal opportunity employer. We aim to create equal opportunities for our associates, customers, and suppliers regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected characteristic.