MANAGER - MERCHANDISING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Overview:

A creative, tenacious and customer centric team player passionate about building the Hard Rock brand globally.  They work in collaboration with the Director of Merchandising, and other cross functional team members, to identify global trends, source vendors, develop product, and influence marketing and sales team to achieve sales, profit, and inventory goals in an omni-channel environment.  Protect the brand standards via design, quality, fit, packaging, and trims.  The PD Manager is highly organized and manages to deadlines while always seeking efficiencies in improved process or new technology.

• Trend and Creative Direction
• Research global trends appropriate to Hard Rock customer and brand strategy.
• Create visual documents and story boards. Present to internal team and vendors
• Filter trends into merchandising strategy by collection and item.
• Competitive shopping to identify opportunities for design or quality.
• Travel to trade shows, vendors, factories, and retail locations as needed.

• Sourcing
• Source new suppliers as needed to develop global product aligned with business strategy while maintaining brand quality standards.
• Be point person with supply base enhancing current partnerships and onboarding new suppliers.
• Participate in vendor assessment and score card.
• Provide input to update Vendor Compliance manual as needed.

• Product Development
• Be the key point person to provide design direction to vendors for all channels of distribution.
• Determine and manage time-lines to ensure quality and on-time delivery.
• Provide clear feedback to suppliers regarding CADS, Lab dips, Strike offs, Proto samples, Fit, Pre Pros, and TOPs.
• Present in development concepts to internal teams at weekly meetings and seasonal line presentations.
• Lead initial product cost negotiations based on merchandising guidelines.
• Establish and maintain quality standards with existing and proposed vendors.
• Manage of flow of product details via Product Line Management system or Excel Specification Sheets from vendors.

• Marketing
• Collaborate with team providing input at Creative Turnover to Marketing message and Visual Merchandising strategy to ensure alignment with Product Design Strategy
• Provide key product selling points and quality descriptions to educate and train sales team. .
• Manage product related packaging and trims in alignment with brand initiatives and standard.
• Organization and Process
• Be a champion of process improvement.
• Manage samples, archives and fabric/trim libraries, and product development files.

• Present a professional image to employees, guests, clients, owners and investors.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with in the business and social community.
• Spearhead annual philanthropic initiatives.
• Operate ethically to protect the image of Hard Rock.
• Utilize programs designed to help Save the Planet.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• REQUIREMENTS MINIMUM
• 5+ year’s product development experience in retail or wholesale environment.
• Proven successful track record.
• College Degree Required.
• Creative. Must be able to think “outside the box.”
• Travel flexibility.