VP of Merchandising for a Popular and Rapidly Growing E-Commerce Fashion Retailer

Our client is a global leader in quick-to-market, cutting-edge fashion and remains a fast-growing e-commerce retailer with one of the world's leading lifestyle brands and over 20 million followers. They are seeking a VP of Merchandising to lead the overall strategy and merchandising direction for the business, determining the merchandise and product lines to be sold online and in stores. This person will create market penetration strategies for various categories, influence product marketing, and manage vendor relationships for the brand.

This is an in-person role based in Beverly Hills, CA.

Responsibilities:
- Create inspired merchandising strategies seasonally, influencing growth and brand positioning for the business
- Build and oversee seasonal assortments across different channel needs
- Manage assorted categories' key milestones via KPIs – researching industry-wide and competitor trends, working closely with cross-functional teams, and translating
knowledge into relevant business strategies
- Collaborate with e-commerce and creative teams on marketing campaigns and other strategic initiatives
- Lead assortment SKU plans and product selection for varied categories
- Maximize brand positioning in the industry while ensuring costing goals are met
- Oversee junior merchandising team members, including hiring, mentoring, and creating succession plans for the team

Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree, required
- 10-15+ years of experience in buying and merchandising in the fashion/apparel world with at least 5 in a leadership position
- Ability to lead both creative and financial aspects of buying and merchandising
- Deep experience and expertise in trend forecasting, product design and development, with sufficient knowledge of garment construction
- Research skills – background concept research is a key part of this role
- Experience with fittings, required
- History of working with both overseas and domestic suppliers and factories, a big plus
- Commercial acumen, with the ability to generate, read, and understand sales reports
- Data-driven mindset with ability to remain aware of the business's financial performance and how it's affected through the merchandising process
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment