Senior Merchandiser

Our client, a New York City based fashion brand with a powerful cultural mission at its core is looking to hire a Senior Merchandiser for their NYC office. This person will play a pivotal role in managing the full product lifecycle from concept through consumer delivery. This individual will own the development and execution of merchandising strategies that align with the brand vision, cultural mission, and commercial objectives. Working at the intersection of product, sales, and production—and in close partnership with Planning—the Merchandiser translates creative direction into commercially viable assortments while ensuring operational excellence across all channels.This role requires a strategic thinker with deep experience in branded fashion who can balance creative integrity with data-driven decision-making. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced, founder-led environment and is equally comfortable curating seasonal assortments, analyzing sell-through data, and presenting go-to-market strategies to leadership and cross-functional partners.Key ResponsibilitiesProduct Strategy & Assortment DevelopmentPartner with Planning to inform seasonal line plans across all product categories, ensuring alignment with brand creative direction and commercial targets. Build and present Go-to-Market (GTM) strategies to cross-functional teams including Design, Production, Sales, and Marketing. Define optimal product assortment by channel (DTC e-commerce, wholesale, retail, pop-ups) and region (domestic, international). Manage the product development calendar end-to-end, ensuring milestone adherence from concept through delivery. Conduct competitive landscape analysis and monitor market trends, consumer behavior, and cultural signals to inform assortment decisions. Partner with Design to provide commercial input on styling, colorways, pricing architecture, and SKU rationalization. Sales Analysis & Performance OptimizationImplement and maintain accurate product attribution, lifecycle tagging, and categorization across all systems (Shopify, Snowflake, internal reporting). Analyze sales data at the SKU, category, channel, and regional level to generate actionable insights for leadership. Build and deliver weekly and monthly sell-through reporting, identifying top performers, slow movers, and reorder opportunities. Monitor location-specific and channel-specific performance metrics and surface insights to Planning for allocation, replenishment, and markdown decisions. Partner with the BI/Analytics function to develop merchandising dashboards and automated reporting (e.g., daily pulse reports, release day analysis). Leverage data to recommend pricing adjustments, promotional strategies, and product lifecycle decisions. Buying & Budget ManagementLead all buying activities, including seasonal buy execution and purchase order management. Partner with Planning to align buys with OTB (Open-to-Buy) targets, revenue goals, and inventory turn objectives. Continuously adjust buying strategies based on in-season performance, demand signals, and market conditions in collaboration with Planning. Develop and maintain vendor scorecards to evaluate supplier performance on quality, delivery, cost, and communication. Provide merchandising inputs into seasonal forecasting, markdown budgets, and margin analysis led by Planning/Finance. Global Distribution & Inventory ControlOversee the global sell-in process across DTC e-commerce, wholesale accounts, international partners, and retail channels. Collaborate with Planning on inventory management strategies including size curve optimization, allocation frameworks, and replenishment triggers. Partner with Planning on end-of-season exit strategies and markdown plans to reduce regional inventory liabilities and protect margin. Coordinate with fulfillment partners (e.g., ShipMonk) to ensure inventory accuracy, timely shipments, and resolution of discrepancies. Monitor global inventory positions and aging reports, flagging risks and recommending action plans. Cross-Functional Leadership & CommunicationServe as the central merchandising point of contact across Design, Production, Marketing, E-Commerce, and Sales teams. Lead seasonal hindsight reviews and postmortem analyses, distilling learnings into actionable recommendations for future seasons. Present merchandising strategies, performance updates, and market insights to senior leadership on a regular cadence. Contribute to the development and refinement of internal processes, SOPs, and tools that improve merchandising team efficiency. Qualifications & ExperienceRequired6–10+ years of merchandising experience in fashion, streetwear, or contemporary apparel brands. Demonstrated experience managing full product lifecycle merchandising—from assortment development through in-season management and exit strategy. Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets; experience with BI tools (Looker, Tableau, or similar) strongly preferred. Hands-on experience with Shopify and e-commerce merchandising best practices. Deep understanding of wholesale and DTC business models, including channel-specific assortment strategies. Proven ability to execute against OTB budgets, margin targets, and seasonal buy strategies in partnership with a Planning function. Excellent communication and presentation skills; comfortable presenting to senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders. Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple seasons, categories, and deadlines simultaneously.