Position: Director of Merchandising

CEO Company: Nathan Dopp

Head Office: Stockholm, Sweden

Work Location: Louisville, Colorado

Reporting Director: Global Product Director

Turnover: Fjällräven International AB: 1 262 MSEK

Employees: 75

2023-08-01

CIP Global Executive Search has been assigned to recruit a Director of Merchandising for Fjällräven International AB.

Company Description

Since Fjällräven was founded, back in 1960, their mission has not wavered. Hailing from the small town of Örnsköldsvik in Sweden, a place where mountains and forests meet the sea, Fjällräven wants to inspire and enable more people to experience nature. They do this by developing clothing and equipment that make the outside safer, warmer, dryer, and generally more enjoyable. Fjällräven also runs events that provide the framework and support to make nature more accessible for everyone.

Fjällräven is not only the oldest brand within Fenix Outdoor AB, but also the biggest company in turnover and profit. Martin Axelhed, the CEO of Fjällräven International AB and Vice President of Fenix Outdoor AB, has been with the company for many years. Fjällräven’s vision is to make nature accessible for more people and the mission is to enable and inspire people to spend more time in nature by;

     •    Developing functional, durable and timeless outdoor gear.
     •    Acting responsible towards nature, animals and people.
     •    Inspire and develop interest in outdoor life.

At Fjällräven you will join a team of nature lovers, some more experienced than others, that like to spend as much time outdoors as possible. In their offices and stores, they are designers, product developers, buyers, administrators, marketers, communicators, sales staff, customer service reps, and business developers. In nature though, they are all the same.

For additional corporate and product information, please visit: www.fjallraven.com
For Fjällräven’s career site, please visit: https://career.fjallraven.com/

Job Description

Fjällräven is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Director of Merchandising to join their dynamic team in North America. As the Director of Merchandising for North America, you will be the foremost product expert responsible for leading the overall merchandising strategy for both Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) and Business-to-Business (B2B) operations. As the Director of Merchandising, you will play a crucial role in driving positive business results and contributing to the growth and success of Fjällräven North America. Your expertise and leadership will shape the company's product strategy, making a significant impact on customers and partners alike.

Main tasks and Responsibilities

• Close collaboration with the Head of DTC Merchandising – Global, Director of Planning- North America, and B2B Sales Account team.
  
• Responsible for creating DTC Product strategies in collaboration with the Head of DTC Merchandising – Global.
  
• Responsible for creating and managing seasonal DTC and B2B assortment plans and product selection.
  
• Be a key stakeholder in the design & development brief process and attend product line planning meetings as necessary to provide data specific to support North American objectives.
  
• Planning of assortment modules and distribution of these for each market segment (own DTC, outdoor specialists, sports generalists, lifestyle, bags, hunting).
  
• Determination of the product mix for product groups and product level and transmission of this to the North American Demand Planning Team.
  
• Collaborate with the Director of Planning to ensure the right product is available at the right time for global DTC stores and e-commerce.
  
• Lead the process in how Fjällräven analyze current and past season North American product line performance and provide guidance based on findings for future seasonal buys and products.
  
• Development, coordination, and introduction of merchandise services and tools for B2B partners to improve performance.
  
• Participate and help lead in any cross-functional initiatives to develop better processes and systems to support merchandise forecasting, replenishment, and allocations.
  
• Regular in-season management analyses and proactive initiation of performanceenhancing measures in the area of allocation in collaboration with the Director of Planning.
• Oversee the internal reporting process and analysis for high-level sales and margin targets, SKU performance, product profitability, and customer/channel ordering data.
• Responsible for the transparency of the merchandise KPIs and data correctness.
  
• Ensure full product coverage for the different functional areas and Families.
  
• Responsible for competitor analyses, market research, and compiling long and short-term needs for Fjällräven North America.
  
• Responsible for educating and ensuring product knowledge for B2B and DTC teams in North America.
  
• Other duties as assigned and necessary to drive business results.

Personal Profile

• You have a love and respect for nature and the outdoors and an authentic enthusiasm toward the Brands at Fenix Outdoor. You are eager to share your passion and engage others to fall in love with the outdoors.
• You are a leader who prioritizes the growth and development of your team;  through mentorship and coaching and continuously looks for ways to improve team culture and desirable results.
  
• You have 7+ years of Merchandising and general management experience in apparel or consumer goods or an equivalent combination of experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
  
• You’ve spent 3+ years in Planning, Retail Buying, and Allocations with a solid understanding of the process and how to collaborate cross-functionally to achieve the desired business results.
  
• Strong analytical skills include building, reading, analyzing, and interpreting retail reports.
  
• You are proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (advanced Excel experience), Power BI and have an aptitude for learning technical applications quickly.
  
• Aptitude to evaluate financial and business trends and translate information into action.
  
• Succeeds in time management and effectively prioritizes short- and long-range projects and meeting deadlines.
• The ability to be agile and creative in an ever-changing environment and enjoy it!
  
• Flexible to travel in North America and Globally.