Divisional Merchandise Manager, Ski & Snow Hardgoods

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  "location": {
    "raw": "Cottonwood Heights, UT",
    "city": "Cottonwood Heights",
    "region": "UT",
    "country": "United States",
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{
  "lists": [
    {
      "text": "About the Role",
      "content": "<div>As our <strong>Divisional Merchandise Manager, Ski &amp; Snow Hardgoods</strong>, you will own the full commercial strategy for one of Backcountry's highest-profile and most technically complex categories. This role exists to deepen our authority in the snow sports market — setting the assortment vision, managing key vendor relationships, and ensuring every buying decision drives margin, sell-through, and customer loyalty across both digital and retail channels.</div>\n<div>&nbsp;</div>\n<div>You will lead a team of buyers and work cross-functionally with Inventory Planning, Finance, Marketing, and Digital to translate a deep understanding of the global snow market into a winning assortment strategy. Success at 6–12 months looks like a rationalized, tiered assortment with measurable improvements in sell-through and gross margin, stronger exclusive and SMU programs with key vendors, and a team that is operating with clarity and accountability.</div>\n<div>&nbsp;</div>\n<div>This is a lean team. You will own a lot, move fast, and make decisions with full end-to-end responsibility.</div>"
    },
    {
      "text": "What You'll Do",
      "content": "<h4><strong>Category Strategy &amp; Market Leadership</strong></h4>\n\n<li>Define and execute a multi-year strategy across ski, snowboard, and backcountry hardgoods</li>\n<li>Leverage a strong understanding of the global vendor and brand landscape to identify opportunities and trends</li>\n<li>Translate regional customer needs (e.g., East vs. West mountains) into assortment strategies</li>\n<li>Drive top-line growth, gross margin, sell-through rate, and inventory productivity in partnership with Inventory Planning and Finance</li>\n\n<h4><strong>Assortment &amp; Lifecycle Management</strong></h4>\n\n<li>Build tiered assortments that serve multiple customer segments across price points and expertise levels</li>\n<li>Curate a balanced mix of full-price, off-price, and closeout product to maximize lifecycle value</li>\n<li>Lead end-of-season closeout buying strategies to optimize turns and minimize risk; partner with Inventory Planning and Finance to align on OTB, receipt timing, and payment structure</li>\n<li>Ensure assortments drive units per transaction (UPT) through thoughtful cross-category integration</li>\n\n<h4><strong>Vendor Strategy &amp; Differentiation</strong></h4>\n\n<li>Develop and deepen strategic partnerships with key ski and snow brands through on-site vendor meetings, business reviews, and product testing</li>\n<li>Lead business development initiatives with vendors to unlock exclusive opportunities</li>\n<li>Create SMUs and exclusive assortments that differentiate Backcountry from competitors</li>\n<li>Maintain a strong pulse on competitive positioning and brand strategies</li>\n\n<h4><strong>Retail &amp; Customer Experience</strong></h4>\n\n<li>Champion the end-to-end customer journey across digital and retail touchpoints</li>\n<li>Partner with teams to build and scale demo fleet and seasonal rental programs</li>\n<li>Ensure seamless integration of hardgoods with accessories, travel gear, and related categories</li>\n\n<h4><strong>Cross-Functional Partnerships</strong></h4>\n\n<li>Partner closely with Inventory Planning to align open-to-buy, manage receipt flow, and optimize in-season reorder and markdown decisions across a highly seasonal business</li>\n<li>Collaborate with Finance, Marketing, and Digital/UX teams to align category investments with financial targets, campaign timing, and on-site merchandising execution</li>\n<li>Leverage sell-through data, digital conversion metrics, and customer demand signals to inform assortment decisions, identify risk, and surface opportunities in real time</li>\n\n<h4><strong>Team Leadership</strong></h4>\n\n<li>Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing merchandising team</li>\n<li>Establish clear goals aligned to business outcomes and hold teams accountable</li>\n<li>Foster a culture of ownership, innovation, and continuous improvement</li>\n"
    },
    {
      "text": "Required Qualifications",
      "content": "\n<li>Deep expertise in ski and snowboard hardgoods, with a strong point of view on product and trends</li>\n<li>Strong understanding of the global snow market, vendor landscape, and brand ecosystem</li>\n<li>Proven ability to translate regional nuances (East vs. West, Resort vs. Backcountry) into winning strategies</li>\n<li>Extensive experience managing highly seasonal businesses, including lifecycle and inventory planning</li>\n<li>Demonstrated success building assortments across multiple price tiers and customer expertise levels</li>\n<li>Experience across full-price, off-price, and closeout channels, with a focus on end-of-season optimization</li>\n<li>Background in retail service models, including demo fleets and rental strategies</li>\n<li>Experience developing SMUs, exclusives, and differentiated assortment programs</li>\n<li>Strong track record of building strategic brand partnerships and vendor relationships</li>\n<li>Understanding of adjacent categories including snow accessories, travel, and gear ecosystems</li>\n<li>Proven ability to influence the full customer journey and drive metrics like UPT and conversion</li>\n<li>Experience leading and developing high-performing merchandising teams</li>\n<li>Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with Inventory Planning, Finance, and Digital teams to align assortment decisions with OTB, margin targets, and digital performance</li>\n<li>Deep familiarity with ski industry vendor dating programs and off-price buying windows, including time-sensitive endof-season closeout commitments</li>\n<li>Analytical fluency with sell-through analysis, conversion metrics, and demand forecasting to drive confident, datainformed buy decisions</li>\n"
    },
    {
      "text": "Why Join",
      "content": "<div>The people who do best here are builders. They take ownership, move fast, and want to see the direct impact of their work.</div>\n\n<li><strong>Visibility Across the Business:</strong> As the DMM for one of Backcountry's most iconic categories, you will present directly to senior leadership and shape decisions that affect the full P&amp;L — your work is seen and your perspective carries weight.</li>\n<li><strong>Category Mastery &amp; Market Access:</strong> You will deepen your expertise through direct vendor partnerships, on-site product reviews, and access to the global snow sports market at a level few roles can offer.</li>\n<li><strong>Full Ownership:</strong> You own the category strategy end-to-end — from assortment vision and vendor negotiations to team development and financial outcomes. There is no hand-off; you see it through.</li>\n<li><strong>Competitive Benefits:</strong> Paid time off policies, 401(k) match, medical/dental/vision and a variety of supplemental policies, and employee discounts at Backcountry and across our portfolio of brands.</li>\n"
    },
    {
      "text": "Interview Process",
      "content": "<ol>\n<li><strong>Recruiter Screen:</strong> A 30-minute conversation with our recruiting team to cover your background, the role, and what Backcountry is building.</li>\n<li><strong>Hiring Manager Interview:</strong> A deep dive with the VP of Merchandising focused on your category expertise, vendor strategy experience, and leadership approach.</li>\n<li><strong>Merchandising Case Study:</strong> You will complete a short take-home exercise to demonstrate how you approach assortment strategy, lifecycle planning, or a similar merchandising challenge.</li>\n<li><strong>Cross-Functional Interviews:</strong> Conversations with Inventory Planning, Finance, and Digital/UX stakeholders to assess cross-functional fit and strategic alignment.</li>\n<li><strong>In-Person Interview:</strong> An on-site visit at our Cottonwood Heights HQ with senior leadership and key team members.</li>\n<li><strong>Reference Checks:</strong> Conducted in parallel with the final stages where possible.</li>\n<li><strong>Offer:</strong> We move quickly for the right candidate.</li>\n</ol>"
    }
  ],
  "country": "US",
  "createdAt": 1774659830456,
  "updatedAt": null,
  "categories": {
    "team": "Merchandising",
    "location": "Cottonwood Heights, UT",
    "commitment": "Full Time",
    "department": "Backcountry",
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      "Cottonwood Heights, UT"
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