Senior Manager, Merchandising - Softlines

The Senior Manager, Merchandising - Softlines drives execution of the merchandise strategy and vision for their assigned categories, contributing to a complex, multi-category Softlines division. This role works closely with cross-functional teams to deliver consumer-centric, trend-right, high-quality product assortments across all owned and operated channels, bringing franchise priorities and guest insights to life through Apparel, Accessories, and Lifestyle Home.

What You Will Do

Creates and implements the day-to-day execution of product strategies across a softlines category / categories, translates product strategy into consumer-focused assortments that drive commercial success in Disney Parks, and analyzes product performance to identify successes, continuously improve assortments and drive productivity.

Why It Might Be a Fit

Champion trend-driven, innovative products developed with Design and Sourcing teams to meet consumer demand and achieve business and sustainability objectives, lead the development and execution of brand collaborations and co-branded programs, and ensure compliance with technical and regulatory requirements for softlines.

Requirements

• 6-8+ years of progressive experience in Merchandising, preferably in Lifestyle Home
• Experience in building a product line for a category/categories of business that is both globally leveraged and locally relevant
• Demonstrated ability to capitalize on market trends and consumer zeitgeist to maximize value creation throughout the trend cycle
• Demonstrated ability to create, leverage and scale innovation
• Demonstrated ability to manage revenue creation while maintaining brand integrity
• Strategic thinker with the ability to drive execution against a financial plan
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to influence a diverse audience including experience working with external partners and business owners to bring product and assortments to the market
• Successful experience working, and thriving, in a highly matrixed company structure
• Leadership and talent development abilities and a collaborative and effective management style
• Ability to think creatively and disruptively to bring and infuse new ideas into product development
• Ability to manage the organizational and cultural change efforts needed to ensure new, innovative concepts, business practices, and technologies are fully adopted and integrated into the business
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in product development and merchandising within softlines categories
• Demonstrated experience developing fit and construction briefs and packaging/presentation strategies across softlines categories
• Proven ability to operate as a merchant-led product developer, capable of authoring product briefs, identifying category and assortment gaps, and driving product from concept through production in partnership with sourcing and vendor partners, independent of or in advance of formal Product Design involvement
• Track record of executing brand collaborations and co-branded product programs from end to end, including partner identification, creative and legal alignment, product development support, and commercial launch, with an ability to balance brand integrity and commercial objectives throughout the process
• Active knowledge of and engagement with leading apparel, fashion, and lifestyle brands, with the ability to apply competitive best practices around trend and fashion innovation, capsule and collection strategy, fit and fabrication, and consumer engagement directly to Disney's owned-and-operated retail product lineup
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally

Benefits

• health and savings benefits
• educational opportunities
• special extras that only Disney can provide