Senior Merchandiser

Lead and direct a successful commercialization of Columbia Sportswear product categories from initial concept through product delivery. Liaise with Corporate Sourcing, Costing and Production sites to ensure timely execution from sample stage to production. Driving analysis and validation of vendor cost information throughout the entire creation process. Ensure compliance to agreed standards. Effectively negotiate with vendors for the best product cost to achieve the highest cost margin. Work collaboratively with sourcing to ensure products are sourced at suitable vendors that meet corporate financial expectations. Providing guidance and training to other team members, including cross-functional internal and external partners.

**Essential Functions/Responsibilities**:

- Source Plan Management
- Create and enter seasonal source plan and cap type into PDM.
- Determine best vendor based on brief and design requirements along with vendor capacity and capabilities
- Raw Material Sourcing and Development
- New season innovation/concept sample collection
- Work with RM and FG vendors to source and develop raw materials
- RM cost validation and negotiation
- RM quality testing
- Arrange needed RM proto yardage and delivery
- Material and Trim color approval
- Product Development/ Fit Skills
- PDM Spec Sheet creation and updates
- To Ensure fit consistency across gender and seasons, by communicating across HQ and Vendor teams, reviewing, and translating patterns with noted fit issues, instructions, and proto review feedback.
- To develop the proto samples according to the design and ship the samples on time for style review meeting
- To ensure the development can meet Columbia’s quality requirement and prevent the potential quality problem in bulk production
- To ensure material compatibility quality testing meets standards and product needs.
- To work with vendors for the less expensive version of CMT during the development and still maintain the required quality
- To create or update the spec package timely after each generation of development until the development is commercialized
- Costing Skills
- To Provide pre-proto cost estimates to determine design and target alignment
- To work out the reasonable/sustainable prices among the vendors and increase the margin for the company
- To be able to analyse the standard cost structure and negotiate prices with vendors
- To provide the suggestions when cost with challenge
- Allocation Skills
- To finalize the in-line and SRT allocation with the Sourcing team
- To work out the dual source within our partners in case capacity issue at initial vendor
- Buy Ready Skills
- To ensure Direct development commercialization, color approval, EMB/Print development & testing are ready, special workmanship approved before the Buy issued
- Team Player Skills
- Collaborate with Material, Production, QA depts. to ensure production meet company’s requirement and hit required On Time delivery
- Anticipate potential problems and support solutions with prepared answers.

**Secondary **Functions/Responsibilities**:
Maintain positive open lines of communication with all internal & external teams in order to contribute to the smooth flow of information and efficient operation of the organization.

**Minimum Educational/Experience Requirements/Skills**
- University graduate
- Good command of written and speaking in English
- At least 6-8 years’ experience in Outter Wear and Sporwear
- Good team player
- Willing to learn new skills and open-minded to new challenges
- Independent minded and pro-actively solve problem efficiently and effectively

**Job Complexity**:

- Work is generally at different stages of the developments and production
- The time management is rather important to the Sample Buy Ready and Production Buy Ready to re-act the problem solving immediately
- Costing is to create the margin for the company, the price negotiation skill and the knowledge of the products are the challenges to the senior merchandisers

**Job Conditions**:

- Have comprehensive knowledge of outerwear and sportwear manufacturing production process
- Process knowledge of materials regarding the color lab, fabric finishing and functions
- Good time management to meet the timelines
- Manage the multiple tasks simultaneously
- Ability to effectively negotiate and influence internal and external stakeholders
- Good written and verbal communication skills with the colleagues in Head office and other Liaison offices
- Flexibility mind-set to take changes

Columbia Sportswear Company and our portfolio of brands, including Columbia, SOREL, Mountain Hardwear and prAna, know a thing or two about adventures. After all, we've been on one since 1938, working to perfect the art of enjoying the outdoors. Behind everything we make is an employee who's found that the greatest adventure starts with joining a company that strives to do the right thing.
- This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list o