Job Title: Category Merchandising 3
Location: Beaverton OR
Duration: 6+ Months Contract
Job Summary:
The role leads Kids Apparel Sport Product Merchandising, partnering closely with Product, Planning, and Marketplace teams.
The interim leader will help create the future of Kids Apparel across boys and girls, sport and sportswear, ensuring continuity of vision, line quality, and marketplace execution across multiple seasons.
What We Are Looking For:
We are seeking G45/G50 merchants who are ready to operate at the Director level and lead a complex, multigender, multisport apparel business during a high-impact seasonal window.
The ideal candidate:

• Has strong merchandising experience, ideally in Apparel and/or Kids, with the ability to lead by Sport, franchise, and classification
• Demonstrates confidence leading complex CODE moments, including Line Planning, MAR, and GGP
• Brings a consumer led mindset with strong financial acumen and marketplace Awareness
• Can navigate ambiguity, prioritize effectively, and make clear decisions under time pressure
• Has demonstrated the ability to act as a peer leader and collaborator, motivating and stabilizing a team during transition
• Communicates clearly with senior leaders across Geo, Global, Product, Planning, and Marketplace

What You Will Product:
This role provides a rare opportunity to step fully into Director level ownership within NA Kids Merchandising.
Through this stretch, you will Product:

• Driving a clear strategy of a $700M Kids Apparel portfolio across multiple seasons
• Hands on leadership of MAR, GGP, and GTM for FA 27, HO 27, and SP 28
• Direct experience leading a team of 4 through critical seasonal moments
• Increased exposure to Geo and Global senior leadership across Merchandising, Product, and Marketplace
• Deepened capability in long range line planning, including early influence on FA/HO 28 and SP/SU 29
• Demonstrated readiness for future Director-level roles

Core Responsibilities:

• Lead NA Kids Apparel Sport Product Merchandising strategy grounded in
• consumer insight, financial health, and marketplace realities
• Own seasonal execution across Line Planning, MAR, GGP, Seasonal Handover, and GTM
• Monitor franchise and classification health and lead product lifecycle discussions
• Represent Kids Apparel Sport within Geo Consumer Merchandising and Geo Sport LT
• Inspire, guide, and develop a team of 4 through clear direction, prioritization, and Decision making

Seasonal Product and Key Moments

• Primary Seasons (preMAR through GGP/GTM FA 27 – SP 28)

Desired Candidate Profile:

• Minimum required years of experience: 8 yr min Education requirements: Bachelor s degree

Must have skills:

• Leadership and people mgmt (team leading exp a must) Merchandising experience, apparel is most desired, kids apparel very beneficial Understanding of N. America marketplace

Nice to have skills:

• Working with accounts, product creation, kids apparel specific, sports apparel experience w/in the athletic industry Software/technical requirements:
• Presentation skills, good communication skills- Excel, Powerpoint, Keynote Previous Client s/industry experience preference: ex Client s exp very desirable What 2-3 traits does the successful person in the role have? Being proactive, being a problem solver, create a vision for kids apparel