The Work Group at Wolverine Worldwide includes market-leading brands Wolverine Boots and Apparel, Cat Footwear, Merrell Work and Tactical, Bates, Harley Davidson Footwear, and Hytest. Across the Work Group there are 100+ year old businesses, global and domestic brands, as well as licensed and owned entities. Through building awesome products that blur the line between work and lifestyle, we tap into the collective power of all these brands to deliver our customers amazing stories and the trusted features they demand: comfort, durability, and style.
As Work Group’s Senior Manager, Merchandising, you will be responsible for creating, leading and driving assortment strategies, as well as overseeing its execution. You will own the creation and execution of merchandise strategy and execution for the DTC/ Strategic accounts and will be accountable for and oversee additional marketplace channels. This role will have additional reporting and channel responsibilities overseeing: Key Accounts and Independents.
The Senior Manager, Merchandising will be the lead in owner of the Work Group’s channel strategies and being the expert on customer needs and marketplace, you will be the lead and be accountable for building consumer focused assortments. You will select products that meet financial plans and deliver business results and ensure the availability of the products in the right timeframes and placement while maximizing sales and profitability. In this role you will drive cross-functional alignment with Sales, Product, and Marketing to ensure the right product is delivered on- time and meets both consumer need and financial targets. This position will serve as the strategic business driver for the product development, ensuring product and presentation enhances the brand while achieving sales targets and maintains brand integrity for both digital and physical environments.
Primary Duties:
Develop seasonal & annual strategies for Work Group’s brands that meet or exceed sales goals, margin targets, and align to the overarching group strategy
Oversee execution of seasonal & annual strategies for additional marketplace channels
Create and communicate seasonal line plans to guide design, product and production in support of work group’s portfolio’s objectives
Merchandise and present seasonal milestones the product assortments that meet sales and margin targets
Present seasonal product assortment to upper management, wholesale and global product teams
Create assortment strategies with an understanding of consumer need and product creation, as well as lead times
Track business performance; Identify risks and opportunities for reacting to current business
Create and communicate pricing strategies that align with brand positioning
Communicate to appropriate cross-functional partners
Lead as reference point of contact for cross function partners regarding calendar, and deliveries
Provide thorough and meaningful analysis of channels and effectively articulate learnings to product brand teams and cross-functional partners
Maintain and demonstrate expert knowledge of customer base through strong sales and ecommerce relationships, frequently visiting stores and constantly reaching out for direct consumer feedback
Maintain and demonstrate constant understanding of the competitive environment
Participate in product review to ensure execution meets product briefs
Participate in key business meeting throughout the product creation process
Drive operational excellence across the work group to deliver efficiencies, timeliness and go-to-market execution
Always a champion of the Work Group informing the WWW organization by communicating and educating strategic plans in and outside of milestones.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
Minimum of 7+ years of merchandising experience
5+ years of leadership/management experience preferred
Entrepreneur spirit
Strong relationships and experience with product development, design, production and buying teams
Deep knowledge of current Work market
Extensive brand knowledge and understanding of international markets and competitors
Natural leader and problem solver with a growth mindset
Excellent communication and organizational skills
Strong excel and PowerPoint skills
Bachelor's degree required/MBA preferred or equivalent work experience.
Working Conditions:
In office position with domestic and international travel required (approx. 20%).
Wolverine Worldwide has a flexible, hybrid work schedule, with three days in office and two days remote.
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Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW) is a global footwear and apparel company driven by a vision to Make. Every Day. Better. Founded in 1883, the Company builds and grows iconic brands including Merrell® (opens in new window), Saucony® (opens in new window), Wolverine® (opens in new window), Sweaty Betty® (opens in new window), Chaco® (opens in new window), Hush Puppies® (opens in new window), Stride Rite® (opens in new window), HYTEST® (opens in new window), and Bates® (opens in new window), along with footwear licenses for Cat® (opens in new window) and Harley-Davidson® (opens in new window). Headquartered in Rockford, Michigan, the Company’s products are sold in approximately 170 countries and territories worldwide. For more information, visit www.wolverineworldwide.com (opens in new window).
In 2025, the Company was recognized by Footwear News as Company of the Year, by Forbes as one of America’s Dream Employers, America’s Best Employers for Women, and America’s Best Employers for Company Culture, and by Inspiring Workplaces as one of the Most Inspiring Workplaces Globally.
Wolverine Worldwide is a Certified™ Great Place To Work®.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills which may be required.
Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. is committed to creating a company that is as diverse as our consumers. We value the differences in one another and believe our differences make us stronger. Our diverse and inclusive corporate culture starts with the recruitment process. We are committed to being an equal opportunity employer. We aim to create equal opportunities for our associates, customers, and suppliers regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected characteristic.
