Director of Merchandise, Hardgoods

Cottonwood Heights, UT - USA

Monthly Salary: Not Disclosed

Posted on: 2 days ago

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

At Backcountry our mission is to connect people to their passions. Our four online storesBackcountry Competitive CyclistMotoSportandSteepandCheapaim to supply our customers with the gear knowledge and inspiration necessary to get out there and chase down lifes greatest moments. We do this by providing the biggest and best assortment of premium outdoor products superior shopping experience personalized Gearheadexpertise lightning-fast andaccuratefulfillment and inspirational informative and community-centered content.

Backcountry is seeking a high-performing strategic and results-driven Director of Merchandise Hardgoods to lead the Outdoor division. This is a critical leadership role focused on profitably growing the business by leveraging market insight data analysis and cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in both e-commerce and the outdoor industry proven capability in team leadership and a forward-thinking approach to AI and advanced analytics. The Director of Merchandise -- Outdoor will define and execute both long-term strategy and day-to-day merchandising decisions for the Outdoor division ensuring product assortments and vendor partnerships align with financial targets and Backcountry branding. This leader will own a multi-million dollar open-to-buy budget direct a team of buyers across technical and lifestyle outdoor categories and work closely with Planning Marketing and Creative to drive unique consumer engagement and revenue growth. The scope of the role will include all the digital channels including Backcountry Competitive Cyclist Steep & Cheap and Market place.

What you get to do:

Drive financial performance achieving aggressive sales margin and inventory turn goals across all channels and platforms.
Develop and maintain the optimal outdoor assortment strategy integrating technical expertise industry trends and customer insights.
Build and nurture strategic relationships with vendors negotiating pricing terms and key buys to maximize gross margin and support differentiated product stories.
Harness advanced analytics including AI-powered demand forecasting inventory optimization and consumer trend modeling to inform merchandising and financial decisions.
Lead and mentor a high-performing merchandising team fostering accountability professional development and a rigorous results-oriented culture.
Oversee the flow of inventory ensuring optimal stock levels high velocity turns and minimal waste through predictive analytics and agile buying practices.
Partner with Planning on annual and seasonal budgets forecasting and KPI reporting leveraging AI and data science for enhanced accuracy and opportunity identification.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing and Creative developing promotions and campaigns that drive brand engagement and capture emerging industry narratives.
Uphold and advance category content standards visual merchandising and taxonomy for improved customer experience and conversion rates.
Monitor team and category KPIs utilizing advanced reporting platforms and AI-powered data visualization to detect trends and prescribe action plans.

What you bring:

Bachelors degree (Business Supply Chain Management or related field preferred); Masters degree a plus.
10 years in retail buying/merchandising with extensive e-commerce and outdoor industry experience.
Demonstrated record of strategic sourcing vendor negotiation and assortment development in fast-paced multi-channel environments.
Deep analytical and presentation skills; fluency in Excel; experience with purchasing planning and reporting systems.
Results-oriented leadership style with a passion for fostering high-performing data-driven teams.
Track record of leveraging AI machine learning or advanced analytics for merchandising planning or consumer insights.
Outstanding communication and negotiation capability.
Strong organizational skills attention to detail and time management.
Genuine enthusiasm for the outdoor industry and deep understanding of key brands trends and consumer behavior.
Experience or demonstrated aptitude integrating AI-powered forecasting inventory optimization and consumer data analytics into merchandising decisions and reporting workflows.
Ability to identify adopt and champion new technologies and platforms that advance our competitive position.
Strong understanding of how machine learning and data science can transform buy plans assortment curation and personalized marketing.

Whats in it for you Joining Backcountry isnt just about having a seat at the tableits about helping redesign the table entirely. Youll be challenged stretched and supported as you grow faster than you thought addition to competitive compensation we offer:

Executive Access:Work directly with brand CEOs and senior leadership solvingreal businessproblems and earning mentorship from top operators.
AI-First Skill Building:Get hands-on with the most advanced AI tools in the market. From automation to prompt engineeringyoullbuild a modern tech stack that sets you apart in any industry.
Accelerated Career Path:High performers are quickly entrusted with greater responsibility new challenges and leadership opportunities across our portfolio of brands.
Competitive benefits: Paid time off policies 401(k)/RRSP match medical/dental/vision and a variety of supplemental policies and employeediscounts at our portfolio companies

Our interview process:

Step 1:If you align with our vision and meet the qualificationswellreach out to schedule a conversation and introduceBackcountry.
Step 2:Youllcomplete a short AI or product-building challenge so we can understand how you approach problems and execution.
Step 3:Participatein deep-dive interviews withBackcountryleadership focused on your experience product mindset and operational thinking.
Step 4: fast for the right candidate.

The CSC family of brands provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race color religion age sex national origin disability status genetics protected veteran status sexual orientation gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal provincial state or local laws.

The CSC family of brands is committed to providing reasonableaccommodationsfor qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you needassistanceoran accommodationdue to a disability please contactemailprotected.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process such as reviewing applications analyzing resumes or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed please contact us.

Required Experience:

Director

What you get to do:

Drive financial performance achieving aggressive sales margin and inventory turn goals across all channels and platforms.
Develop and maintain the optimal outdoor assortment strategy integrating technical expertise industry trends and customer insights.
Build and nurture strategic relationships with vendors negotiating pricing terms and key buys to maximize gross margin and support differentiated product stories.
Harness advanced analytics including AI-powered demand forecasting inventory optimization and consumer trend modeling to inform merchandising and financial decisions.
Lead and mentor a high-performing merchandising team fostering accountability professional development and a rigorous results-oriented culture.
Oversee the flow of inventory ensuring optimal stock levels high velocity turns and minimal waste through predictive analytics and agile buying practices.
Partner with Planning on annual and seasonal budgets forecasting and KPI reporting leveraging AI and data science for enhanced accuracy and opportunity identification.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing and Creative developing promotions and campaigns that drive brand engagement and capture emerging industry narratives.
Uphold and advance category content standards visual merchandising and taxonomy for improved customer experience and conversion rates.
Monitor team and category KPIs utilizing advanced reporting platforms and AI-powered data visualization to detect trends and prescribe action plans.

What you bring:

Bachelors degree (Business Supply Chain Management or related field preferred); Masters degree a plus.
10 years in retail buying/merchandising with extensive e-commerce and outdoor industry experience.
Demonstrated record of strategic sourcing vendor negotiation and assortment development in fast-paced multi-channel environments.
Deep analytical and presentation skills; fluency in Excel; experience with purchasing planning and reporting systems.
Results-oriented leadership style with a passion for fostering high-performing data-driven teams.
Track record of leveraging AI machine learning or advanced analytics for merchandising planning or consumer insights.
Outstanding communication and negotiation capability.
Strong organizational skills attention to detail and time management.
Genuine enthusiasm for the outdoor industry and deep understanding of key brands trends and consumer behavior.
Experience or demonstrated aptitude integrating AI-powered forecasting inventory optimization and consumer data analytics into merchandising decisions and reporting workflows.
Ability to identify adopt and champion new technologies and platforms that advance our competitive position.
Strong understanding of how machine learning and data science can transform buy plans assortment curation and personalized marketing.

Whats in it for you Joining Backcountry isnt just about having a seat at the tableits about helping redesign the table entirely. Youll be challenged stretched and supported as you grow faster than you thought addition to competitive compensation we offer:

Executive Access:Work directly with brand CEOs and senior leadership solvingreal businessproblems and earning mentorship from top operators.
AI-First Skill Building:Get hands-on with the most advanced AI tools in the market. From automation to prompt engineeringyoullbuild a modern tech stack that sets you apart in any industry.
Accelerated Career Path:High performers are quickly entrusted with greater responsibility new challenges and leadership opportunities across our portfolio of brands.
Competitive benefits: Paid time off policies 401(k)/RRSP match medical/dental/vision and a variety of supplemental policies and employeediscounts at our portfolio companies

Our interview process:

Step 1:If you align with our vision and meet the qualificationswellreach out to schedule a conversation and introduceBackcountry.
Step 2:Youllcomplete a short AI or product-building challenge so we can understand how you approach problems and execution.
Step 3:Participatein deep-dive interviews withBackcountryleadership focused on your experience product mindset and operational thinking.
Step 4: fast for the right candidate.