Vans: Be a Part of the Original

“It was never about waving the brand like a flag, it was always about the people” – Paul Van Doren

Vans is the original action sports footwear company, rooted in authenticity and creativity. Founded in 1966, Vans has thrived on a legacy of impacting our greater community through four pillars: action sports, music, art and street culture. We are constantly inspired by the expressive creators within our company and community as they bring new and innovative perspectives to help shape and transform the future of our business.

At Vans, our culture sets us apart and influences everything we do. We are driven by five values:

1. We are determined.
2.  We are connected to our consumers and to each other.
3. We are inclusive.
4. We are expressive and fun.
5. And most of all, we are a family. 

Vans is a subsidiary of VF, one of the world’s largest apparel and footwear companies with socially and environmentally responsible operations spanning numerous geographies, product categories and distribution channels. As we continue to expand, VF and Vans take great measures in developing and growing our people.

Vans is founded on a culture of learning. We take pride in our ability to facilitate learning opportunities by providing the resources and tools necessary to support each individual’s pursuit of growth to achieve future goals driven by our brand purpose.

Our purpose to enable creative expression and inspire youth culture is fostered through our inclusivity. We welcome anyone and everyone into our global family and proudly celebrate an environment where individuality is embraced, equal opportunities thrive, and everyone is empowered to reach their greatest potential. 

By joining the Vans family, you will be immersed in an environment of incredibly supportive and collaborative people. We work very hard across a multitude of large initiatives to bring the Van Doren spirit to life. We live for what we do. 

Vans Global Footwear Category Manager: Become the Newest Member of the Vans Family

We are a company that nurtures creative thinkers and dreams the unimaginable. We reward those that break out of society’s views on what is possible and impossible and endlessly chase their vision. For you to believe in this very dream would mean being a perfect fit in our company. As Global Merchandising Manager of aProduct Category, you will share responsibilities for managing the footwear category from brief stage through design and development to product introduction and sell through.  This includes identification of market trends and the writing of briefs/development of a seasonal line plan, working directly with Design and Development monitoring progress and keeping projects on calendar, championing the PLM process, handling of samples for meetings/tradeshows and marketing/catalog requirements, developing and building presentations, driving Go-To-Market strategy, attending and assisting at regional sales meetings/account pre-lines, tracking monthly sell throughs for category key accounts. In addition, you will establish control-related standards and procedures. On a daily basis, you will be interacting with global and regional Merchandising in Americas, Europe and Asia across Design, Development, Marketing and Apparel.  Take a step in the right direction and bring your talent and ambition to Vans. 

How You Will Move the Needle:

1. You will manage line development against product calendar. Communicate any changes to the Design and Development teams ensuring accuracy of information.
2. You will have the opportunity to conduct monthly statistical analysis by style and color for each operating region.
3.  You will build, present and drive global seasonal product briefs. Presentations to Global and Regional Merchandising teams during line review process and Go-To-Market process.
4. Drive and lead product segmentation with a consumer centric approach. Work with Category Director in the development of seasonal/annual OGSTM product strategy.
5. Assist and work with Product coordinator on product line management input and management.
6. You will partner with Regional Merchandising teams on global market visits, key account product presentations, relationship building, and trend/market research.
7. Your diverse experiences and background enable you to provide a unique perspective to fuel our global growth. Additionally, you are inclusive and value differing points of view.
8. Track category margins and work with development to hit seasonal goals. Also, you will assist with the research and writing of seasonal product briefs. 

Skills for Success:

Years of Related Professional Experience: 7+ years

 Educational/ Position Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree (BA) or equivalent from a four-year college; or 7+ years related experience and/or training - or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Extensive knowledge of Action Sports, Fashion, Art and Streetwear and the global market competitive set
• Ability to think strategically and act tactically
• Wholesale and Retail Business Acumen
• Strong interpersonal, communication, presentation and problem-solving skills
• Comfortable in self-starter environment 

Special Physical and/or Mental Requirements:

• 25% travel
• Ability to be flexible with extended work hours, as necessary
• Ability to work in an open environment with product team and cross-functional partners
• Bend, lift, open and move product and related office items varying in weight from 1 to 25lbs, depending on need

Vans: Be a Part of the Original

“It was never about waving the brand like a flag, it was always about the people” – Paul Van Doren

Vans is the original action sports footwear company rooted in authenticity and creativity. Founded in 1966, Vans has thrived on a legacy of impacting our greater community through Vans’ four pillars: action sports, music, art and street culture. We are constantly inspired by the expressive creators within our company and community as they bring new and innovative perspectives to help shape and transform the future of our business.

At Vans our culture sets us apart and it influences everything we do. Everything we do supports creativity and we are driven by our five values. We are determined. We are connected to our consumers and to each other. We are inclusive. We are expressive and Fun. And most of all, we are a family.

Vans is a subsidiary of VF, the world’s largest apparel and footwear company comprised of over 30 brands. We are the leading drivers of retail as our global footwear, apparel and accessory brand is available in 170 countries worldwide. As we continue to expand, we take great measures in developing and growing our people.

Vans is founded on a culture of learning. We take great pride in our ability to facilitate learning opportunities by providing the resources and tools necessary to support each individual’s pursuit of growth to achieve future goals. To prioritize career growth within our company, Vans offers courses on topics such as leadership, communication, collaboration and technical skills to ensure our employees are self-motivated and developing to the pace of our rapidly growing business.

By joining the Vans family, you will be immersed into an environment of incredibly supportive and collaborative people. We work very hard across a multitude of large initiatives to bring the Van Doren spirit to life. We live for what we do.

Sr. Director, Merchandising: Become the Newest Member of the Vans Family As the Sr. Director of Merchandising for Men’s, you will be responsible for creating, owning, and championing Men’s, Boys and Kids business; including strategic direction and product line management accountabilities to meet the needs of our consumer as well as sales & margin targets. Key responsibilities will be to protect the foundation of our business and to partner with cross functional teams to identify new opportunities where smart risks can be taken to meet financial targets.  Your passion, experience, product knowledge and skills will support and leverage the brands’ continual quest to innovate and elevate. We are inspired by individuals who can possess an excellent sense of consumer & brand trends. In addition, we are looking for confident & collaborative leaders who can drive strong cross-functional team partnership and guide the future path of this division.

How You Will Make a Difference:

1. Develop and partner with VP on building division’s mid-term vision and seasonal strategies based on consumer/channel needs; prioritize to meet financial targets, through analytical support and business planning
2. Demonstrate a high level of cross-functional leadership and collaboration across the organization; Global Design & Development, Regional Merchandisers, Sales, Finance and Operations to ensure products are brand appropriate, meeting consumer/category/channel needs, and executed with great quality, whilst meeting key product creation milestones.
3. Research and observe market landscape as it relates to product, pricing, position and marketing to keep the brand ahead of the competition.
4. Protect the foundational business needs and partner with cross functional teams to evaluate new opportunities and create replacement strategies on exiting businesses. 
5. Collaborate with Footwear, Design and Women’s in the curation of collaborations, athlete projects, licensing and other special projects.
6. Manage Merchandiser(s) & Product Line Coordinator Responsibilities: from category merchandising responsibilities, creating/maintain accuracy in our PLM system, sample management, etc.
7. Partner with employees to provide them with the appropriate tools resources and training for their career development.
8. Support an open and inclusive environment that recognizes employees based on the strength of their efforts.
9. Partner with VP and Finance to develop yearly budgets and manage expenses monthly.

Years of Related Professional Experience: 10+ years

Educational/ Position Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required preferably in Fashion, Marketing or Product Management, or an equivalent combination experience in the apparel/fashion industry.
• Excellent leadership/management skills.
• Exceptional presentation, listening, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Being consumer oriented; exceptional sense of consumer & product trends, style and color
• Clear understanding of financial measurements and how to impact them. 
• Possess a strong point of view, balanced with the ability to influence and manage change cross functionally
• Strong operational decision making; capability to formulate short term tactical plans that are cost-effective, efficient, realistic and support longer term strategies. 
• Ability to analyze problems & opportunities skillfully, formulate a logical rationale for the decision and take action. 
• Maintain a cooperative team environment that promotes high performance standards and attainment of goals. 
• Organizational ability to facilitate multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment.
• Computer literacy Microsoft Office (Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel), Adobe Illustrator, Keynote, etc

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally, 10 – 20% amount of time.