Vice President of Merchandising

Join Road Runner Sports a nationwide retailer offering a wide range of athletics shoes, apparel and gear, as we are looking for a Vice President of Merchandising for our corporate office in San Diego.

As the Vice President of Merchandising, you are responsible for the full product lifecycle, from purchasing, product presentation, the products ultimate sale, replenishment, and ensuring the most relevant and profitable assortment for our target demographics. Your superpower in accomplishing this is your ability to maintain outstanding relationships with vendors. You direct the development of merchandise strategy and tactical plans to be executed through all business channels, including retail, web, phone, and catalog. You position product in the Company’s promotions, maintain a level of quality necessary to meet the Customer’s needs and establish annual product margin.

 About Us:

• Road Runner Sports is proud to have been recognized as the 2023 Footwear Retailer of the Year by Footwear Magazine.
• Founded in a San Diego garage over 40 years ago.
• Road Runner Sports has 50 stores across the country, and we are growing!
• Our Values, Mission & Purpose (we call them Our 6 Pillars) are Be Different, Bring the WOW, Build something great together, Get Moving, Stay Active, and Live Healthy.

 What you will get to do as our Vice President of Merchandising:

• Maintain outstanding relationships with vendors.
• Negotiate and obtain product and service information such as price, availability, delivery schedule, disposition of defective and discontinued merchandise, and other quality considerations.
• Control the relationships with product vendors and continually appraise the performance of those vendors.
• You are responsible for purchasing, for how products should be presented online and in retail, and for the products ultimate sale.
• Lead the strategy, tactics, and execution of Road Runners private label brands.
• Partner with other executives and functions, including Retail, Finance, and Marketing, to share your vision and ensure that key stakeholders have input into the merchandise planning process and have the information they need to deliver a WOW customer experience.
• You are a key contributor on the Company’s Executive Team, and assist in developing, communicating, and implementing the Company's strategies and policies.
• Establish annual product margin and sales goals in conjunction with the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Team.

 Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business or related field; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in merchandising management, with a minimum of 8 years of leading merchandising strategy development in a retail or e-commerce environment.
• Knowledge of industry activities, brands, and product trends in apparel, accessories and footwear.
• Demonstrated success in implementing strategic and operational initiatives in merchandising.
• Proficiency in utilizing data to analyze consumer trends and pinpoint growth opportunities.
• Comprehensive knowledge of product lifecycle management, vendor relationships, and managing key performance indicators.
• Background in demand planning, supply planning, and forecasting.
• Outstanding interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills across all hierarchical levels.
• Inclusive leadership approach fosters effective engagement and communication with diverse teams and across the organization. 

Your rewards!

• Earn competitive pay
• Be the envy of your friends with discounts on ALL the latest gear and footwear
• Enjoy free running and walking events

After acceptance of a potential offer, the successful completion of a background check will be required prior to start date. The offer is contingent upon the information received in this report, and will be carried out in accordance with Local, State, and Federal laws.

We’re committed to protecting your privacy rights. We collect personal information from you, including personally identifying information, professional or employment-related information, and educational information. The purpose of this collection is to assist in evaluating your application for employment.

To ensure your application is received as timely as possible, we encourage you to apply directly onto our Road Runner Sports Career page.

As you apply directly on our site, we will be reaching out to you within the next 10 days should your experience and qualifications meet our requirements for this position.

Road Runner Sports is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Road Runner Sports is an e-verify organization and an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.