Job Description

At Backcountry, our mission is to connect people to their passions. Our four online stores—Backcountry, Competitive Cyclist, MotoSport and, SteepandCheap—aim to supply our customers with the gear, knowledge, and inspiration necessary to get out there and chase down life’s greatest moments. We do this by providing the biggest and best assortment of premium outdoor products, superior shopping experience, personalized Gearhead expertise, lightning-fast and accurate fulfillment, and inspirational, informative, and community-centered content.

The Divisional Merchandise Manager will oversee the merchandising for several Merchandising Divisions (MDs) – Women’s and Youth Soft Goods. This role will be focused on ensuring the assortment meets both our financial goals and aligns to our branding strategy for Backcountry. The Divisional Merchandise Manager will oversee a buying team with a multi-million dollar open-to-buy budget, define/execute strategy and day-to-day decisions, partner closely with Marketing and Creative on campaign planning and management, and work with our owned brands to develop and assort the best-in-class product. This individual is also responsible for developing and maintaining strategic relationships with our vendors and negotiating terms as necessary.

This role is challenging – above and beyond the day-to-day responsibilities, you’ll have a big role within a fast-paced team.

This position will report into the General Merchandise Manager.

What you get to do every day:

• Responsible for meeting $100M+ in sales, margin, and inventory turn goals, using all available sites and channels
• Manage and mentor a team of 5-10 ranging from Assistant Buyer to Sr. Buyer level
• Develop and maintain accountability for overall assortment and selection strategy across both technical and lifestyle product and brands
• Implement and entrench a rigorous analytical process across the team to understand historical sales and inventory performance to inform future opportunities and actions
• Maintain and develop strategic relationships and opportunities with key vendors: act as an ambassador for Backcountry and serve as the eyes and ears for the rest of the team
• Work closely with Planning Manager to develop and manage annual/quarterly revenue, buying and receipt budgets
• Develop an annual/seasonal selling calendar with Marketing to highlight key products, categories and promotions, emphasizing unique and differentiated stories
• Oversee the flow of inventory in order to maximize potential sales while being mindful of the absolute necessity of quick inventory turns
• Coordinate with the visual merchandising team to curate product stories, optimize taxonomy/sortation and implement cross sells to drive sales
• Oversee Retail Store assortments and work closely with store teams to ensure sell through and assortment
• Partner with content to ensure to define and uphold category content standards and ensure time site metrics are being met
• Advocate for the brand’s mission and outdoor community values through thoughtful product curation and partnerships.
• Negotiate pricing, terms and allowances with vendors. Opportunities to build gross margin through re-structuring of vendor programs and seeking out key buys and closeouts should be pursued and communicated through the correct channels

What you bring to the role:

• Bachelor’s degree, in merchandising and business-related field is strongly preferred
• At least 7+ years in retail buying, merchandising, product category management.
• Deep understanding of the outdoor industry and customer behaviors, with a passion for gear and technical products.
• Experience managing, developing and leading a team
• Ability to assess and manage both technical and lifestyle brands and products
• Excellent organizational skills and extreme attention to detail
• Strong time management skills and must be solution-oriented
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in retail math, forecasting, and data-driven decision-making.
• Excellent presentation skills and strong negotiation skills
• Proficient in tools like Excel, ERP/MRP systems, and merchandising planning software.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A strong understanding of the E-commerce industry, Outdoor specific experience a plus
• Personal involvement or passion in outdoor activities like hiking, climbing, skiing, or biking. Is a plus.

What’s in it for you?

• PTO
• Medical/Dental/Vision and a variety of supplemental policies available
• Company 401K match
• Company Health Spending Account (HSA) match
• Company provides group life insurance at no cost
• COBRA reimbursement for salaried employees until health insurance eligible
• Paid Holidays
• Birthday off with pay!
• Pet Insurance
• Generous employee discounts

What our interview process looks like:

Depending on the position, our application and interview process may vary, but here are some of the ways we get to know you better:

• 📞 Step 1 : Match most of the requirements and qualifications for the position? We want to chat. A recruiter will reach out to you via email to schedule some time to learn more about our company and get to know you better. Remember, you’re also interviewing us!
• 📝 Step 2: Our assessments (if applicable to the role) measure your analytical and business acumen. We use them to better understand your expertise. Each person interviewing for the same role receives the same assessment, which helps us evaluate candidates equally and consistently.
• 👩🏽‍💻Step 3 : Virtual or in-person interviews depending on your location. Our hiring team will learn more about your prior experience and challenges you’ve faced. Be prepared with detailed examples. Concise and well-organized answers are ideal.
• ✍🏽 Step 4 : Offer! This is where things get really exciting. We gather all data from your interviews and conduct a final review. If qualified for the position, your recruiter will connect with you via phone to present a verbal offer we know you’ll be excited about.

For US-based candidates, this posting is intended for candidates that reside in the following states:

AZ, DE, FL, GA, IN, LA, MI, MS, MO, NV, NC, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI, and WY.

Our preference is for candidates who reside near our hubs in Northwest Indiana, Austin, Texas, and Toronto, Ontario.

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.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie-detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

The CSC family of brands is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact hrbenefits@cscshared.com .

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