VP of Merchandising & Design

Who We Are:

VP of Merchandising and Design:

Reformation is looking for a VP of Merchandising and Design. This individual will serve as a key thought leader helping to build and execute the apparel product strategy for the company. The VP of Merchandising and Design will excel at both developing comprehensive and financially sound business strategies and executing against this direction. At Reformation, we strive to build an efficient and dynamic work environment. This individual will identify new and innovative ways to think about merchandising and apparel design. The right candidate will thrive in a fast paced work environment and will embrace solving complex challenges. This person should be prepared to work on high level strategies and trend direction as well as be willing to get into the details of the day to day operations. 

As a team lead, this individual must also prove a capable leader.  This person must have the highest integrity and should be committed to coaching and growing a strong team.

What You’ll Do:

• Oversee product design and merchandising to drive performance across all channels

• Oversee the growth of a diverse product line - protect core categories and invest in new growth businesses through compelling product designs and relevant merchandising strategies
• Drive financial success across our apparel business with a keen focus on net revenue, IMU %, and full price sell-through
• Reinforce core merchandising strategies to support both our trend and core businesses across categories
• Leverage technology and analytics to build smarter tools and models 
• Ensure strong connection to trends - influencer and runway - and infuse learnings regularly with design to ensure relevancy of product, especially in trend areas
• Maintain culture of urgency and speed to optimize performance
• Work closely with Supply Chain to provide input on sourcing and manufacturing plans and to prioritize production workstreams
• Refine reporting to ensure clarity and actionable insights (for design, merchandising, and cross-functional teams)
• Reinforce product development calendars and work closely with Supply Chain to ensure deadlines are met
• Stay close to the customer - understand gaps, pain points, and opportunities (e.g., CL blog, CL sessions, retail days in store, customer interviews)
  
• Partner closely with Planning to determine investment strategies across all apparel categories 
• Provide input and align with Planning team on core inventory points (markdown, sell-through, investment levels)
• Build and monitor reporting to ensure all areas of the business align with core strategies and goals 
• Leverage technology and analytics to identify new and smarter ways to work across Planning and Merchandising
  
• Build a productive and growth oriented team culture and organization
• Oversee team member career development and growth planning; Build clear career goals and paths for each team member
• Build trust and strong partnerships with team
• Foster an environment for inclusion, diversity, and collaboration
• Drive speed and chase mentality across the team and organization
• Reduce complexity and non-value add work when possible so team can focus on most important parts of the business continuously
  
• Partner with Marketing on collection development, product collabs, and partnerships (e.g., design and execution)
  
• Build strong partnerships cross-functionally with key groups (e.g., marketing, planning, finance, production)
• Be the voice for product at the Leadership table and beyond
  
• Drive sustainability forward in design and buying with a particular focus on materials innovation
• Focus on and support material innovation and sourcing
• Work collaboratively with the Sustainability team to infuse a sustainable mindset into all major product decisions. Set clear Sustainability goals for the apparel departments.

Who You Are:

• You have a strong balance between right brand and left brain. You value both numbers and beautiful things. 
• You are super smart with strong analytical and problem solving skills
• You are People focused. Your colleagues love working with you and learning from you.
• You can set targets and manage a cross-functional effort to achieve those targets
• You motivate others; you communicate clearly; you inspire your coworkers.
• You are a collaborative, hardworking, problem solver, who leads by example..

What you’ll need: 

• 10+  years of Merchandising / Apparel Design experience at a retailer / e-commerce company
• Proven business and strategic acumen
• Eye for product trend 
• Demonstrated ability to grow, motivate and mentor others
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills 
• Passion for sustainability

Benefits & Perks:

• Health, vision, and dental insurance for eligible employees
• Paid vacation, sick, holidays & volunteer time-off for eligible employees
• Mission based company + casual and entrepreneurial work environment
• Clothing discount, dog-friendly office, company events + parties and much more 
• 401K with company match 

To Apply:

Please submit your resume and a short cover letter telling us about yourself and why you are a great fit for Reformation!

Reformation requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to starting work.  Reformation is an equal opportunity employer, and will consider requests for exemption from this policy as a reasonable accommodation where it can do so absent undue hardship, consistent with federal, state, and local law.

The Reformation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status

Some light reading - Vogue, Forbes, Eco-Age

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