Director, Category & Merchandising

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Director, Category & Merchandising ABOUT SPECIALIZED Innovation has guided our every decision since 1974. As more riders of all ages get on the roads, trails, and streets than ever before, we're here to do the best work of our lives to push the greatest human powered machine into the future each and every day. We're a team of barrier-breakers, disrupters, and problem solvers. We're committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where every teammate can succeed as we inspire riders everywhere. JOB SUMMARY Director, Category & Merchandising Category Management is the financial and strategic backbone - every range decision grounded in margin targets, sell-through expectations, and market data. Merchandising Strategy translates that into a coherent product story across owned retail, IBD, and ecommerce. Demand and Supply Planning ensures the inventory is there to execute it. Ecommerce Merchandising carries it to the digital shelf. And Retail Services - now spanning both NorAm and LatAm under a single Americas-wide manager - brings the strategy to life on the floor of every IBD and owned retail store across the region. HOW YOU'LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE Lead the existing Category Management team. The financial and strategic foundation of the role - every merchandising decision connects back here. Set the category strategy for the Americas, aligned to global direction and local market opportunity across NorAm and LatAm. Build category business plans tying range decisions to margin targets, inventory positions, and sell-through expectations. Ensure category managers and demand planners operate in a shared rhythm - same data, same priorities, same planning cadence. Present category performance reviews and forward plans to the Head of Americas Region and key retail accounts. Own the merchandising architecture that drives category performance across owned retail, IBD, and ecommerce. This is where category strategy becomes a product story. Develop and manage seasonal merchandising plans aligned to global brand direction and local market realities. Define range architecture - what products go where, in what quantities, with what adjacencies, across physical and digital shelves. Ensure owned retail, IBD, and ecommerce tell the same product story at the same time, every season. Translate global category strategies into locally relevant plans for both NorAm and LatAm markets. Connect merchandising decisions directly to financial outcomes - margin, sell-through, and inventory efficiency. Lead a planning function of eight people across NorAm and LatAm. The right product, in the right place, at the right time - consistently. Own demand forecasting for both regions using commercial data, sell-through trends, and real market signals. Lead supply planning to align inventory availability with seasonal sell-through targets and retailer needs. Identify supply risks early and resolve before they become revenue problems. Deliver real-time visibility into stock health, forecast accuracy, and fulfillment performance across both regions. Own the commercial direction of how Specialized products are sequenced, featured, and merchandised on the digital shelf for the Americas. Set the Americas digital merchandising strategy for Specialized.com - aligned to seasonal plans, inventory position, and category priorities. Direct the Ecomm Merchandising Manager on product sequencing, promotional placement, and digital shelf priorities. Ensure physical and digital merchandising tell the same story at the same time across all channels. Use sell-through and traffic data to drive ongoing optimization of the digital shelf. Lead the Americas-wide Retail Services function through a single Retail Services Manager who owns NorAm and LatAm in-store execution. This is where merchandising strategy meets the floor. Lead the Retail Services Manager who owns in-store activation across IBD and owned retail in both NorAm and LatAm. Set the in-store execution standard for Specialized across all physical Americas retail touchpoints - consistent regardless of market. Own the retail activation calendar tied to seasonal merchandising plans, product launches, and key commercial moments. Drive creation of point-of-purchase materials - signage, displays, fixtures, and assets - that translate the merchandising strategy into conversion. WHAT YOU NEED TO WIN 10+ years across category management, merchandising, or commercial roles - with real experience in both financial planning and go-to-market strategy. Proven track record building and leading cross-functional, geographically distributed teams. Category management experience - you know how to build plans that connect range strategy to margin outcomes. Deep understanding of omnichannel retail - you think in owned retail, IBD, and ecommerce simultaneously. Strong grasp of demand and supply planning - you understand how forecasting decisions affect the floor and the digital shelf. Experience working in or with Lat