Sr. Director, Merchandising And Strategic Projects, Utility

Job Summary

The Sr. Director, Merchandising & Project Management for the Utility product line is a strategic merchandising and operational leader responsible for driving the product vision, managing cross-functional distribution execution, and ensuring successful integrated go-to-market delivery. This role combines deep merchandising expertise, leadership, and project execution excellence to manage the product lifecycle from concept through commercialization, aligning closely with Product Design, Development, Sales, Marketing, and Sales Planning & Operations.

This role is based in Portland and requires a regular presence at our global headquarters (four days per week).

Essential Functions

• Merchandising Leadership

• Develops and leads the best-in-class merchandising strategy for the Utility product line, ensuring alignment with brand vision, market trends, and customer needs.

• Owns the seasonal line architecture and roadmap, ensuring a balanced and profitable assortment across channels, and influencing and leading cross-functional teams.

• Partners with Sales and Product teams to translate market feedback into product opportunities and assortment, white space attack plan, and execution to help the brand and business gain market share.

• Conducts ongoing competitive analysis to identify whitespace opportunities and differentiation, including analysis and dashboard creation on market share and market comp insights.

• Defines product positioning, key features/benefits, and price point strategy in collaboration with Product and Marketing.

• Help create consumer-led sell-in and sell-through tools for the cross-functional teams.

• Strategic Project Management

• Leads cross-functional project management for the Utility line, ensuring key milestones, timelines, and deliverables are met.

• Creates and masters the cross-functional use of the global Utility integrated go-to-market calendar, and creates dates/gates of account prelines, final lines that drive to internal and external customer milestones, aligning global, regional, and customer needs to maximize brand and business outcomes.

• Develops and leads the long-range planning and strategic business build process, ensuring alignment with overall brand and commercial goals. Drive execution through cross-functional coordination and milestone management.

• Creates, manages, and leads internal milestone meetings as the center point of all departments and commercial-facing milestone meetings, including but not limited to FLC and sales meetings.

• Acts as the central point, trusted leader of coordination between Merchandising, Design, Development, Operations, and Go-to-Market.

• Drives calendar adherence and problem-solving throughout the development cycle to ensure on-time product launches for both inline and quick strike opportunities.

• Implements tools, frameworks, and processes that promote clarity, accountability, and agility across stakeholders.

• Manages project reporting, status updates, and post-season performance reviews.

• Team & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Manages and mentors a small team of merchandising and/or project support staff (as applicable).

• Fosters a culture of collaboration and positivity as a team player, driving innovation and results across departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Merchandising, Product Management, or related field required.
• Master's Degree in Business or related field preferred.
• Twelve (12) years of progressive experience rooted in merchandising, product management, or business unit category leadership - preferably in footwear, apparel, or durable goods.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Prefer strong people management experience and a strong player/coach mindset and execution.
• Demonstrated expertise in managing workwear, safety, or performance product categories is strongly preferred.
• Proven track record of leading complex, cross-functional product initiatives from concept to market.
• Strong analytical skills and business acumen with the ability to interpret data into actionable insights.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and leadership skills.
• Experience working in PLM and merchandising systems; proficiency in Excel and project management tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Asana, Airtable).

Travel - No

Base Salary: $195,000 - $205,000 yearly

This range represents the low and high ends of this position's anticipated base salary range. The actual base salary will depend on numerous factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, and location. Our base salary is just one component of our competitive total rewards strategy, which includes numerous benefits and perks as well as specific health and welfare benefits.

Why Work at KEEN: Driven by a passion for life outside, KEEN is a values-led, independently owned brand from Portland, Oregon, that's on a mission to create original and versatile products, improve lives, and inspire outside adventure. Founded in 2003, KEEN launched a revolution in the footwear industry with the introduction of the Newport adventure sandal and has donated more than $18 million to non-profit organizations and causes around the world to promote responsible outdoor recreation, including conservation efforts to protect open spaces. KEEN strives to show the world through its products and its actions that a business for good can actually be good for business. By giving back, reducing impact, and activating communities and individuals to protect the places where we work and play, KEEN puts its values in motion and takes action to leave the world a better place.

At KEEN, we believe in a more just and equitable future for all people. As a global brand, we acknowledge that our business, buildings, and daily lives exist within the traditional territories of indigenous peoples. We strive for a future that recognizes the knowledge, rights, and resilience of these peoples.

Furest Group, KEEN, and Chrome are equal opportunity employers. We value an inclusive and diverse community. Qualified candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply and will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.