The Director, Product Management, Women's Sneakers & Sport Footwear is a consumer-focused category leader responsible for shaping and executing the strategic vision for women's sneaker and sport footwear. This role will lead strategic line planning and end-to-end product lifecycle management across the categories, translating consumer insights, marketplace trends, brand strategy, and commercial opportunities into compelling global assortments that achieve and exceed company revenue and category performance objectives. The Director will partner closely with Design, Product Development, Planning, Sales, Marketing, and regional teams, with direction from the Vice President Product Merchandising.
CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES:- Lead the women's sneaker and sport footwear business globally, developing category strategies and seasonal product assortments that align with consumer needs, brand objectives, regional requirements, and financial targets.
- Own the end-to-end product lifecycle, leveraging consumer insights, business performance, market trends, and productivity metrics to drive product introductions, carryovers, investments, optimizations, and exits.
- Create and manage seasonal line plans, assortment architecture, and pricing strategies, ensuring balanced product collections that meet revenue, margin, and IMU objectives.
- Provide category leadership throughout the product creation process, influencing key decisions from concept through commercialization and serving as a product voice during reviews, line presentations, and milestone meetings.
- Partner cross-functionally with Design, Product Development, Costing, Planning, Sales, Marketing, Buying, and Channel teams to deliver aligned product strategies, accurate product information, and successful seasonal launches.
- Represent the category internally and externally, developing selling tools, leading sales meeting presentations, supporting wholesale customer engagements, and communicating product opportunities across global markets.
- Identify consumer, marketplace, and competitive opportunities to strengthen the product line, uncover white-space opportunities, and drive continuous improvement in both product performance and business processes.
- Lead key operational initiatives including MOQ management, assortment optimization, and process improvement efforts that increase organizational efficiency and executional excellence.
- Serve as the primary category expert and business partner for product-related questions, special projects, and strategic initiatives that support the growth of the Women's footwear business.
- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience required
- Minimum of 8+ years previous related experience in Merchandising or Product Management in Women's sneaker and sport lifestyle footwear
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, advanced skills in Excel and PowerPoint
- Strong analytical & retail math skills required
- Experience with PLM systems required
- Experience in SAP and MIRO preferred
- Able to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment with multiple priorities
- Able to work proactively & independently
- Demonstrated experience leading teams
- Entrepreneurial, positive working style
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Strong communication, interpersonal & teamwork skills
- Highly organized, detail oriented & accurate
- Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
Base Salary/Hourly Range: From $180,000 to $200,000 annually*
Bonus Eligibility: Yes, eligible for annual target bonus based on company and individual performance
Benefits Offered: Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Care, Health Savings Accounts, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Vacation Time, Sick Time, Paid Parental Leave, Holidays and Cole Haan Discounts
*Rate of pay dependent upon candidates' relevant skills and experience
This position is not available to be performed in Colorado.
