Director, Category & Merchandising
Job Summary
Director, Category & Merchandising Category Management leads the financial and strategic foundation of the role, ensuring every merchandising decision connects back to margin targets, inventory positions, and sell-through expectations. They set the category strategy for the Americas, aligning it with global direction and local market opportunity across NorAm and LatAm. They lead a team of eight people across NorAm and LatAm, managing demand forecasting, supply planning, and ensuring the Americas digital and physical merchandising strategies are cohesive.
How You’ll Make a Difference
Lead the existing Category Management team.
Set the category strategy for the Americas, aligned to global direction and local market opportunity across NorAm and LatAm.
Build 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.
Own the commercial direction of how Specialized products are sequenced, featured, and merchandised on the digital shelf for the Americas.
Direct the Ecomm Merchandising Manager on product sequencing, promotional placement, and digital shelf priorities.
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.
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 Latin American markets. Cultural fluency is not optional here.
Bilingual strongly preferred: English and Spanish or Portuguese.
Comfortable building structure and clarity where it does not yet exist.
Strong communicator — as effective in presenting to senior leadership as sitting with a retailer on their floor.
Data-literate — decisions come from numbers, not instinct alone.
Willing and able to travel 50–60% across NorAm and LatAm.
Benefits
As a full-time, regular teammate, you are eligible for the following benefits, beginning the first of the month following your start date:
- Competitive pay with annual performance-based reviews for continued growth and recognition
- Comprehensive healthcare plan options, including PPO, EPO, HDHP, and HMO (acupuncture and physical therapy included)
- Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer HSA contributions when enrolled in the High-Deductible Healthcare Plan (HDHP)
- Dental and Vision plans
- 401(k) Company Matching up to $5,000 annually with immediate 100% vesting and administrative fees paid for by the company
- Company-paid Life, AD&D, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program that provides access to individualized mental well-being care
- Generous Vacation, Sick, Paid Holidays, and Volunteer Time Off
- Up to $9,000 annually in Career Development & Degree Assistance
- Up to $250 annually in Fitness & Wellness Reimbursement
- Industry Pro-Deal Discounts and Perks
- Compensation: Based in CA, $129,326 to $225,026 annually plus bonus
Contact Us
To learn more about Specialized and how you can make a difference, please visit: https://benefits.specialized.com.