Freelance- Merchant-Footwear (Kids)- Onsite- Boston

Job Description We’re looking for an experienced Footwear Merchandising professional to support a fast-paced Kids Footwear team. This opportunity focuses on assortment planning, grading, product lifecycle management, store distribution, reporting, pricing, and seasonal merchandising activities. The ideal candidate will bring a strong understanding of retail merchandising, DTC performance, product assortments, inventory analysis, and allocation processes. They should be highly analytical, organized, detail-oriented, proactive, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Key Responsibilities Manage Kids Footwear assortments, grading, product lifecycle, and store distribution.Create and maintain seasonal merchandising tools and planning documents.Analyze weekly business performance, sales trends, out-of-stocks, chase opportunities, and promotional pricing.Prepare weekly reporting, category reviews, and DTC trading meetings.Participate in weekly allocation and demand review meetings.Support retail and digital price changes across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.Communicate pricing updates and changes to retail stores.Maintain accurate product setup, catalog information, and pricing across internal systems.Troubleshoot missing pricing and product data issues within Centric PLM and Aptos.Coordinate product loads and maintain accurate merchandising records.Prepare Retail GTM presentations, monthly recaps, and seasonal planning materials.Support DTC GTM planning and monthly MAP meetings.Conduct site scrubs, launch performance reviews, and global test analyses.Prepare store visit reports and support sidewalk sales and retail activations.Coordinate catalog management, distribution center communication, and sample management.Partner cross-functionally with Merchandising, Planning, Allocation, Retail, Digital, and Operations teams. Qualifications Previous experience in Footwear Merchandising, Retail Merchandising, or Merchandise Planning.Kids Footwear experience preferred.Strong understanding of assortment planning, grading, allocations, and product lifecycle management.Experience analyzing sales performance, inventory, sell-through, and product trends.Familiarity with DTC merchandising, pricing strategies, and promotional analysis.Experience supporting retail and digital merchandising operations.Strong analytical and reporting skills.Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.Comfort managing multiple deadlines and competing priorities.Strong cross-functional communication and collaboration skills.Experience preparing merchandising reports, presentations, and seasonal planning tools.Ability to work independently and adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment.Comfortable with a hybrid schedule in Boston Required Technical Skills Footwear Merchandising and Assortment PlanningProduct Grading and Lifecycle ManagementStore Distribution and AllocationRetail and DTC MerchandisingWeekly Sales and Inventory ReportingPricing Analysis and Promotional PlanningProduct Setup and Catalog ManagementRetail and Digital Price ChangesSeasonal Planning and GTM PresentationsMicrosoft Excel and advanced spreadsheet skillsCentric PLM preferredAptos preferredData Analysis and ReportingSample ManagementCross-Functional Communication