Product Analytics Manager - Merrell

About the Role

Merrell exists to share the simple power of being outside with everyone. We believe the "outdoors" is any space beyond your front door. Our mission is to help our community rethink the outdoors by building gear that works everywhere, from technical alpine ridges to urban city streets. We are a team that lives at the intersection of elite performance and modern style, consistently recognized for building the most reliable and innovative gear in the world.

This newly created, cross-functional role sits at the center of Product Development & Operations, serving as the analytical engine for the Sr. Director of Product Strategy. You will translate franchise, cost, pricing, and SKU data into clear, forward-looking direction for the broader product organization. Partnering daily with PLM, Technical Development, PD Operations, and Planning teams, you will build the data foundation that enables smarter decisions at every stage of the product creation calendar.

Responsibilities

• Long Range Franchise Forecasting: Lead multi-season, franchise-level forecasting in partnership with PLMs and Planning, projecting volume, revenue, margin, and SKU productivity at the category, franchise, and silhouette level. Build and maintain scenario models that feed directly into the annual Strategic Plan cycle and long-range planning process. Connect the franchise outlook to line architecture decisions made by PLMs.
• Strategic Planning Guidance: Provide the analytical scaffolding for seasonal and long-range strategic planning, building models and narratives that inform leadership recommendations. Partner with PLMs to surface insights that shape line decisions and align to brand planning. Develop competitive and performance benchmarks.
• Should-Cost Innovation: Collaborate with Technical Development and Cost Engineering teams to model and analyze should-cost data. Partner with the sourcing team to identify cost innovation opportunities, connecting manufacturing, material, and development data.
• Pricing & Margin Expectations: Own and maintain pricing and margin expectation frameworks across all product categories. Work alongside PLMs to ensure seasonal line decisions align to financial targets pre-milestone. Flag margin risk early in the development cycle.
• Enterprise Reporting: Deliver regular, decision-ready revenue and reporting outputs to leadership stakeholders. Synthesize sell-in, sell-through, and marketplace data into product- and line-level recommendations. Partner with PLM teams to ensure clean data flow into enterprise-level summaries.
• SKU Management: Lead analytical oversight of SKU productivity, portfolio rationalization, and line health. Build scoring models that inform seasonal line architecture and carry-forward strategy. Track system product data and attribution quality.
• AI-Assisted Reporting: Champion the adoption of AI-assisted reporting tools within the PD Strategy team. Partner with the Product Analytics Analyst to implement AI-powered dashboards and tools. Contribute to the systems and toolset roadmap by evaluating new analytical capabilities.
• Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop the Product Analytics Analyst, directing their priorities across dashboard development, PD data governance, business review, and system configuration.

Requirements

• 8+ years in product analytics, merchandise or franchise planning, or business analytics within a consumer goods brand or wholesale environment.
• Strong financial modeling skills across franchise forecasting, margin analysis, and should-cost modeling.
• Proficiency with PLM systems (Centric experience strongly preferred) and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex datasets into clear, executive-ready recommendations.
• Proven cross-functional collaboration skills, comfortable partnering with product, technical development, operations, and finance teams simultaneously.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in the footwear, apparel, or outdoor/active lifestyle industry.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted reporting tools and workflow automation.
• Prior experience managing or mentoring analysts.
• Exposure to cost engineering, sourcing negotiations, or vendor cost management.

Schedule

Wolverine Worldwide offers a flexible, hybrid work schedule with three days in office and two days remote.

About the Company

Wolverine Worldwide (NYSE: WWW) is a global footwear and apparel company driven by a vision to Make. Every Day. Better. Founded in 1883, the company builds and grows iconic brands including Merrell®, Saucony®, Wolverine®, and others. Headquartered in Rockford, Michigan, its products are sold in approximately 170 countries and territories worldwide.