Senior Merchant, Collaborations & 3rd Party

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the long-term merchandising strategy for the Vineyard Vines collaborations & 3rd party business.
• Identify, evaluate, and recommend partnership opportunities that align with brand objectives, customer interests, and growth goals.
• Partner with leadership to build a robust collaborations pipeline across brands, influencers, sports, entertainment, nonprofits, and lifestyle categories.
• Analyze market trends, consumer insights, and competitive activity to inform collaboration opportunities and product strategies.
• Build business cases and assortment recommendations for new partnerships.

Product Merchandising & Assortment Planning

• Lead product assortment strategy for all collaboration collections across apparel, accessories, and licensed categories.
• Define category architecture, pricing strategies, product positioning, and launch plans for each partnership.
• Partner with Design and Product Development to ensure products reflect both Vineyard Vines brand standards and partner objectives.
• Manage assortment productivity, SKU optimization, and lifecycle planning.
• Utilize sales performance, customer insights, and trend analysis to inform future product decisions.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as the primary merchandising lead for collaboration partners and internal stakeholders.
• Work closely with broader Merchandising team across genders.
• Partner closely with Marketing to develop compelling product stories, launch strategies, and customer engagement plans.
• Collaborate with Planning and Allocation teams to establish forecasts, inventory strategies, and business targets.
• Cook up with Legal, Licensing, Product Development, and Operations teams to ensure seamless execution and compliance with partnership agreements.
• Lead milestone meetings and maintain alignment across multiple collaboration initiatives.

Business Performance & Analytics

• Establish sales, margin, and inventory objectives for collaboration businesses.
• Monitor and analyze performance throughout product lifecycles and launch periods.
• Develop post-launch recaps and partnership performance reviews, identifying opportunities for growth and optimization.
• Leverage customer data and market intelligence to refine future collaboration strategies.
• Present business results, product recommendations, and strategic opportunities to senior leadership.

Brand & Customer Experience

• Champion collaborations that strengthen Vineyard Vines' brand positioning and create memorable customer experiences.
• Ensure all partnership products deliver exceptional quality, storytelling, and brand authenticity.
• Drive innovation by identifying emerging cultural trends, partnership models, and consumer interests.
• Support exclusive product launches, special events, and partnership activations as needed.