Lead Channel Merchant

About the Role

Everything begins and ends with the consumer. We are seeking a consumer-led Channel Merchant with a strong affinity for product who thrives in the fast pace of retail and the ever-evolving North America marketplace. A successful Channel Merchant will contribute to an inclusive, positive, and progressive team dynamic while helping shape a Soccer offense across North America Channels. This is a backfill role serving as a key connector between Sport Merchandising and Sales teams, managing channel-level assortments and presenting go-to-market strategies.

Who You Will Work With

You will work closely with fellow North America Channel Merchants and cross-functional partners across North America Product Merchandising, Sales, Planning, Brand, and Marketplace teams. You will also collaborate with Finance, Operations, and Insights & Analytics, leveraging quantitative and qualitative business reporting - including sales, inventory, bookings, and consumer behavior metrics - to inform decisions and drive results across the North America marketplace.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for a Channel Merchant with a passion for sport who enjoys moving at the pace of retail and serving the diverse North America consumer. A successful candidate will bring strong channel acumen, analytical rigor, and a solution-oriented mindset, while contributing to an inclusive and collaborative team environment.

This role requires a clear understanding of the North America marketplace landscape across wholesale and direct channels, along with the ability to convert product strategies into actionable, channel-specific assortments. Operating with autonomy and agility, this role is responsible for owning the channel offering end-to-end and managing multiple seasons simultaneously.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Bachelor's degree or higher, or a combination of relevant education, experience, and training
• 3+ years of experience in channel merchandising, sales, or field retail planning within Footwear, Apparel, Equipment, or a relevant consumer product environment - vertical, multi-brand, or digital
• Strong command of retail and digital metrics including sell-through, margin, full price realization, weeks of supply, bookings, and inventory productivity
• Proven public speaking ability with experience creating engaging presentations that make complex topics accessible to diverse audiences
• Demonstrated ability to translate consumer, sales, trend, and marketplace insights into in-season actions and long-term channel strategies
• Experience preparing seasonal, channel-specific tools and storytelling that clearly articulate priorities to Sales and marketplace partners
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally within large, matrixed organizations - independently, and with comfort in ambiguity
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with high attention to detail and consistency in execution

Nice to Haves:

• Advanced Excel skills - running reports and general analysis
• Similar industry experience or familiarity with assortment and visual merchandising tools
• Experience using merch assortment software

What You Will Work On

You will build consumer-centric, channel-specific assortment plans for Soccer across North America, blending fact-based analysis with intuitive product storytelling. You will own the translation of product strategies into clear assortments by channel and tier, ensuring alignment to consumer needs, account realities, and capacity constraints.

You will manage multiple seasons concurrently, using in-market performance, bookings, and partner feedback to inform future seasonal decisions. You will play a critical role during key moments such as Go-to-Market sales meetings and account sales meetings, ensuring Sales teams are equipped with clear assortments, priorities, and narratives to drive confident sell-in.

North America Channel Merchandising Capabilities

North America Channel Assortment Ownership - Own the translation of North America product strategies into clear, channel- and tier-specific assortments, preserving consumer intent while reflecting capacity, door realities, and account needs. Serve as the single point of accountability for the final North America channel view.

Marketplace & Account Acumen - Apply deep understanding of North America wholesale, direct, and specialty channel dynamics to determine where product should live, how it should scale, and when to advocate for incremental opportunities - balancing growth, profitability, and brand consistency.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Influence - Partner closely with North America Sport Merchandising, Sales, SSDs, Planning, and Brand teams to synthesize inputs, clarify priorities, and influence strong channel outcomes through collaboration, clarity, and trust.

Seasonal Process & Calendar Leadership - Lead complex, overlapping seasonal workflows from MAR through GTM, OED, and post-GTM, ensuring clean handoffs, on-time deliverables, and shared clarity on what is final versus in-progress for channel partners.

Sales Enablement & Sell-In Readiness - Equip Sales and SSD partners with channel-specific assortments, narratives, and tools that enable confident sell-in, reduce friction at key moments, and clearly communicate core, priority, and opportunistic product offerings.

Marketplace Insights & Continuous Improvement - Leverage bookings, in-market performance, and partner feedback across North America to deliver actionable insights, refine channel strategies, and strengthen future seasonal assortments and ways of working.

#LI-MM3

**About Aquent Talent:** Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world's biggest brands. Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. More information on our awesome benefits! Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We're about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.