Associate Merchandise Manager

Title: Associate Merchandising Manager

Industry: Retail / Consumer Products / Apparel & Accessories

Location: Jersey City, NJ

Duration: 6 month contract (potential to extend)

Hourly: $42

Job Description:

We are seeking an Associate Merchandising Manager to support the Americas business for two globally recognized backpack and accessories brands. This role will be responsible for driving the merchandising process from product insights and seasonal briefs through assortment planning and final buy execution across multiple channels of distribution.

The ideal candidate will serve as a key regional merchandising partner, collaborating closely with Global Product Teams and cross-functional stakeholders across Design, Marketing, Sales, and Supply Chain. This individual will help shape compelling, consumer-focused assortments while balancing commercial goals, brand strategy, and regional market opportunities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive the Go-To-Market (GTM) process and serve as the primary merchandising point of contact for cross-functional teams.
• Manage merchandising communications and ensure adherence to seasonal calendars and key milestones.
• Curate and execute regional assortments across multiple distribution channels.
• Develop and present assortment recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify regional opportunities and consumer insights to influence product briefs and assortment strategies.
• Partner with leadership to incorporate regional business needs into seasonal planning.
• Collaborate with Global Product Teams to provide feedback on product concepts, color direction, and seasonal initiatives.
• Support SKU planning, assortment optimization, and final buy recommendations.
• Analyze sales performance, consumer trends, and key business metrics to inform merchandising decisions.
• Maintain strong knowledge of weekly sales trends, KPIs, and product performance.
• Ensure assortments align with consumer needs, regional priorities, and overall brand strategy.
• Act as an advocate for the regional business while maintaining brand standards and positioning.
• Partner with Design, Marketing, Sales, and Supply Chain teams to support successful product launches and execution.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience in Merchandising, Assortment Planning, Product Merchandising, Buying, or Category Management.
• Strong understanding of retail merchandising principles and assortment planning.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams in a consumer products, retail, footwear, apparel, or accessories environment.
• Ability to analyze sales data, KPIs, and product performance metrics to drive business decisions.
• Strong presentation and communication skills.
• Experience managing seasonal product assortments and merchandising processes.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and merchandising analysis tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting backpacks, accessories, apparel, footwear, or lifestyle brands.
• Knowledge of Go-To-Market (GTM) processes and seasonal product development cycles.
• Experience partnering with global product teams and regional commercial teams.
• Strong understanding of consumer insights, trend analysis, and market opportunities.
• Experience working within large retail or wholesale organizations.

Ideal Candidate:

• Strategic yet highly analytical.
• Strong storyteller who can translate insights into assortment recommendations.
• Commercially minded with a passion for product and consumer trends.
• Collaborative partner who excels in cross-functional environments.
• Data-driven decision maker with experience balancing brand objectives and financial performance.
• Comfortable managing the merchandising lifecycle from seasonal planning through final buy execution.

📩 Interested candidates, please apply with your updated resume and portfolio.

No C2C or third-party recruiters.

The salary range for this position is $42/hr. Benefits available to contract/temporary professionals, include medical, vision, dental, and life and disability insurance. Hired contract/temporary professionals are also eligible to enroll in our company 401(k) plan. Visit roberthalf.gobenefits.net for more information. Our specialized recruiting professionals apply their expertise and utilize our proprietary AI to find you great job matches.