Job Description:

Product Merchandising Manager | Womenswear

North West | Flexible Working | Up to £65,000 + Bonus + Excellent Benefits

What's on Offer:

• Up to £65,000 salary
• Annual bonus
• Flexible working
• Excellent benefits package
• Significant career development opportunity
• The chance to shape and grow a strategically important category within a globally recognised sportswear brand

A leading global sportswear brand is looking for an exceptional Product Merchandising Manager to take ownership of its Women's category and play a pivotal role in shaping future growth.

This is not a retail merchandising position. We're looking for a commercially-minded product specialist with deep category expertise, a passion for women's sportswear, and a strong understanding of how branded apparel has evolved within the modern consumer landscape.

This is a rare opportunity to join a high-profile brand and influence product strategy, category direction and go-to-market execution across a globally recognised business.

The Opportunity:

As Product Merchandising Manager for Women's, you will sit at the centre of the product creation and go-to-market process, acting as the commercial heartbeat of the category.

You'll combine consumer insight, commercial analysis and product strategy to build compelling assortments, influence future product direction and ensure flawless execution across every stage of the product lifecycle.

Working cross-functionally with Product, Sales, Marketing, Planning, Design and Development teams, you'll ensure the business remains consumer-led, commercially focused and ahead of market trends.

This role is ideal for someone looking to take a significant step forward in their merchandising, category management or product management career within a leading branded environment.

Key Responsibilities

Category & Product Strategy

• Own and drive the Women's category strategy across multiple product areas and markets.
• Develop commercially relevant assortments that balance global consistency with regional and customer requirements.
• Identify market opportunities, consumer trends and category growth drivers to influence future product direction.
• Ensure the category remains fresh, relevant and competitive within the evolving women's sportswear market.

Go-To-Market Leadership

• Lead key category milestones throughout the product creation and go-to-market process.
• Act as the central point of alignment between Product, Planning, Sales and Marketing teams.
• Ensure launch plans, timelines and product strategies are delivered accurately and on schedule.
• Drive executional excellence across all category touch points.

Commercial Performance

• Partner with Key Account Managers and Sales Directors to align category strategy and business objectives.
• Monitor weekly sales performance and rate-of-sale metrics, translating data into actionable recommendations.
• Deliver seasonal forecasting and demand planning across both inline and consumer ranges.
• Support pricing, margin and assortment decisions to maximise category profitability and growth.

Consumer & Market Insights:

• Maintain a deep understanding of the women's sportswear consumer and competitive landscape.
• Use market data, trend analysis and consumer insights to guide decision-making.
• Identify emerging opportunities and translate them into commercial product strategies.
• Champion the voice of the consumer throughout the business.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Build strong relationships across Product, Design, Development, Planning, Sales, Marketing and Visual Merchandising teams.
• Influence stakeholders across multiple functions and regions.
• Ensure clear communication, alignment and accountability throughout the product lifecycle.

About You:

We're looking for a commercially astute category specialist with a passion for women's product and a proven track record within branded apparel.

You'll likely come from a sportswear, fashion or lifestyle brand environment and have experience working with major retailers or leading consumer brands.

Essential Experience:

• Significant experience within Product Merchandising, Category Management, Consumer Trading, Product Management or a similar commercial product role.
• Strong background in branded apparel, ideally within sportswear, athleisure or lifestyle categories.
• Deep understanding of the women's category and the evolution of women's consumer behaviour within branded sportswear.
• Experience building assortments, analysing performance and influencing product strategy.
• Advanced commercial and analytical capability with strong numerical skills.
• Experience working cross-functionally within complex, fast-paced organisations.
• Excellent organisational skills and exceptional attention to detail.

Highly Desirable:

• Experience with major branded retailers
• Experience operating within international or global markets.
• Degree-qualified, ideally in a discipline that promotes analytical thinking, problem-solving and strategic decision-making such as Business, Commerce, Economics, Engineering, Architecture or similar.

Personal Attributes:

• Consumer obsessed and passionate about women's product.
• Commercially sharp with strong strategic thinking capability.
• Naturally curious and insight-driven.
• Confident influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Highly organised with exceptional attention to detail.
• Comfortable operating within a fast-paced, high-visibility environment.
• Proactive, ambitious and eager to make a genuine impact.

If you're passionate about branded apparel, obsessed with the women's category and ready to play a key role in shaping the future of a market-leading brand, we'd love to hear from you.

BH36296