Lead APAC Footwear Merchandiser

This position is designated as a hybrid role based out of our headquarters near Portland, Oregon. The current expectation is for employees to work onsite four days per week, subject to change based on business needs. This in-office requirement may be adjusted at the discretion of the company.

The Lead APAC Footwear Merchandiser serves as a strategic, cross-functional leader responsible for driving the regional merchandising vision, with a dedicated focus on footwear. This role develops and executes clear seasonal strategies and objectives that deliver consumer-right assortments, fuel growth, and enhance profitability. As a key partner to the sales organization, this person ensures that assortment direction is aligned with marketplace needs and commercial priorities.

 

With Columbia’s deep-rooted presence and ambitious growth plans in China, South Korea, and Japan, experience within these markets is highly advantageous. The regional merchant plays a pivotal role in shaping the seasonal framework for global product creation, translating consumer insights and market dynamics into actionable feedback. This includes identifying new product opportunities, emerging trends, and merchandising needs to ensure the category remains relevant and competitive.

 

 

HOW YOU’LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

 

• Lead seasonal assortment direction and build regional product assortments across franchises and categories, leveraging consumer insights and analytics.
• Collaborate with product teams to identify assortment gaps and emerging opportunities, ensuring the line meets regional needs.
• Partner with country merchandising leaders and commercial teams to align strategies across channels and key accounts.
• Balance brand energy with commercial performance, keeping long-term growth roadmaps central to assortment planning.
• Drive the seasonal Go-To-Market process, ensuring accuracy across systems, catalogs, forecasts, and pricing.
• Represent footwear in key meetings, presenting to internal stakeholders and leading the product hand-off to sales.
• Act as the regional market expert, informing global product creation with consumer, competitive, and market insights.
• Deliver business results through strong analytical capabilities, including margin analysis, SKU productivity, forecasting, bookings, and sell-through performance.

 

 

YOU ARE

 

• A global merchandiser with a deep understanding of the Asia Pacific region and its diverse consumer landscape.
• A strategic driver, skilled in using data to support decision-making.
• A product expert with a proven ability to meet sales targets and optimize assortments based on market dynamics.
• Comfortable operating at both a high strategic level and within the details—able to zoom out for long-term planning and zoom in to manage execution with precision.
• A collaborative partner who builds strong relationships across internal teams and external stakeholders.
• An effective communicator with strong verbal, written, and presentation skills, capable of influencing across functions and cultures.

 

 

YOU HAVE 

 

• MBA or Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Merchandising or similarly a related field
• 8+ years experience in footwear merchandising within the sportswear, outdoor, or action sports industries.
• Strong business management capabilities with a demonstrated track record of financial acumen.
• In-depth understanding of consumer behavior, retail dynamics, and the competitive landscape across regional markets.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Skilled in developing and executing strategic plans to achieve or adjust regional revenue and gross margin goals.

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company. 

Columbia Sportswear Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. Columbia Sportswear is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please notify your recruiter.

At Columbia Sportswear Company, we’re proud to offer regular full-time employees a benefits package that includes a variety of services and products to help make your life and work more rewarding. Our benefit programs contribute to overall employee well-being by aligning those programs with the fundamental elements of well-being: physical, social/emotional, financial, career and community. Benefits that can protect your family’s financial future and help you save money through our 401k plan plus a generous company match. Columbia offers medical, dental, vision, life Insurance, disability, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, and an assortment of voluntary benefit offerings (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and legal services). In addition, Columbia offers EAP + which is free and confidential 24/7/365 counseling services. We have extensive wellness benefits, employee discounts and a generous time off program available.

If you need an accommodation/adjustment to successfully complete and submit your application, please reach out to AskHR@columbia.com with the Subject: Applicant Assistance Requested.