DIRECTOR - PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & MERCHANDISING

The Hard Rock International Director of Merchandising and Product Development is responsible for leading a merchandise team to drive the development, execution and communication of a product strategy that exceeds financial plans, guest satisfaction goals and brand objectives.   The Director of Merchandising and Product Development takes all aspects of manufacturing into consideration when designing new merchandise, including the technical processes, fabrics and trims, and logistics, to design new products that meet the quality and cost specifications that the company sets forth.

Product Development and Assortment Strategy – 80%

• Develop and present the product line to meet financial strategies, maximize assortment incorporating Brand objectives.
• Source and negotiate business with vendors/licensees worldwide; oversee all aspects of product development, costing and production.
• Assess the competition with respect to financial condition, trends, merchandising and product strategy; react accordingly to ensure market leadership.
• Review sales, receipt flow, inventory and margin projections for Open-to-Buy to maximize sales and minimize risks.
• Ensure the financial success of multiple departments by meeting or exceeding sales, GM, and productivity goals.
• Develop and establish annual and seasonal assortment plans.
• Serve as Team Leader of cross functional teams including design, brand, legal and operations.
• Establish and maintain product development timeline/calendar
• Provide direction through focusing and clearly communicating the priorities of managing multiple seasons
• Implement 70/20/10 rule to keep assortment fresh and relevant and bringing newness and innovation as appropriate.
• Develop and execute contingency plans as necessary to deliver financial results
• Know what best-in-class looks like & apply knowledge to elevate Hard Rock International Retail
  • Conduct Formal Market Visits

Leadership -20%

Proactively deploy our People Management and Development routines throughout the year to:

• Drive our people goal of being a great place to work by:
  • effectively communicating to,
  • growing and leveraging the diversity of,
  • plus engaging with and inspiring our people to be the best they can be.
• Provide teams (direct and extended) with relevant training, development, coaching and career support, focusing in particular on those targeted to move into larger roles in the next 3 years
• Track and improve performance management, career and development planning in overall team or organization
• Create a performance-driven culture by managing performance in a way that delivers sustainable business results and growth

Qualifications:

Education:  Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience in related field required.

Experience:  10-15 years of experience in retail buying required, preferably in a product development environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated Leadership Excellence: Business Results; Guest Satisfaction; Team Engagement
• Demonstrated Growth Mindset -- Thrives on challenge. High capacity for work.   Makes things happen.

Effective Prioritization:  

Prioritize the most important work, stop work that is not value added to reduce complexity.

Smart Risks:  

Take educated and calculated risks that allow us to win without jeopardizing the company.

Fast – 1.0, 2.0:  

Test-and-learn, launch 80% solutions, continuously improve

One Team:  

Own your role, do what is right for the company, trust others to do the same.

Set Industry Standards:

Make decisions, communicate plans, engage organization and follow-through to action

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multi-task, manage time efficiently to ensure deadlines are met.
• Strong communication skills – both verbal and written.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships and enlist support from internal and external partners
• Strong Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint skills as well as retail system experience.
• Highly creative with the ability to filter such creativity through the viewpoint of the consumer.
• Knowledge of industry and competitive trends; interpret trends brands and consumer

Work Environment & Physical Demands:  Work is primarily conducted in a sedentary environment where sitting is required most of the time.

Travel Requirements:  Limited travel, no more than 25%, including domestic and international locations may be required, including occasional visits to the ships in the fleets.

Work Conditions:  Position will be located at the Hard Rock International corporate headquarters located in Davie, FL or agreed upon work-for-home arrangement with a monthly trip to the corporate office.   Work beyond normal business hours will be required occasionally to support business needs, projects or operational support that may be required outside of normal business hours or on weekends.

Disclaimer
While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the current job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change, (e.g. emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs or technical developments).