VP DMM - Stream/Camping

Who We Are

At Academy Sports Outdoors our vision is to be the best sports outdoors retailer in the country — but what truly sets us apart is our people. We’re a passionate, purpose-driven team that’s as committed to each other as we are to our customers.

We’ve spent over 80 years building a culture that puts people first. We believe in creating opportunities for growth, fostering meaningful connections, and supporting every Team Member’s journey. What fuels us? Our belief in the power of fun.

Here, you won’t just help customers gear up for their next adventure — you’ll launch one of your own. Whether you're starting out or leveling up, Academy is a place where fun can’t lose!

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field of study or equivalent years of related work experience

Work Experiences:

• 15 years of previous related work experience
• Retail merchant experience with 5 years directing and leading in a complex and diverse business
• 7 years of management experience with a strong people development background

Skills:

• Strong interpersonal, written, verbal communication and presentation skills, with the ability to interface effectively with individuals at various levels
• Lead through vision and values by keeping the organization’s mission and values at the forefront of the team member’s decision making and action
• Inspire creativity by leveraging experience and out-of-the-box thinking to achieve brand and financial objectives for the assigned divisions of merchandise

• Ability to set high goals for personal and group accomplishment; using measurement methods to monitor progress toward goals; tenaciously working to meet or exceed goals while deriving satisfaction from that achievement and continuous improvement
• Strong negotiation skills to present vision, ideas, and directives to influence others to action in service of our customer
• Able to maintain the customer perspective as a driving force behind business decisions/activities; implementing service practices that meet customers’ and own organization’s needs
• Ability to analyze, articulate, and solve complex problems and concepts to make effective business decisions
• Excellent reputation in the marketplace for vendor relationship management skills

• Ability to effectively prioritize workload in a fast paced, frequently changing environment while remaining detailed and organized
• Strong knowledge of Financial Planning, Marketing, and Merchandising practices
• Proficient user of the Microsoft Office Suite; knowledge of ABI fundamentals preferred

Responsibilities:

• Direct the development and implementation of merchandise strategy and tactical plans for product lines, including multiple product categories
• Build strong partnerships with Planning and Allocation, Marketing, Store Operations, and Supply Chain teams to consistently execute a strong merchandise assortment
• Establish and commit to a long-term business direction based on an analysis of systematic information and consideration of resources, market drivers, and organizational values
• Set the merchandise direction for a large and complex volume of SKUs
• Utilize financial data to diagnose business strengths and weaknesses to identify the implications of potential strategies while keeping a financial perspective in the forefront when making strategic decisions
• Serve as a leader amongst peers and drive for team consensus and win-win agreements with business partners
• Develop the strategies that increase market share and store productivity, while driving incremental profit
• Leverage Omnichannel presence to drive the growth of the division and assigned categories
• Responsible for achieving sales, profits, and inventory turnover goals in alignment with the organizational strategy
• Collaborate with Chief Merchant Officer and Senior Vice Presidents to lead the division, develop advertising and marketing plans for all markets, and accomplish organizational objectives
• Partner with the Marketing Department to develop the organization’s marketing plan
• Understand and stay abreast of competitor’s strengths, weaknesses, and strategies
• Drive for best in class experience for the division
• Set the vision for categories in terms of areas of growth and trend by working with assigned team to develop plans to achieve these goals
• Develop and build a cohesive and high performing team
• Lead a team of 5 - 7 Sr. Buyers or Buyers
• Strengthen relationships with known brands that drive value and appeal for our customers
• Build strong partnerships with Planning and Allocation, Marketing, Store Operations, and Supply Chain to consistently execute a strong merchandise assortment
• Have an eye toward continuous improvement of all processes to improve speed to the market and first call from leading off price vendors
• Manage change by identifying and driving organizational and cultural changes needed to adapt strategically to changing market demands, technology, and internal initiatives
• Drive key initiatives and execute deliverables in the absence of an SVP/GMM as needed
• Develop a thorough understanding of Academy policies, procedure, and safety rules
• Duties may change; team member may be required to perform other duties as assigned

Physical Requirements & Attendance

• Acceptable level of hearing and vision to perform job duties
• Adhere to company work hours, policies, procedures and rules governing professional staff behavior

Equal Employment Opportunity

Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate with regard to employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law.