Merchandising Manager

Job Description

We are searching for a Merchandising Manager for our swimwear client in San Diego to play a key role in driving the growth and commercial success of the swimwear and resort lifestyle categories. This role blends creativity, product strategy, and analytical insight to develop compelling collections that reinforce brand identity while supporting channel-specific needs and improving profitability.

Working cross-functionally with Design, Production, Sales (Wholesale & DTC), and Marketing, the Merchandising Manager leads line architecture, seasonal product strategy, launch readiness, and in-market performance analysis.

Key Responsibilities

Market & Consumer Insights

• Conduct ongoing analysis of swimwear and resortwear trends, pricing, and consumer data.
• Track performance and sell-through across wholesale, DTC, and seasonal channels to drive informed merchandising decisions.
• Gather customer and retail feedback to guide product refinement and new development.
  
  

Merchandising Strategy & Assortment Planning

• Lead strategic merchandising decisions to improve gross margin, increase sell-through, and reduce excess inventory through effective SKU planning and lifecycle management.
• Build seasonal line architecture that supports strategic channel needs, including key item focus and core carry-forward.
• Expand and grow resortwear and resort-adjacent categories, ensuring cohesive storytelling and brand-aligned expansion.
• Strengthen cross-merchandising strategies to enhance outfitting, multi-category purchasing, and AOV.
• Maintain alignment with brand aesthetic and price architecture.
  
  

Product Development Partnership

• Collaborate with Design from concept through sample review to ensure fit, fabrication, and function support brand and consumer needs.
• Own and manage the critical path from concept to delivery, ensuring alignment and timeliness across internal teams.
• Partner with Production to monitor cost targets and improve margin.
  
  

Channel & Marketing Collaboration

• Partner with Marketing on product storytelling, photoshoots, launch campaigns, digital merchandising, and seasonal messaging to ensure cohesive brand expression.
• Influence content and visual merchandising strategies to elevate product visibility and support conversion online and in-store.
• Collaborate with Wholesale & DTC teams to align assortments to channel strategies and maximize performance.
  
  

Key Performance Indicators

• Revenue growth and margin improvement by category
• Sell-through performance (full price & markdown efficiency)
• Reduction in excess inventory and improved SKU productivity
• Success of resort-wear expansion and cross-merchandising adoption
• On-time execution of seasonal product launches
• Brand cohesion across marketing, product, and retail experience
  
  

Required Skills & Qualifications

• 4 years of experience in merchandising, product strategy, or buying (swimwear, activewear, resort-wear, or apparel preferred).
• Proven ability to analyze performance data, develop assortment strategies, and drive margin improvement.
• Strong understanding of fit, construction, and fabrication for swimwear and lifestyle apparel.
• Highly collaborative communicator and cross-functional partner.
• Excellent organization and time management skills, with experience managing seasonal calendars.
• Experience in omni-channel merchandising (DTC Wholesale).
• Knowledge of PLM systems, ecommerce merchandising tools, and POS/retail analytics.
• Experience working in a fast-paced creative consumer brand environment.
  
  

Salary Range $100-140K DOE