Global Product Director

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.

About The Position
The Global Product Director is responsible for leading, inspiring, and coaching a team of Product Line Managers through all stages of the product creation process, from uncovering consumer and marketplace insights to presenting finalized concepts at key go to market gates. This includes authoring product briefs, analyzing business metrics, researching marketplace trends, architecting the line plan, and collaborating with Design and Development teammates to create the future vision of SOREL footwear. In partnership with the Vice President of Product, the Product Director will execute the seasonal and long-range Product Strategy, ensuring that the various merchandising classes SOREL serves are property strategized and supported. This role will work cross-functionally within creation leadership alongside design and development in a respectful, collaborative environment.

This role also serves as the North America Merchandising Director; ensuring the Global PLMs work with North America wholesale marketplace to ensure the right products and assortments, flow, and overall line architecture serves our unique and dynamic distribution. This role also partners with our Director of eComm and our on-site merchandisers to ensure assortment opportunities and consumer-right product concepts are realized.

The ideal candidate will bring a deep understanding of footwear top to bottom and across various product types. This candidate has a keen understanding of the Industry, Marketplace, and Trends at a Global Level with an eye for street fashion, high fashion, outdoors, and culture. This leader is deeply connected and savvy in consumer connectivity, understanding, filtering, and using experience and instinct to lead the product managers to their vision. You will lead the team to craft inspiring seasonal narratives that articulate a vision and ignite design and empower development to problem solve and seek answers. As product director, SOREL footwear, your leadership will enable distinct and credible products to go to market in meaningful, brand-right assortments that meet the marketplace needs and strategy across channels.

How You'll Make a Difference

• You have a clear passion for footwear, curiosity of insights and an analytical, diplomatic and collaborative approach to product creation.
• Working alongside design and development leadership team, you will be responsible for achieving set target margins at a product and category level.
• Lead and manage the PLM team in proofing product line needs including sales tools such as catalogs, components, hang tags, Point of Purchase (P.O.P), packaging and label/logo information.
• Create and lead key milestone meetings, working in collaboration with your product management team to build compelling and accurate presentations.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships with merchandising, sales, marketing and planning to help facilitate on-time and on-target product launches.
• Lead and guide the product preparation process for key retailers, internal stakeholders and sales representatives.
• Drive seasonal product briefs in accordance with brand, category and strategy.

YOU ARE

• A strong team leader.
• Informed and experienced engaging in projects with a high level of technicality.
• Able to build strong relationships and key strategic partnerships both internal and external.
• Able to wear a lot of hats and have a no task is to small attitude.

YOU HAVE

• Bachelor's degree or higher or equivalent combination of education and experience and training
• 10-12 years industry relevant experience in product and merchandising, with a strong appreciation for footwear, innovation, lifestyle and fashion.
• Global mindset – experience serving global consumers and marketplace understanding, with a proven ability to foresee and capture on trends and cultural shifts.
• Sophisticated understanding of Lifestyle Footwear and Streetwear culture
• Sharp product eye and strong technicality in toolings, uppers, materials and constructions
• Experience managing, mentoring and coaching a team.
• Proven leadership driving the product creation process, through strong organizational skills, drive for results, business acumen, attention to details and deadlines.
• Demonstrated senior level product line management and key franchise management experience, with ability to drive solid X-functional plans and assortment execution
• Can foster and maintain relationships with multiple key partners in a fast-paced environment.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills, with the ability to tell compelling stories.
• Travel up to 15%, domestically and internationally.

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. 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 with the Subject: Applicant Assistance Requested.