Associate Manager, Merchandising

Associate Manager, Merchandising

Implus Footcare, LLC is an industry-leading global consumer packaged goods company with 20+ brands in fitness, outdoor, sporting goods and footcare product categories. Implus is headquartered in Research Triangle Park in Durham, NC with locations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, and South Africa. Our brand family includes Sof Sole, Yaktrax, apara, airplus, Sneaker Balls, Sof Comfort, Little Hotties, Harbinger, TriggerPoint, Perfect Fitness, Balega, Penguin, DryGuy, Spenco, Force Field, FuelBelt, Stabil, SKLZ, and Rock Tape. From insoles, socks, and shoe care to fitness equipment and seasonal accessories, Implus' products are sold in over 75,000 retail locations across North America and in over 70 countries worldwide.

Position Summary

As an Associate Merchandising Manager, your primary role is to optimize and grow the Everyday Hosiery product portfolio to increase share for the category across multiple retailers. You will play a vital role in building strategic relationships with key internal and external business partners to drive integrated, profitable product assortments. The Associate Merchandising Manager supports the Everyday Hosiery Merchandising team with sample and systems management and maintains organization for a key set of accounts. This is a hybrid role based in our Durham office; while we offer flexibility, in-office presence is required as needed to align with key team meetings, sample reviews, and project deliverables.

Primary Responsibilities

• Account Management & Sales Operations (30%)
• Execution & Support: Support the Merchandising team in executing omnichannel strategies for multiple key accounts, ensuring seamless coordination from initial line development to seasonal sell-out.
• Stakeholder Coordination: Serve as a proactive point of contact for retail buying teams, managing daily requests and fostering long-term partnerships through exceptional service.
• Presentation Prep: Assist in the creation of visual tools, such as selling decks, digital catalogs, and digital planograms.
• Packaging & Copy: Support the team by drafting product copy and coordinating packaging details for private label and owned brand initiatives.
• Opportunity Mapping: Monitor market trends and store performance to identify "white space" opportunities, providing the team with actionable research to drive growth.
• Sample Management & Showroom Management (30%)
• Product Flow Management: Own the end-to-end lifecycle of physical samples (Prototypes through TOP); develop a streamlined tracking system to ensure the team has what they need, when they need it.
• Showroom Readiness: Provide support for retailer presentations and internal line reviews; ensure product is organized, tagged, and displayed to brand standards.
• Digital & Physical Archiving: Maintain a meticulously organized sample library; manage the "seasonal transition" process to ensure historical data and products are easily accessible.
• Logistics Oversight: Coordinate time-sensitive sample shipments to retailers, navigating shipping deadlines with a high sense of urgency.
• Product Execution & Project Milestones (30%)
• Calendar Management: Act as the "Quarterback" for the product development calendar; monitor critical milestones and proactively flag risks to ensure on-time delivery across all departments.
• Data & Line Sheet Integrity: Manage internal Master Data systems and update product trackers/line sheets with high precision; ensure every SKU has accurate attributes, pricing, and status throughout the lifecycle.
• Quality & TOP Confirmation: Oversee the approval of TOP (Top of Production) samples against confirmed standards to ensure mass production matches design specs—ensuring "what we sell is what we ship."
• Cross-Functional Synergy: Partner closely with Design and PD to facilitate the range-building process, serving as a bridge to ensure the "consumer voice" is reflected in every SKU.
• Agile Problem Solving: Navigate shifting priorities and urgent retailer "special requests" with a solutions-oriented mindset and the ability to re-prioritize tasks on the fly.
• Market Intelligence & Business Insights (10%)
• Competitive Intelligence: Conduct regular "comp shopping" and market research to identify emerging hosiery trends and stay ahead of the competitive landscape.
• White Space Support: Assist managers in identifying product gaps and growth opportunities by organizing competitive samples and data for "hindsight" meetings.
• Business Intelligence: Support the team by pulling key performance metrics (sell-through, margins, inventory) to provide foundational insights on "what's working" vs. "what's not.

Key Skills And Experience

The Ideal Candidate:

• Experience: 1–3 years of experience in apparel/accessories merchandising, marketing, project management, or a related field is preferred.
• Organizational Mastery: You find peace in a perfectly labeled sample room and have a "measure twice, cut once" approach to your work.
• Product Obsessed: You have a commercial eye for fashion and a genuine interest in the details of construction, materials, and styling.
• The "Helper" Mentality: You thrive in a role where your success is measured by how well you enable your team to succeed.
• Communication: Clear, concise, and proactive; you aren't afraid to follow up to keep a project moving.
• Technical Tools:
• Project Tools: Familiarity with PLM systems, ERPs, or project management software (e.g., Asana, Monday.com, or Smartsheet) is a plus.
• Excel & PowerPoint: Proficient in MS Office; you are a confident user of Excel (comfortable with VLOOKUPs and pivot tables to organize data) and PowerPoint (able to build clean, professional decks to support the team).

Education And Certifications

A bachelor's degree in a related field of study or equivalent years of experience.

Minimum Physical And Environmental Requirements

Visual Abilities: Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus, read reports, create presentations and use a computer system. Hearing: Ability to effectively communicate with co-workers, vendors, and students. Dexterity, Grasping, Feeling: Write, type and use the telephone, copier, and computer systems. Mobility: Open files and operate office machines; move between departments and attend meetings. Talking: Frequently convey detailed or important instructions. Lifting, Pulling, Pushing 25 pounds with or without reasonable accommodation. Work may require up to 30% occasional travel.

Implus is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion/belief, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.