Job Description
Adventure is our Culture. Join a team that celebrates a lifestyle as bold as the terrain we love. At Backcountry, we are rooted in adventure, recognition, and wellbeing on and off the mountain. We spotlight employee stories, celebrate milestones, and offer exclusive outdoor perks. Whether you are at HQ, in a retail store, or remote, you will be part of a team that thrives on energy, exploration, and connection. Reports to : VP, Merchandising Hardgoods Location : Cottonwood Heights, Utah (Hybrid - 3x/week in-office) About The Role As our Divisional Merchandise Manager, Ski & Snow Hardgoods , you will own the full commercial strategy for one of Backcountry's highest-profile and most technically complex categories. This role exists to deepen our authority in the snow sports market — setting the assortment vision, managing key vendor relationships, and ensuring every buying decision drives margin, sell-through, and customer loyalty across both digital and retail channels. You will lead a team of buyers and work cross-functionally with Inventory Planning, Finance, Marketing, and Digital to translate a deep understanding of the global snow market into a winning assortment strategy. Success at 6–12 months looks like a rationalized, tiered assortment with measurable improvements in sell-through and gross margin, stronger exclusive and SMU programs with key vendors, and a team that is operating with clarity and accountability. This is a lean team. You will own a lot, move fast, and make decisions with full end-to-end responsibility. What You'll Do Category Strategy & Market Leadership Define and execute a multi-year strategy across ski, snowboard, and backcountry hardgoods Leverage a strong understanding of the global vendor and brand landscape to identify opportunities and trends Translate regional customer needs (e.g., East vs. West mountains) into assortment strategies Drive top-line growth, gross margin, sell-through rate, and inventory productivity in partnership with Inventory Planning and Finance Assortment & Lifecycle Management Build tiered assortments that serve multiple customer segments across price points and expertise levels Curate a balanced mix of full-price, off-price, and closeout product to maximize lifecycle value Lead end-of-season closeout buying strategies to optimize turns and minimize risk; partner with Inventory Planning and Finance to align on OTB, receipt timing, and payment structure Ensure assortments drive units per transaction (UPT) through thoughtful cross-category integration Vendor Strategy & Differentiation Develop and deepen strategic partnerships with key ski and snow brands through on-site vendor meetings, business reviews, and product testing Lead business development initiatives with vendors to unlock exclusive opportunities Create SMUs and exclusive assortments that differentiate Backcountry from competitors Maintain a strong pulse on competitive positioning and brand strategies Retail & Customer Experience Champion the end-to-end customer journey across digital and retail touchpoints Partner with teams to build and scale demo fleet and seasonal rental programs Ensure seamless integration of hardgoods with accessories, travel gear, and related categories Cross-Functional Partnerships Partner closely with Inventory Planning to align open-to-buy, manage receipt flow, and optimize in-season reorder and markdown decisions across a highly seasonal business Collaborate with Finance, Marketing, and Digital/UX teams to align category investments with financial targets, campaign timing, and on-site merchandising execution Leverage sell-through data, digital conversion metrics, and customer demand signals to inform assortment decisions, identify risk, and surface opportunities in real time Team Leadership Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing merchandising team Establish clear goals aligned to business outcomes and hold teams accountable Foster a culture of ownership, innovation, and continuous improvement Required Qualifications Deep expertise in ski and snowboard hardgoods, with a strong point of view on product and trends Strong understanding of the global snow market, vendor landscape, and brand ecosystem Proven ability to translate regional nuances (East vs. West, Resort vs. Backcountry) into winning strategies Extensive