VP, Softgoods Category Owner

At Burton, we are a purpose-led brand rooted in snowboarding and the outdoors. We fight for the future of our people, planet, and sport. We aim to maximize our positive social impact and minimize our negative environmental impact while delivering high-quality performance products. 

As a global leader in snowboarding, we’re committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion for the long-term health of our company, sport, and community. Through these efforts, we aim to make snowboarding and the outdoors accessible to all.

At Burton, we are a purpose-led brand rooted in snowboarding and the outdoors. We fight for the future of our people, planet, and sport. We aim to maximize our positive social impact and minimize our negative environmental impact while delivering high-quality performance products.  

As a global leader in snowboarding, we’re committed to diversity, equity, and inclusionfor the long-term health of our company, sport, and community. Through these efforts, we aim to make snowboarding and the outdoors accessible to all. 

The Breakdown:  

As the Vice President, Softgoods Category Owner, you will oversee the strategic direction and performance of the Softgoods Business Unit Division (BUD), responsible for the profit and loss specific to SG categories and product lines. Your role is integral to executing the long-term vision, objectives, and strategy of the assigned BU, driving short- and long-term direction, market positioning, and channel strategies.  Your accountability and influence lies at the intersection of category strategy, product development and line architecture, marketing GTM planning and marketplace sales strategies, all aligned to drive long-term category goals.  

What You Get to Do: 

• Establish Category Business Strategy and Direction:  

• Develop and own the 3-5 year Business Plan for the SG division, including category positioning and marketing strategies. Establish and manage long-term P&L strategy with annual categorical targets, holding GTM enabling functions accountable to BU performance. 

• Set annual direction and strategy for the BU, including briefs, roadmaps, line plans, segmentation, and pricing. Ensure SLAs are in place with supporting functions (Product / Creative / Marketing / Marketplaces). 

• In this role you will establish, communicate, champion and evaluate our category strategy and performance.  This role is pivotal to setting up a categorical strategy that can drive SGs growth and will be influential across the entire organization.  

• Category Management and Merchandising: 

• Develop and manage multi-year category roadmaps inclusive of tactics needed to deliver long-term results. 

• Drive annual merchandising plan execution and results across Marketing and Marketplaces (DTC, Multi-branded, and Distributor). 

• Optimize assortment planning, product life cycle management, clear categorical KPIs, and simplified consumer experience while ensuring we have the right assortment to drive the business.   

• Oversee Buying and Inventory Allocation and Management for the Business Unit. 

• GTM Process Leadership: 

• Lead and drive a GTM process that synchronizes product, sales, marketing and operations to achieve our SGs goals.  Uniquely design the SGs GTM process while staying synced and synergized with other BU plans. 

• Define and refine strategic consumer segments within the targeted Radical Outsider boundaries, driving decisions through consumer-led analytics and insights. 

• Manage and maintain transparency, timing, and cadence of GTM milestones and deliverables. 

• Insights and Trends Analysis: 

• Build a deep understanding of the Burton Customer through direct collaboration with our insights team, our available research and direct customer interaction.   

• Strengthen our understanding of the regional nuances of our customers’ needs.  Through market and trend research, you must gain a deep understanding of the globally relevant competitors and retail landscape. 

What You'll Bring to The Team: 

• Extensive experience in strategic leadership roles, preferably within the retail or consumer goods industry. 

• Proven track record of driving business strategy and performance, particularly in SG categories and product lines. 

• Strong financial acumen with the ability to manage P&L and operationalize performance metrics effectively. 

• Exceptional leadership skills, with the ability to inspire and lead cross-functional teams. 

• Analytical mindset with a focus on leveraging data and insights to drive business decisions. 

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence and align stakeholders towards common goals. 

Technical Capabilities 

• Business Strategy Development: Ability to develop and execute strategic plans for the SG division, including market positioning, channel strategies, and long-term growth objectives. 

• Financial Management: Proficiency in managing P&L, setting and managing annual categorical targets, and driving operational performance metrics such as revenue, margin, and inventory turn. 

• Category Management: Experience in developing multi-year category roadmaps and overseeing merchandising plans to drive sales and market share growth. 

• GTM Process Leadership: Expertise in leading and driving a GTM process uniquely designed for the BU, ensuring alignment with broader organizational goals and objectives. 

• Consumer Insights Analysis: Capability to leverage consumer insights and analytics to define and refine strategic consumer segments and drive decision-making. 

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Strong collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams including Product, Creative, Marketing, and Marketplaces to achieve Business Unit objectives. 

• Buying / Inventory Management Experience: Knowledge of inventory allocation and management processes to optimize inventory levels and ensure efficient supply chain operations.  Full understanding of retail buying process, target setting, OTB management and KPI tracking.  

• Trends Analysis and Forecasting: Ability to analyze market trends, competitor activities, and consumer preferences to anticipate future market demands and drive proactive business strategies.