Job Description / Duties

At Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), The Buying & Design department works at the centre of the gear universe. They scour the world for innovative gear. And they work in-house to design thoughtful, elegant pieces that are bang-on for a running route, uptrack, or training session.

As the Senior Director of Softgoods, you’ll provide Product Leadership to the Product Management Team (PM’s). You’ll mentor and instill in the PMs a strong merchant sensibility, the capacity to win at the business of retail and grow the MEC brand.

Title: Senior Director of Softgoods

Employer: Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC)

Business address: 1077 Great Northern Way, Vancouver BC V5T 1E1

Location of work: Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC). Head Office, Buying and Design Department, 1077 Great Northern Way, Vancouver BC V5T 1E1

Term: Full Time, Permanent position

Salary range: $156,400—$234,600

This position is eligible for our Full Time Benefits package, including: Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance, Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance, Extended Health Insurance (including: prescription drugs, travel health insurance, vision care), Group Medical Services Plan for BC, Dental Insurance, Employee and Family Assistance Counselling Program, Employer contributed Group RRSP .
This position is eligible for four (4) weeks vacation per year. Increases are based on years worked.

What you do:
• Guide the Product Management team to configure Seasonal Product Collections
• Operationalize Buying and Design Projects
• Shape the evolution of the Product Management Team
• Build and maintain operational synergies with Product Marketing and Retail Operations.
• Aggregate and prioritize market intelligence
• Prioritize market opportunities; be a thematic contributor to MEC’s future inventory planning model.
• Completion of project work as required by the Chief Product Officer.

Qualifications / Required Skills

What you bring:
• Post-secondary education in Business or related field.
• 10-15 years’ experience in a retail product merchandising leadership role, preferably with softgoods (apparel).
• Demonstrated understanding of retail operations.
• Detailed and strategic understanding of the softgoods business model within the Sport and Outdoor industries.
• Exceptional leadership abilities. You’re generous with your knowledge and inspire your team members to grow.
• Ability to apply business and management expertise to achieve financial and operational objectives.
• Demonstrated knowledge of marketing trends and ability to spot and deliver business opportunities.
• High intelligence with a true entrepreneurial risk mentality, strong analytical and strategic thinking.
• Great communication – you listen first, then share knowledge. This goes for both speaking and writing.
• You’re stoked on something: you love to hike trails, run, bike, ski or do something outside every day.

Bonus points if you…
• Have outdoor retail experience

Salary: Salary range: $156,400—$234,600

Contact Information

How to apply:

Please send your cover letter and resume, quoting posting #1170:

By mail:
MEC Head Office
Attention Human Resources department
1077 Great Northern Way
Vancouver BC
V5T 1E1

By email: jobs@mec.ca

Or by fax: 604-731-3826

Employer Profile

About MEC
A retail co-operative, MEC exists to enable and inspire Canadians to live active outdoor lifestyles, supporting activities such as climbing, hiking, snowsports, watersports, cycling, running and yoga. Well known for selling high-quality products that offer great value, MEC employs outdoor enthusiasts who possess a strong service ethic to provide its members with an authentic and accessible customer experience. MEC has more than 3.75 million members across Canada, whom it serves through 18 stores in 6 provinces and www.mec.ca. An individual lifetime membership in MEC costs only $5.