Job Description / Duties

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 a Director of Hardgoods, 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.

You work with an inclusive, hands-on, collaborative group that connects people with quality products to encourage active outdoor lives. You’ll always be learning, and there’s a good chance your co-workers will inspire you to try something new, like riding in a Fondo, bouldering or paddleboarding.

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.
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in a retail product merchandising leadership role, preferably with hardgoods (apparel).
• Demonstrated understanding of retail operations.
• Detailed and strategic understanding of the hardgoods 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 build trails, log miles, organize hut trips, lean into corners, climb splitters or do something outside every day.
Bonus points if you…
• Have outdoor retail experience

Additional Information

How to Apply:

Please send your cover letter and resume, quoting posting #1169 by February 10, 2017:

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

Salary: Salary range: 120,000 – 160,000

Contact Information

jobs@mec.ca

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 21 stores in 6 provinces and www.mec.ca. An individual lifetime membership in MEC costs only $5.