Lead Merchant, North America Kids Channel Merchandising

For Nike Merchants, everything begins and ends with the consumer. We are seeking a consumer‑led Merchant with a strong affinity for product who thrives in the fast pace of retail and the ever‑evolving North America marketplace. A successful Lead Merchant will contribute to an inclusive, positive, and progressive team dynamic while helping shape Nike’s Kids Footwear and Apparel offense across North America Channels. At Nike, it’s about each person bringing their skills, curiosity, and passion to a challenging and constantly evolving game.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

You will work closely with fellow North America Channel Merchants and cross‑functional partners across North America Product Merchandising, Sales, Planning, Brand, and Marketplace teams. You will also collaborate with Finance, Operations, and Insights & Analytics, leveraging quantitative and qualitative business reporting—including sales, inventory, bookings, and consumer behavior metrics—to inform assortment decisions and drive results across the North America marketplace.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a Lead Merchant with a passion for product and kids’ sport who enjoys moving at the pace of retail and serving the diverse North America consumer. This individual brings sharp instincts, strong business acumen, and the ability to turn consumer & marketplace insight into action. They operate comfortably across multiple seasons, balancing long-term strategy with immediate execution. They are a connector—aligning cross-functional teams, influencing decisions, and pushing the business forward with a clear point of view. This role requires a clear understanding of the North America marketplace landscape, along with the ability to convert product strategies into actionable, channel‑specific assortments. Above all, they bring energy, accountability, and a relentless focus on serving the athlete*.

The ideal candidate will bring:

- 5+ years of relevant industry experience in merchandising
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience, and training.
- Footwear, apparel, and/or equipment merchandising experience
- Proven expertise in franchise management and understanding of retail key performance indicators and profit-based metrics
- Strong strategic thinking skills to shape the future of the business
- Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and leadership levels
- Responds with speed, agility, curiosity, and motivation
- Collaborative mindset that brings people together to solve complex challenges
- Skilled at prioritizing tasks and driving them to completion
- Communicates vision and purpose and leads effectively in complex situations
- Demonstrates problem-solving ability using limited information and implements solutions with foresight into future implications

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

You will build consumer‑centric, channel‑specific assortment plans for Kids Footwear and Apparel across North America, blending fact‑based analysis with intuitive product storytelling. You will own the translation of product strategies into clear assortments by channel and tier, ensuring alignment to consumer needs, account realities, and capacity constraints.

You will manage multiple seasons concurrently, using in‑market performance, bookings, and partner feedback to inform future seasonal decisions. You will play a critical role during key moments such as Go to Market sales meetings as well as account sales meetings, ensuring Sales teams are equipped with clear assortments, priorities, and narratives to drive confident sell‑in.

NORTH AMERICA CHANNEL MERCHANDISING CAPABILITIES

North America Channel Assortment Ownership

Own the translation of North America product strategies into clear, channel‑ and tier‑specific assortments, preserving consumer intent while reflecting capacity, door realities, and account needs. Serve as the single point of accountability for the final North America channel view.

Marketplace & Account Acumen (North America)

Apply deep understanding of North America wholesale and specialty channel dynamics to determine where product should live, how it should scale, and when to advocate for incremental opportunities—balancing growth, profitability, and brand consistency.

Cross‑Functional Partnership & Influence (NA‑Focused)

Partner closely with North America Sport Merchandising, Sales, SSDs, Planning, and Brand teams to synthesize inputs, clarify priorities, and influence strong channel outcomes through collaboration, clarity, and trust.

Seasonal Process & Calendar Leadership

Lead complex, overlapping seasonal workflows from Merch to Merch through GTM, OED, and post‑GTM, ensuring clean handoffs, on‑time deliverables, and shared clarity on what is final versus in progress for channel partners.

Sales Enablement & Sell‑In Readiness

Equip Sales and SSD partners with channel‑specific assortments, narratives, and tools that enable confident sell‑in, reduce friction at key moments, and clearly communicate core, priority, and opportunistic product offerings.

Marketplace Insights & Continuous Improvement

Leverage bookings, in‑market performance, and partner feedback across North America to deliver actionable insights, refine channel strategies, and strengthen future seasonal assortments and ways of working.

We offer a number of accommodations to complete our interview process including screen readers, sign language interpreters, accessible and single location for in-person interviews, closed captioning, and other reasonable modifications as needed. If you discover, as you navigate our application process, that you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please complete the Candidate Accommodation Request Form .