Prada Director, Retail Merchandising RTW
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Director
- Compensation
- $180,000–195,000/year
- Department
- Merchandising, Buying & Planning
- Industry
- Fashion, Apparel & Leather Goods
- Posted
- Oct 1, 2026
About Prada
Prada is an emblem of Italian sophistication, intellectual design, and cultural modernity, with a heritage dating to 1913 in Milan. As an employer, the House offers professionals the opportunity to contribute to a globally admired luxury group where creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation are pursued with disciplined excellence. Prada values discerning talent across design, retail, operations, digital, and corporate functions, fostering an environment shaped by curiosity, precision, and respect for heritage. Employees are invited to participate in a dynamic international culture that balances artistic vision with commercial rigor, while advancing the brand’s enduring influence in fashion, leather goods, and contemporary luxury.
The Director, Retail Merchandising RTW leads ready-to-wear retail buying operations for Miu Miu across the Americas, encompassing the United States and Canada. The role holds primary accountability for meeting seasonal sales projections and driving category growth across the brand's independent retail distribution network. This position bridges headquarters merchandising strategy with field execution, managing client relationships, sales performance, and visual presentation standards across the territorial markets.
Role & Responsibilities
- Sell, execute, monitor and review all independent client orders within the US and Canada
- Analyze seasonal retail sales data to enhance business performance across Americas markets
- Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with independent retail buyers to strengthen brand positioning
- Identify and propose new distribution candidates for Americas expansion, subject to senior management approval
- Supervise and mentor Sales Coordinators and Interns across sales operations, client relations, and administration
- Monitor market dynamics including fashion trends, competitive positioning, and client characteristics through regular field presence
- Collaborate with headquarters merchandising and planning teams on sales budgets and category strategy
- Maintain frequent store contact to identify operational issues, update sales staff on product features, and share relevant sales intelligence
- Provide timely feedback to headquarters merchandising regarding collection performance, product quality, and customer feedback
- Monitor sales reporting in accordance with company standards and protocols
- Lead visual merchandising activities from initial approach through follow-up and repositioning phases
- Coordinate with the Visual Merchandising team on seasonal product display planning
- Execute and oversee competitive market studies on a seasonal basis
- Prepare and plan seasonal sales budgets for all relevant independent accounts
- Negotiate seasonal budget expectations and sales targets with independent retail clients
- Conduct collection training at independent stores via store visits and seasonal clinics
- Develop and execute sales events and promotional initiatives
- Create comprehensive collection overviews for store training purposes
- Manage quality control, defective merchandise, and return-to-vendor (RTV) processes
- Negotiate delivery windows and shipping parameters with vendors
- Administer cooperative advertising requests and content management
Qualifications
- Proven experience in retail buying or merchandising management for luxury apparel brands
- Demonstrated expertise in managing independent retail accounts and distribution networks
- Strong understanding of RTW (ready-to-wear) fashion trends and market dynamics
- Ability to lead and mentor a team effectively
- Excellent analytical and financial forecasting skills
Skills
Experience
Substantial background in luxury retail buying, merchandising, or brand management, with proven success managing independent retail accounts and category performance. Direct experience with ready-to-wear assortment planning, seasonal collection launches, and sales strategy in the North American market is strongly preferred.
Education
Bachelor's degree in business, merchandising, fashion, or related discipline.
Workplace
The successful candidate will be located in New York, New York, USA.
Compensation
The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 180,000 to USD 195,000 per annum.
Benefits
Eligibility for bonuses and other incentive opportunities.
Culture
Prada fosters a intellectually curious and forward-thinking workplace where heritage craftsmanship, contemporary design, and cultural dialogue intersect. As an employer, it encourages disciplined creativity, cross-functional collaboration, and a refined attention to detail, offering teams the opportunity to contribute to one of luxury fashion’s most influential maisons.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Prada, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Director of RTW Buying», «Retail Merchandising Director», «Director, Wholesale Buying», «Retail Buying Director», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.