- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Executive
- Compensation
- $241,000–312,000/year
- Department
- Merchandising, Buying & Planning
- Posted
- Aug 18, 2026
About Saks Global
Saks Global is a leading multi‑brand luxury retailer operating Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks OFF 5TH and other luxury retail and e‑commerce experiences. The organization leverages extensive customer data, dedicated merchandising and digital capabilities, and strategic brand partnerships to deliver a highly curated luxury shopping experience across physical and digital channels.
Exemplar Luxury Group seeks a Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager for Women's Shoes to lead category strategy, assortment, buying, pricing, negotiations, and profitable growth across channels. The role requires 10+ years of footwear merchandising and buying experience, including designer and luxury shoe markets, and a bachelor’s degree; an MBA or advanced degree is preferred. Full-time; remote.
Role & Responsibilities
- Translate broader merchandising and divisional strategies into actionable category-specific strategies and tactics aligned with the company’s vision and financial objectives.
- Lead execution of merchandise strategies in partnership with Buying, Planning, Marketing, and Digital teams, coordinating cohesive product assortments and execution across channels.
- Work with Buyers and their teams to align product assortments with category strategies and customer demand.
- Ensure assortments reflect market trends, customer demand, and category strategies.
- Analyze product performance continuously to optimize assortments and drive profitable growth.
- Support the GMM in vendor negotiations, ‘world of’ discussions, and top-to-top meetings, helping develop strong partnerships and favorable business terms.
- Collaborate with the GMM and Planning Leads to define and execute the pre-season and in-season roadmap in line with financial targets and timelines.
- Partner with Buying and Planning teams on final pricing, promotional strategies, and markdown decisions to align with category strategies and optimize profitability and margin.
- Collaborate with product development and merchandising teams to introduce innovative products that elevate the brand and resonate with customers.
- Lead, inspire, and align buying teams around a shared vision and strategic direction, fostering cross-functional collaboration to achieve company objectives and business results.
- Drive collaboration across Buying, Planning, Marketing, and Digital to execute strategies and achieve financial goals.
- Lead merchandise strategy for designated divisions and categories, translating broader strategies into category plans and aligning assortments with company goals.
- Focus on brand-partner negotiations, pricing, promotions, and markdown decisions to drive growth and profitability.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail Management, or a related field.
- 10+ years of experience in retail merchandising, buying, and brand partnership management within footwear, including direct experience in designer and luxury shoe markets; proven record of leading cross-functional teams and driving senior-level strategic initiatives.
- Extensive experience in high-end brand negotiations, premier vendor management, and translating broader luxury footwear strategies into actionable plans.
- Extensive experience in brand negotiations, vendor management, and translating broader strategies into actionable plans.
- Deep understanding of retail merchandising, buying, and planning processes.
- Strong financial acumen, including experience managing pricing, promotions, and markdown decisions.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while effectively managing multiple priorities.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
- Customer-centric thinker who is “art” led and “science” informed.
- MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Skills
Experience
10+ years in retail merchandising, buying, and brand partnership management within footwear, including direct experience in designer and luxury shoe markets.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail Management, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Compensation
The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 241,000 to USD 312,000 per annum.
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) retirement plan; basic and supplemental life insurance; disability insurance; voluntary benefits including critical illness, hospital, and accident insurance; employee discount; career advancement opportunities across retail, distribution, digital, and corporate; opportunity to work in a dynamic, fast-paced company experiencing growth and transformation.
Culture
Saks Global fosters a fast‑paced, customer‑centric culture rooted in luxury merchandising and digital innovation. Teams are collaborative and data‑informed, offering exposure to cross‑functional career paths across retail, distribution and e‑commerce.
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 Saks Global, 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 «Women's Footwear Merchandising Vice President», «Women's Shoes Merchandise Director», «Head of Women's Footwear Merchandising», «Women's Shoes Buying and Merchandising Executive», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.