Saks Fifth Avenue Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager—Women's Shoes
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Director
- Compensation
- $265,000–343,000/year
- Department
- Merchandising, Buying & Planning
- Posted
- Aug 18, 2026
About Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a premier luxury department store and a cornerstone of the Saks Global portfolio. Renowned for a carefully curated assortment of designer fashion and high-touch client service, the brand blends immersive in-store experiences with an elevated digital offering across its North American locations.
Saks Global seeks VP, DMM Women's Shoes to lead luxury footwear strategy across multi-brand portfolio. $265K–$343K; full-time in New York.
Role & Responsibilities
- Collaborate with Brand Partnerships and Buying leaders to develop and execute category-specific merchandising strategies aligned with corporate objectives and financial targets
- Orchestrate seamless execution across Buying, Planning, and cross-pillar functions including Marketing and Digital to ensure cohesive product assortments and channel integration
- Partner directly with Buying teams to ensure product assortment optimization and alignment with category strategies and customer demand
- Continuously analyze product performance data to refine assortment strategies and drive sustainable profitable growth
- Support vendor negotiations, 'world of' discussions, and executive-level brand meetings to cultivate strategic partnerships and favorable commercial terms
- Develop pre-season and in-season merchandise roadmaps in collaboration with Brand Partnerships and Planning leadership, ensuring alignment with financial targets and operational timelines
- Lead development of seasonal private label products to strengthen Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue brand positioning
- Determine and execute final pricing, promotional strategies, and markdown decisions in partnership with Buying and Planning teams to optimize margin and profitability
- Champion product innovation and collaboration with development teams to introduce distinctive products that elevate brand perception and customer resonance
- Lead, inspire, and align buying teams around a unified strategic vision, fostering cross-functional collaboration to achieve business objectives and exceptional results
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, or related field
- Minimum 10+ years of progressive experience in retail merchandising, buying, and brand partnership management
- Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and driving strategic initiatives at a senior leadership level
- Extensive experience in vendor negotiations, brand management, and translating enterprise strategy into actionable category-specific plans
- Demonstrated deep understanding of retail merchandising, buying, and planning processes across omnichannel environments
- Strong financial acumen with hands-on experience managing pricing strategies, promotional calendars, and markdown optimization
- Ability to thrive in a high-velocity, complex environment while managing multiple strategic priorities
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills with influence across all organizational levels
- Customer-centric mindset balanced with data-driven decision-making; art-led and science-informed approach
Skills
Experience
10+ years of progressive experience in retail merchandising, buying, and brand partnership management, with a demonstrated track record of leading cross-functional teams and executing strategic initiatives at senior levels within luxury or multi-brand retail environments.
Education
Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, or related field. MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Workplace
This position is based in New York, New York, USA.
Compensation
The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 265,000 to USD 343,000 per annum.
Benefits
Medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, disability insurance, employee discount, and additional voluntary benefits including critical illness, hospital, and accident insurance.
Culture
Saks Fifth Avenue emphasizes a high‑standard, client‑centric retail culture that fuses creative visual storytelling with commercial rigor. The environment rewards initiative and offers cross‑functional career mobility across retail, digital and corporate disciplines within the Saks Global portfolio.
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 Fifth Avenue, 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 «Divisional Merchandise Manager, Women's Footwear», «VP Merchandise Planning—Women's Shoes», «Senior Merchandise Director, Women's Shoes», «Women's Shoes Merchandise 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.