Merchandising Director - Apparel & Licensing

Auto req ID: 46070 
Title: Merchandising Director - Apparel & Licensing 
Job Function: Product Management 
Location: PDC
Workplace Category:Onsite 
Company: Harley-Davidson Motor Company 
Full or Part-Time: Full Time 
Shift: SHIFT1 

At Harley-Davidson, we are building more than machines. It’s our passion and commitment to continue the evolution of this storied brand, and heighten the desirability of the Harley-Davidson experience. To keep building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution, and emotion we need the best and brightest talent. We stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul. Are you ready to join us?

The Harley-Davidson Motor Company Product Development Center (PDC) located in Wauwatosa, WI is home to the mantra – You dream it. We build it. Join our team as a  Merchandising Director - Apparel & Licensing.

Job Summary

Harley-Davidson is seeking an experienced, business-savvy, opportunistic, and product-focused merchant leader for our global Motorclothes Lifestyle and Sport business.  The Merchandising Director leads the end-to-end merchandising strategy for the apparel business, owning the line architecture, category vision, and financial performance. This role sets the seasonal product strategy, drives consumer-right assortments, and partners cross-functionally to bring compelling, profitable products to market. The Director ensures the line meets both brand and business objectives while guiding a team toward operational excellence and long-range growth.

Job Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and own the multi-season merchandising strategy aligned to brand positioning, consumer insights, and financial targets.
• Define category architecture, SKU strategies, pricing frameworks, and margin goals.
• Lead product storytelling and strategic intent across seasons to ensure clear direction for Design, Planning, and cross-functional partners.
• Conduct marketplace, trend, and competitive analysis to inform long-term opportunities and risks.

Product Line Management

• Oversee the seasonal line creation process, ensuring assortments reflect consumer need states, channel strategies, and growth priorities.
• Evaluate and refine assortments based on business performance, consumer insights, and regional feedback.
• Lead milestone meetings, communicating product strategy, seasonal objectives, and line rationale to senior leadership.
• Ensure product briefs reflect strategic intent, target consumer, and margin requirements.

Financial Management

• Partner closely with Planning and Finance to build annual and seasonal financial plans that balance growth, margin, and productivity.
• Make data-driven decisions using historical performance, sell-through, and consumer analytics.
• Optimize assortment productivity by managing SKU efficiency, pricing strategies, and margin enhancement initiatives.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Collaborate with Design to guide conceptual direction, material usage, and product priorities.
• Partner with Sourcing to achieve cost targets, negotiate margin improvements, and ensure production feasibility.
• Work with Sales, Marketing, and GTM teams to develop product narratives, seasonal presentations, and channel strategies.
• Align with Operations and Supply Chain teams to ensure on-time delivery, inventory alignment, and distribution needs.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing merchandising team.
• Create clear expectations, process discipline, and accountability across seasonal workflows.
• Promote a collaborative culture that brings consumer, design, and business perspectives together.

Operational Excellence

• Oversee merchandising tools, systems, and process improvements to increase speed, accuracy, and collaboration.
• Ensure data integrity across PLM, ERP, and merchandising documents.
• In partnership with Operations, drive continuous improvement across the product creation calendar and milestone processes.

Education Requirments 

• High School Diploma or Equivalent Required
• Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Business, Fashion, or related field preferred; MBA a plus

Experience Requirements 

• 8–12+ years of merchandising or product leadership experience within the apparel industry.
• Proven success in building product strategies and driving profitable growth.
• Strong leadership capability with experience managing, developing, and inspiring teams.
• Deep understanding of consumer trends, competitive landscape, and product creation processes.
• Highly analytical with mastery in line planning, margin analysis, and merchandising systems.
• Strong communication and executive presentation skills.

Harley-Davidson is an equal opportunity employer that continues to build a culture of inclusion, belonging and equity through our commitment to attracting and retaining diverse talent from all backgrounds, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. We believe in fairness and providing a level playing field for all. We foster a culture that thrives on diverse perspectives and contributions to ignite the creativity and innovation to fuel our business and enhance the employee and customer experience.

The pay range shown represents the national average pay range for this role. Your pay may be more or less than the stated range and is dependent on your geographic location and level of experience.

We offer an inclusive compensation package for all full-time salaried employees including, but not limited to, annual bonus programs, health insurance benefits, a 401k program, onsite fitness centers and employee stores, employee discounts on products and accessories, and more. Learn more about Harley-Davidson here. 

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States.

Direct Reports: Yes  
Travel Required: 10 - 25%  
Pay Range: 148,600 237,700 
Visa Sponsorship: This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or visa transfer  
Relocation: This position is not eligible for relocation assistance