Category Manager, Technical Apparel & Accessories

Description

The Category Manager, Technical Apparel & Accessories drives the strategy and execution behind Grundéns outerwear, waterproof breathable, PVC, and waders (the technical core of the brand) along with the accessories line that completes the kit. This role owns the category plan end to end, shaping the product story from first market insight through go-to-market and building assortments that are commercially sound, consumer-driven, and unmistakably Grundéns. Partnering closely with Design, Development, Sales, and Marketing, the Category Manager turns real consumer and industry insight into product lines that fuel category growth, sharpen brand positioning, and push innovation forward. 

Requirements

Responsibilities 

Category Strategy & Business Performance

• Own the category strategy and multi-season roadmap for Technical Apparel & Accessories, aligned with revenue, margin, and brand goals.
• Set MSRP, target FOB, and margin in the product brief, and own achieved initial markup (IMU) at line adoption.
• Analyze sell-through, market, consumer, and competitive data to identify risks, whitespace, and product opportunities across wholesale, DTC, and retail channels.
• Build differentiated category strategies that strengthen Grundéns position and feed the three-year plan.

Product Creation & Merchandising

• Author clear, insight-driven product briefs covering the consumer, use case, price point, target cost and margin, launch season, and volume hypothesis, serving as the single accountable owner in collaboration with Design, Development, and Materials.
• Own line architecture and assortment planning, including SKU adds and drops, color counts, good-better-best structure, and channel segmentation and allocation.
• Manage commercial lifecycle decisions to add, carry over, reprice, and retire products with SKU productivity discipline and hard line-freeze gates.
• Grow accessories as an attach and margin driver by running the accessories line plan with the same brief, pricing, and productivity discipline as apparel, merchandised to complete the kit at the shelf and online.
• Maintain accurate line plans and product data in PLM and line-planning tools.

Go-to-Market & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Design, Development, and Supply Chain so product concepts execute on time, within cost and margin targets, and aligned to buy plans.
• Own the category's seasonal go-to-market story, including line reviews, sales meeting presentations, sell-in tools, seasonal workbooks, web content input, and product training.
• Contribute category insight to the S&OP process through forecast reads, prebook analysis, and inventory productivity work with Demand Planning.
• Support key account and dealer needs within a planned budget of category time.

Consumer & Brand Leadership

• Represent the consumer and end user throughout the product lifecycle, including participation in field and wear testing.
• Ensure products meet market expectations, price targets, and Grundéns quality and performance standards.
• Present assortments and recommendations with a merchandising mindset, contributing to cross-functional decision-making.

Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 3–7 years of experience in apparel merchandising, with experience supporting category growth.
• Experience in product line planning, product strategy, and performance-driven product categories is required. Technical apparel and/or outdoor industry experience is strongly preferred.
• An authentic connection to fishing, boating, or the outdoors is a plus, and curiosity about the Grundéns consumer is a must.
• Experience supporting products through go-to-market processes across wholesale, DTC, and/or retail channels.
• Ability to translate market insights into practical product assortment recommendations.
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple seasons simultaneously across the product lifecycle.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, particularly with Design, Development, Sales, and Marketing teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple priorities across the product lifecycle.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 25%.

Reports to: VP Product & Supply Chain

Work location: Onsite or Remote, will require routine travel to Poulsbo HQ. 

Compensation: This role can expect to earn between $115,000 – $135,000 annually.

Benefits: Grundens offers a generous benefits package that includes the following: 

• Insurance: All employees have the ability to enroll in medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short term disability, and Life Flight coverage. Benefits begin the first day of the month following your hire date.
• Retirement: Grundens offers a 401(k)-retirement plan with a 5% match at 6% contribution.
• Bonus Program: Grundens offers a profit-based bonus program when revenue targets are met or exceeded and personal goals are achieved.
• Paid Time Off (PTO): All Grundens employees earn PTO every pay period, starting at 80 hours per year depending on experience level.
• Paid Holidays: Grundens provides 9 set paid holidays plus 1 floating holiday for a total of 10 paid holidays.