Merchandise Manager, Bike

Adventure is our Culture. Join a team that celebrates a lifestyle as bold as the terrain we love. At Backcountry, we are rooted in adventure, recognition, and wellbeing on and off the mountain. We spotlight employee stories, celebrate milestones, and offer exclusive outdoor perks. Whether you are at HQ, in a retail store, or remote, you will be part of a team that thrives on energy, exploration, and connection. Reports to: Brett Sullivan, VP Merchandising Hardgoods Location: Cottonwood Heights, Utah (Hybrid - 3x/week in-office) About the Role: Backcountry's Bike category spans complete bikes, frames, and a deep components assortment across five banners — Bike Tires Direct, Backcountry, Competitive Cyclist, Steep & Cheap, and Marketplace. This role exists to drive the merchandising strategy and financial performance of the entire category, ensuring differentiated assortments and technically sound product for each banner's customer. As Merchandise Manager, Bike , you will own the open-to-buy budget, vendor relationships, and day-to-day buying decisions while mentoring a team of buyers and junior merchants. Success in the first 6–12 months means establishing strong vendor partnerships that deliver margin improvement, tightening assortment accuracy across banners, and building the cadence and KPI framework your team runs on. This is a lean team. You will own a lot, move fast, and make decisions with full end-to-end responsibility. What You'll Do: Category Management Execute the merchandising and sourcing plan across complete bikes, frames, and components (drivetrains, wheels, brakes, suspension, cockpit, pedals) for each banner Drive sales, margin, and inventory turn goals across all channels and platforms Manage the open-to-buy budget for Bike across Bike Tires Direct, Backcountry, Competitive Cyclist, Steep & Cheap, and Marketplace Source and assess merchandise by evaluating market trends, cross-component and build-kit compatibility, and historical selling data Vendor Management & Differentiation Build and maintain relationships with bike brands and component manufacturers, negotiating pricing, terms, key buys, and promotional windows to maximize gross margin Identify, evaluate, and onboard new vendors to strengthen the supply chain and assortment Establish and enforce quality standards through supplier collaboration and regular product quality checks Inventory & Analytics Own SKU/PO worksheets and purchase orders — quantity, dollar, style allocation, size/color breakout — under tight deadlines Manage inventory flow by setting receipt plans, sell-through targets, and re-order or reduction edits; partner with Planning on exit strategies for slow movers Leverage sales data, customer insights, and analytics to forecast demand and refine procurement plans Monitor category KPIs, evaluate vendor performance, and recommend actions to hit profitability targets Customer Experience & Cross-Functional Partnerships Apply deep technical knowledge of bike systems to ensure assortment compatibility, spec accuracy, and informed support for vendors, planning, and customer-facing teams Uphold category content standards, visual merchandising, and taxonomy to improve conversion Partner with Planning on budgets, forecasting, and KPI reporting; collaborate with Marketing and Creative on promotions, campaigns, and selling strategy Team Leadership Guide and mentor the Bike buying team, supporting buyer development and fostering a collaborative work environment Required Qualifications: Bachelor's degree (Business, Supply Chain Management, or related field preferred) 10+ years in retail buying or merchandising with a proven track record in strategic sourcing, vendor management, and e-commerce Hands-on technical knowledge of bikes, frames, and components — drivetrains, groupsets, brake systems, wheel/tire standards, suspension, cockpit/contact points, frame geometry and materials — with the ability to evaluate cross-com…

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