About the Role
The Footwear Product Merchandising Intern is a great opportunity to learn and support the Product Manager by assisting with merchandising documentation, product samples, and packaging coordination, while ensuring pricing and marketing materials are accurate across platforms. It also involves conducting market research, assisting with seasonal planning and product development processes, attending key meetings, and contributing to the execution of product and marketing strategies.
What You’ll Gain
Product Strategy:
- Maintaining and updating all merchandising-related documents and logs produced and/or utilized by the product manager.
- Managing product samples for the Product Manager
- Assisting PM team with pricing, margin-related initiatives and accuracy of all printed & online materials.
- Coordinating and executing in Packaging for the Product Manager
- Gathering market data via selling reports, industry publications, events, and shows to help identify and expand on Ariat market opportunities.
- Supporting Product Manager in creating the strategy to present to product teams including: product boards, focus groups, event participation, competitive pricing analysis, and customer profiles.
- Taking notes at all meetings to publish action items for the product teams.
- Attending concept, proto-type, and line close meetings
- Participating in product brainstorms and assisting in set up of project list and briefs in support of project list.
- Proofing line list, price list, and merchandising plan for accuracy once completed by administrator.
- Performing market research of various brands both western and mainstream – keeping a pulse on western brand launches and brand sites
Product Line Planning:
- Collaborating and helping create and manage seasonal merchandising plans and manage projects through the development process.
- Assisting the PM with seasonal market research and brainstorming
- Assisting the PM with seasonal merchandising plans
- Assisting the PM with seasonal creative product briefs
- Assisting the PM with management of line reviews, pre-lines/market feedback, final line decisions and launch plans.
- Attend weekly product team meetings. Create task list from all meetings attended and follow up on completion along with Product Manager
- Reviewing product development calendar for any issues or conflicts
- Representing Product Manager in meetings as needed
- Following up on sample deliveries – proto, line close, and sales samples
Marketing:
- Proofing to include: Packaging, hangtags, catalog, web site, and B2B
- Coordinating with Product Manager to ensure product is correct and available for photo shoots requirements.
- Assisting Product Manager with prep for sales meetings, events, and customer visits.
About You
- Currently pursuing a degree in Design or a related field or a recent graduate
- Enjoy intellectual curiosity, passion for learning and ability to maintain a positive attitude.
- A self-starter who takes the initiative and is flexible and adaptive to changing priorities.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Detail-oriented with strong proofreading and data accuracy capabilities.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word); familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite is a plus.
- Interest in product development, merchandising, or the fashion/apparel industry—knowledge of Western or lifestyle brands is a plus.
About Ariat
Ariat is an innovative, outdoor global brand with roots in equestrian performance. We develop high-quality footwear and apparel for people who ride, work, and play outdoors, and care about performance, quality, comfort, and style.
The hourly rate for this position is $20.00 per hour.
The salary is determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data for geographic locations. Ariat in good faith believes that this posted compensation range is accurate for this role at this location at the time of this posting. This range may be modified in the future.
This contract position may be eligible for select benefits through the payrolling agency. Benefits may include medical, dental, and vision insurance options and 401k.
Ariat will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local laws. Ariat is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetics or any other basis protected under federal, state, or local law. Ariat is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to candidates with disabilities. If you need an accommodation during the application process, email human.resources@ariat.com.
Please see our Employment Candidate Privacy Policy at www.ariat.com/careers to learn more about how we collect, use, retain and disclose Personal Information.
Please note that Ariat does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Agreement, Ariat will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter/agency placement fee. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed Agreement, Ariat explicitly reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted directly to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Ariat.
