Are you ready to build a career that’s not just a job but a meaningful journey? At Born Primitive, we offer more than just work — we offer a dynamic, collaborative environment where passion meets purpose. With exceptional work-life balance and a team that feels like family, you’ll thrive both personally and professionally.
Born Primitive is proudly Veteran-owned and operated, deeply rooted in the values that make our nation great: sacrifice, honor, and unwavering commitment to freedom. We’re inspired by the men and women who embody these principles, and we strive to carry their legacy forward. Our team members don’t just work here — they reflect these values in everything they do, becoming a vital part of a mission larger than themselves.
If you’re passionate about making an impact and want to grow with a company that stands for something greater, Born Primitive might be the perfect fit for you. Join us, and be part of a team that inspires and uplifts, every single day.
Position Summary
The Women’s Merchant is responsible for building and managing a commercially viable women’s apparel line that drives growth, productivity, and brand clarity. This role owns the women’s line architecture from concept through market, ensuring the assortment is strategically edited to amplify the Born Primitive brand, optimize productivity, and meet financial and consumer objectives.
The ideal candidate blends strong commercial instincts with a deep understanding of the women’s active and lifestyle market, using data, trend awareness, and brand vision to create focused, high-performing assortments.
Key Responsibilities
Line Architecture & Assortment Strategy
- Develop and own the women’s line architecture across categories, silhouettes, price points, and fabrications.
- Build seasonal assortments that are brand-right, commercially viable, and productivity-driven.
- Ensure clear role and purpose for each style within the line to avoid duplication and maximize impact.
Commercial Strategy & Brand Amplification
- Translate the Born Primitive brand vision into compelling women’s assortments that resonate with the customer.
- Edit collections to strengthen brand storytelling while improving margin, sell-through, and inventory efficiency.
- Balance trend relevance with core, long-term franchise styles.
In Season Performance Management
- Analyze sales, margin, and inventory performance to inform future assortments.
- Identify underperforming categories or styles and make decisive recommendations for edits or exits.
- Partner with Merchandise Planning and Finance to hit revenue, margin, and turn targets.
- Partner with marketing and ecomm to make recommendations to improve performance of slow turn product.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Design, Product Development, Sourcing, and Marketing to bring assortments to life.
- Provide clear briefs and commercial guidance to Design and Development teams.
- Align launch timing, depth, and storytelling with Marketing and E-commerce teams.
Market & Consumer Insight
- Maintain a strong understanding of the women’s activewear and lifestyle consumer.
- Monitor competitive landscape, pricing, and category opportunities.
- Use consumer feedback, market data, and trend insights to refine assortments.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Business, Fashion, or a related field.
- 5+ years of experience in women’s merchandising, preferably in activewear or performance apparel.
- Proven success building commercially viable assortments with strong productivity.
- Strong experience in line architecture and assortment planning.
- Highly analytical with the ability to use data to drive decisions.
- Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Experience in DTC or omni-channel brands.
- Experience editing assortments to scale growing brands.
- Strong understanding of women’s fit, fabrication, and category dynamics.
Preferred
- Familiarity with CrossFit, training, or performance-driven apparel.