Director Kidswear
WE Fashion is hiring a Director Kidswear in Utrecht, NL. It's a full-time, director role with competitive pay.
WE Fashion — Utrecht, NLAbout the role
As Director Kidswear at WE Fashion, you hold end-to-end responsibility for the Boys and Girls collections. Design, Buying and Merchandising come together under your leadership as one team of around 35 people. The role runs from the first creative idea to the product customers find in store.
You set the direction for the whole Kidswear business, not only the collection. Kidswear is an important part of the business with real room to grow, and we are looking for a leader who sees that potential, questions how we work today, and brings the vision, energy and commercial rigour to move Kidswear forward.
The role is based in Utrecht, works on site, and is a full-time position at director level.
What you'll do
- Set the strategic, creative and commercial direction for Boys and Girls, balancing newness and trends with the essentials customers rely on
- Own the full product journey, from creative concept and range planning through product development, sourcing, buying and commercial execution, with one consistent direction throughout
- Drive revenue, margin, stock turn, inventory, OTB, markdowns and in-season trading, using data, customer behaviour and sales insight to keep improving results
- Connect creativity and commerce by setting clear creative and commercial frameworks that weigh trend, quality, fit and price against sourcing capability, manufacturability and commercial potential
- Lead Design, Buying and Merchandising as one team behind a shared Kidswear vision, with clear ownership and the support, direction and challenge your teams need to perform at their best
- Simplify processes, remove roadblocks and raise efficiency with a less-is-more mindset
- Stay close to the market through customer insight, data, store visits, competitor analysis, trade fairs and supplier visits
- Partner with the CPO, Marketing, Retail, E-commerce, Supply Chain and the Buying Office in Asia to deliver the Kidswear strategy across every channel
What you'll bring
- 10+ years in fashion retail, with extensive Buying or Merchandising experience in Kidswear and a thorough understanding of the full collection process
- Several years in a strategic leadership role, leading multidisciplinary teams and senior professionals
- Strong commercial and analytical skills, with a proven track record in revenue, margin, stock and in-season performance
- A strong eye for product and trends, connected to customer needs, brand identity and commercial opportunity
- Solid knowledge of the full product journey, from collection and assortment development to product management, development and sourcing
- An understanding of how Design, Buying and Merchandising strengthen each other, and the ability to align creative and commercial teams around one direction
- An experienced people leader who inspires, connects and develops teams while building clear accountability
- A strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial mindset, ready to roll up your sleeves and turn ideas into action
- The confidence to challenge the status quo and bring a fresh perspective
- A strong sparring partner and communicator, comfortable at senior level and skilled at building relationships across functions
- Fluent English in an international environment
- Curiosity about how AI and new technologies can make product, buying and merchandising processes smarter and more efficient
What we offer
Get new roles in your inbox
A weekly alert with the best new fashion roles across Europe — tuned to the disciplines and cities you care about.