Job Details
Job Description
Your Opportunity at ARC’TERYX:
As the Senior Director of Category Growth - Footwear, you define the Footwear category vision and drive global marketplace execution with Regional teams, while strengthening the connection between product engines, specialty retail partners and our Product Creation and Commercial teams. Your work shapes and accelerates the long‑term growth strategy for the Trail Running category, through stewarding the evolution of our trail running and footwear ecosystems, while scaling Project Beta as a core partnership model across regions. This role requires a strategic, cross‑functional leader who can operate at altitude while staying close to the ground—balancing long‑term category direction with the realities of marketplace execution, consumer insight, and retailer partnership.
This role is primarily based at our Portland, Oregon Footwear office. You’ll work closely with regional specialty wholesale teams and key mountain‑town retail partners as you drive the strategic growth of our Trail Running category and the broader specialty Footwear business across regional commercial teams and retail accounts. Candidates must be eligible to work in the US.
Meet Your Future Team:
We are results‑driven problem solvers—skiers, runners, climbers, and creatives—who thrive in a fun, dynamic, and fast‑paced environment. As the Global Footwear business continues to accelerate, our vision and commitment to building an integrated, sustainable, and mutually profitable business model for our partners remains essential. We are focused on creating a marketplace that positions specialty retailers at the forefront—serving core consumers where they shop, play, and compete.
This opportunity will work cross functionally with all our key partners and business units across, Sales, Product Management, Merchandising, Operations and Brand teams, partnering to enable Arc’teryx to drive marketplace growth, relationships and further embed ourselves with the communities.
Since 1989, Arc’teryx wholesale partners have played a vital role in the brand’s journey, bringing the first Arc’teryx products to market. Today, our regional Wholesale teams are dedicated to supporting, growing, and managing our business in close partnership with key retailers across the globe.
If you were in the Senior Director, Global Category Growth - Footwear role now, here are some of the core activities you would be doing:
Category Leadership & Strategy · Driving the global growth strategy for Trail Running and Footwear to ensure alignment across Regional teams, bringing the full category expression to all consumers through our partners · Building a multi‑year roadmap that strengthens category positioning, franchise health, and marketplace differentiation
· Translating on the ground consumer, athlete, and retailer insights into actionable category direction and product opportunities Marketplace & Commercial Growth · Partnering with Regional leaders to drive a disciplined, specialty‑first marketplace strategy across NAM, EMEA, and APAC · Ensuring consistent execution of category priorities across channels, with a focus on premium distribution, sell‑through health, and long‑term brand equity to maintain a pull marketplace
· Leading seasonal marketplace readiness, ensuring clarity of story, assortment, and commercial priorities
Project Beta Leadership · Owning and evolving Project Beta as a global partnership framework, strengthening two‑way collaboration with key specialty retailers · Establishing clear processes for insight sharing, early product feedback, and marketplace co‑creation · Scaling the model across regions, ensuring consistency while adapting to local needs
Cross‑Functional Alignment · Partnering closely with Product Creation, Design, Development, Merchandising, Marketing, Finance, Planning, and Operations teams to ensure category alignment and execution · Leading cross‑functional forums that drive clarity on priorities, risks, and opportunities · Ensuring operational readiness across inventory, delivery, sample management, and Go To Market (GTM) processes
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Are you our next Senior Director, Global Category Growth – Footwear? You have a 4-year college degree with12+ years’ of senior leadership experience in product, merchandising, category management, or commercial strategy—ideally within performance footwear, outdoor, or specialty retail You have a proven track record of building and scaling category strategies across global markets
You have a deep understanding of specialty retail dynamics, consumer behavior, and technical product ecosystems You have strong cross‑functional leadership skills, with the ability to influence at all levels You inspire breakthrough thinking and continuous improvement You have the ability to partner cross-functionally and lead complex projects across diverse groups of stakeholders in a global, cross-cultural matrix environment
You have a creative lens and the unique ability to help make innovative concepts come to life through operational excellence You have detailed knowledge of the product creation process You remain cool under pressure, work to deadlines, and successfully manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, accelerated environment
You are an organized, resilient, and driven self-starter with the willingness to see things through to the end You foster a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and continuous improvement You coach and develop talent across regions, strengthening category expertise and commercial capability You can lead cross functional teams to operate with clarity, alignment, and shared purpose
You seek the best (sometimes not the easiest) solutions, with an unwavering commitment to do what is right You have experience working with athlete programs, product testing, and insight‑driven product creation is an asset You can balance strategic thinking with hands‑on execution in a fast-moving environment
You have a passion for mountain sports and the trail running community Your passion for your work is paralleled by your passion for getting outside and living it
\n $188,000 - $235,000 a year A reasonable estimate of the pay range is CAD$188,000 - CAD$235,000 at the time of this posting. Within the range, individual pay is determined by factors such as job-related skills, relevant experience, education and/or training. The upper end of the range is typically reserved for candidates with demonstrated expertise that is above job requirements or who bring exceptional directly transferable experience.
Please note that the range details above reflect the base pay only and does not include our competitive bonus program and benefits that we offer. \n Equal Opportunity
Arc’teryx is committed to actively creating and fostering a culture of inclusivity where voices are heard, people are seen, and values are respected. We care about the uniqueness of our applicants, employees, and guests, and we do so in a safe space fueled by curiosity and acceptance.
Creating an inclusive workplace is connected to our core value Do Right while also having the added benefit of helping make our business better. We believe inclusion helps us to create a healthier, happier workplace, drive creativity and innovation, and reflect the communities where we operate.
All applicants, employees, and guests can expect equality of opportunity and fair treatment in alignment with our values.
Leave it Better We believe that the mountains transform us, that how we adventure matters, and that there’s always a better way. Join us in creating positive change in ourselves, our communities, and the world.
Live it. Get out there - the mountains make us better Disruptive evolution. In pursuit of better. Always. Commit. We set bold objectives and see them through.

