Jennifer Vanderburg
Costa Mesa,CA
Summary
Dynamic Senior Director of Product & Merchandising with a proven track record in licensing, branding, and cross-functional collaboration. Adept at launching high-profile collections that enhance brand visibility and drive profitability. Expert in PLM software, market trends, and strategic product development, aligning assortments with consumer needs. Known for fostering relationships, optimizing workflows, and executing innovative merchandising strategies in competitive markets.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Sr. DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT & MERCHANDISING
BLUE SKY
07.2024 - Current
- Aligned strategic business initiatives with a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics and customer needs to place Blue Sky and affiliate brands in mass market retailers
- Managed product assortments, overseeing 1,500 SKUs per season (3,000 annually), ensuring brand consistency and adherence to standards
- Led cross-functional teams to develop and merchandise licensed collections for high-profile brands and retailers like Target, Walmart, and Kohl’s
- Directed seasonal bucketing architecture and category-specific assortments, delivering final merchandising updates to the executive team
- Collaborated with Product Marketing and Graphic Design to create visually compelling programs and packaging
- Ensured the accuracy and integrity of all product and program data in PLM
- Leveraged data-driven decisions based on historical performance, sales trends, and account requirements to drive product success
- Facilitated seamless communication between internal teams, partners, and customers to support program execution and change management
- Worked with Finance and Marketing to assess ROI and maximize the impact of programs
Sr. DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, LICENSING
BLUE SKY
01.2022 - 07.2024
- Drove licensing strategy, aligning brand tier grid standards with corporate initiatives and account needs
- Maintained deep expertise in the licensing category and competitive landscape
- Led the end-to-end lifecycle for licensed product lines, ensuring compliance with account guidelines and maintaining data integrity in PLM (Centric SMB)
- Served as the primary PLM lead across departments
- Partnered with Marketing, Sales, and Product teams to curate seasonal programs, manage approvals, track samples, and facilitate smooth execution
- Worked with Finance and Marketing to assess program profitability, optimize investments, and align with business goals
- Developed sell-in and sell-through strategies in collaboration with Marketing, ensuring strong consumer engagement
- Represented the company at trade shows, engaged with overseas manufacturing partners, and nurtured key relationships to support sourcing and development
- Managed internal Product Managers, improved operational efficiency, championed cross-functional communication, and led change management during growth and restructuring
- Enhanced operational efficiency by implementing innovative processes and solutions.
- Led cross-functional teams and achieved strategic objectives, driving organizational growth.
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, LICENSING
BLUE SKY
01.2019 - 01.2022
- Maintained a thorough understanding of the dated goods category, competitive landscape, company processes, corporate goals and strategic initiatives as they pertain to current Licensed partners/ brands
- Was responsible for daily Licensor communication, including asset requests, concept design approvals, relaying official business awards, as well as responsible for all Development needs such as: sample tracking & delivery, documenting feedback for changes and approvals & communicating to internal teams as needed; General management of Licensed artwork library
- Primary point of contact for all things PLM related, including user needs, training, and project management, Liaison between internal teams & Centric PLM software counterparts
- Worked closely with Product Marketing to develop and deliver Licensed programs
- Worked with Marketing Communications to ensure Consumer Engagement is occurring according to process
- Worked with Graphic Design, PD Creative, Sourcing, Product Marketing, and Sales to curate programs per customer specifications; Ensured products were designed and developed to spec
- Collaborated with Finance and Product Marketing for awareness of ROI success by account & program
- Assisted in developing presentations to aid sell-in (customer) and sell-through (consumer)
- Attended industry tradeshows, events, and travel to overseas manufacturing partners for sourcing & development as needed
SR. PD PROJECT MANAGER
BLUE SKY
06.2017 - 01.2019
- Lead the sourcing, implementation, & integration of product lifecycle management (PLM) software to enable efficiencies across Blue Sky
- Primary point of contact for all things PLM related, including user needs, training, and project management throughout implementation and beyond; Liaison between internal teams & Centric PLM software counterparts
- Oversaw all programs in development, tracked timelines, deliverables and managed cross-functional collaboration & communication across Product Development, Design, Sourcing, & Marketing
- Lead Seasonal Development Grid, Planning, and PLM Council Meetings; Managed and maintained Seasonal Development Grid; Ensured accuracy of grid & project timelines
- (Provided 6 months Maternity Leave Support for Sr Licensing Manager)
- Continuously scouted the relevant landscape for license opportunities including Direct License, Collaborations, Partnerships, and Works for Hire/Commissioned Art
- Created recommendations within the appropriate Long-Term Development cycle, yet be nimble and capable to solve Short Term Requests as needed
- Daily communications, approvals, renewals, and general account management and strategy
- Proactively nurtured relationships to guarantee full financial impact (ensure a win for both sides)
- Worked closely with Product Marketing to deliver proper assets and creative direction
- Worked with Marketing Communications to ensure proper outbound marketing communication, messaging and collateral
- Delivered proper assets, creative kick-off and briefing process for launch and repeat programs
- Ensured product lines and programs were designed and delivered to spec
- Managed product artwork library
- Collaborated with Finance to determine ROI success by program
PLANNING AND MERCHANDISING MANAGER
BLUE SKY
07.2015 - 06.2017
- Worked with Sales & Marketing to develop innovative Merchandising solutions for all retail channels; Provided Design direction to Graphics team for presentation needs such as: 2D renderings, digital assets, and samples
- Coordinated product execution with Sales, Operations, Supply Chain & overseas manufacturing partners to ensure accuracy, approvals, and on-time delivery of product
- Communicated pack out instructions involving a merchandising vehicle, display, or kit/assortment quantities; Provided display die-lines, load plan, & 2D renderings to reference product placement
- Requested and tracked pre-production tray/display samples, color proofs, etc.; Communicated any changes, approvals, etc to overseas manufacturing partners
- Worked with Sales & Marketing to develop display aesthetics that adhered to brand guidelines, as well as each account's seasonal merchandising style guide to maximize shelf/floor effectiveness
- Worked with PD team to track samples, quotes, and other logistical needs
- Oversaw workflow of internal Merchandising Managers
GLOBAL PRODUCT DEVELOPER
QUIKSILVER INC.
01.2015 - 05.2015
- Worked closely with cross functional team on deliverables to ensure on time sample delivery per global calendar; Requested and tracked all development samples (ie Fabrics, lab dips, strike offs, protos, SMS, PPS, and TOPS) - Responsible for daily vendor communication including adds, changes, drops, updates, etc
- To styles in development
- Worked with Design on product visual comments and input of data into PLM systems
- Worked with Sourcing, Design, and Product Managers on costing options, margins, and goals
- Ensured accuracy of data entered in PLM, i.e., duty, freight, commission, FOB, factory, lead-time, HTS
- Followed up on Development issues and alerted global partners
- Completed PLM/SAP validation and SMS/Production Pushes on behalf of all regions
- Ensured the integrity of technical packages with design and the organization of fabric trim libraries
PRODUCT LINE MANAGER (SMU) – DC SHOES
QUIKSILVER INC.
12.2013 - 01.2015
- Developed and executed product strategies to position DC Apparel & Accessories in specialty, retail, and outlet stores — both domestic and international
- Acted as liaison between design, sales, development, and production
- Translated valuable consumer insights & opportunities to build range plans to support seasonal revenue goals, while maintaining consistency with our brand values and image
- Established merchandising strategies including line plan assortment, market analysis, sales planning, pricing, margin & distribution; Monitored feedback of sell-in and sell-out with sales, retail, and ecommerce
- Worked with Product Development to achieve targeted WSL/MSRP, desired deliveries, and MOQs to ensure products are brought to consumers in a timely and profitable manner
- Worked with designers to create and modify technical packages for vendors using Adobe Creative Suite
- Adjusted BOMs as needed during development process to achieve desired product outcome
ASSOCIATE PRODUCT LINE MANAGER – DC SHOES
QUIKSILVER INC.
06.2013 - 12.2013
- Constructed seasonal line plans and coordinated with Sales & Demand Planning to align GMD
- Acted as liaison between Design, Supply Chain, Sales; Set up styles in PLMA for all COE categories
- Ensured product development process remained in accordance with the line plan production calendar
- Assisted with global communication of COE categories—including adds, changes, and drops
- Entered regional information for non-COE categories; confirmed global counterparts entered information
- Facilitated Sample/Production pushes from PLMA to SAP
- Finalized and validated SMS and Production catalogs for sales operations team; Ran Material Audit Reports in SAP to account for errors encountered during push
- Defined sample ranking with design to fill in SMS (salesman samples) buy log
- Tracked inbound SMS, Merch/Photo/Bible samples to establish collection plan
- Set up & merchandised showrooms in conjunction with design team for pre-lines & sales meetings
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT – DC SHOES
QUIKSILVER INC.
09.2011 - 06.2013
- Provided administrative support to VP of Design, VP of Merchandising, Directors of Merchandising & Design, as well as all Merchandisers/ Designers of DC Shoes
- Coordinated and managed monthly, weekly, and daily schedules of M&D Directors and VPs
- Scheduled and executed departmental meetings, functions, etc., including preparation of meeting materials (reports, handouts), and arranging meals for all meeting attendees
- Coordinated business and personal travel arrangements (both domestic & international), for all members of M&D (including preparation of itineraries, activities, meetings, etc.)
- Managed business documents & contract agreements, some containing highly confidential information; Obtained approval from upper-level management on all contracted agreements
- Tracked and forecasted monthly budgets & expenditures for the department; Worked with Accounts Payable to ensure department's adherence to all quarterly and yearly budgets in place
- Maintained weekly expense reports & monthly credit card statements using online expense reporting system
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Sociology
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA06.2007
CA MULTIPLE SUBJECT TEACHING CREDENTIAL (K-8) -
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH
06.2011
Skills
- Licensing
- Branding
- Category Expansion
- Merchandising
- Line Plan Assortment
- PLM Software
- Adobe Creative Suite
- MS Office
- Market Trends
- Innovation
- Competitive Analysis
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Project Management
- Timelines
- Deliverables
- Consumer Segments
- Target Demographics
- Product Tiers
- Licensor Communication
- Project management
- Approval Processes
- Leadership development
- Visual Merchandising
- Strategic planning
Accomplishments
- Successfully launched 50+ licensed endcaps across mass market, each generating $1M - $5M in gross revenue, contributing to the company’s YOY growth and maintaining market leadership as the #1 dated goods brand.
- Successfully increased licensed SKU count business awards year over year in mass market inline positions, reinforcing the company's proven track record of successful licensing partnerships.
- Implemented cost-saving initiatives to segment product offerings, reducing unnecessary expenditure and saving approximately $1M annually.
- Consistently exceeded gross profit and margin goals each season during my tenure, driving the company’s sustained financial growth and success.
- Spearheaded the sourcing, implementation, and integration of Centric PLM software, significantly enhancing organizational efficiencies.
- Rolled out additional software modules, including Bill of Materials (BOM) and Materials/Print Library, streamlining cross-department operations.
- Saved an average of 30 hours per week by leveraging PLM’s BOM functionality to automate cost calculations, eliminating manual processes.
Timeline
Sr. DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT & MERCHANDISING
BLUE SKY
07.2024 - Current
Sr. DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, LICENSING
BLUE SKY
01.2022 - 07.2024
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, LICENSING
BLUE SKY
01.2019 - 01.2022
SR. PD PROJECT MANAGER
BLUE SKY
06.2017 - 01.2019
PLANNING AND MERCHANDISING MANAGER
BLUE SKY
07.2015 - 06.2017
GLOBAL PRODUCT DEVELOPER
QUIKSILVER INC.
01.2015 - 05.2015
PRODUCT LINE MANAGER (SMU) – DC SHOES
QUIKSILVER INC.
12.2013 - 01.2015
ASSOCIATE PRODUCT LINE MANAGER – DC SHOES
QUIKSILVER INC.
06.2013 - 12.2013
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT – DC SHOES
QUIKSILVER INC.
09.2011 - 06.2013
Bachelor of Arts - Sociology
University of California, Santa Barbara
CA MULTIPLE SUBJECT TEACHING CREDENTIAL (K-8) -
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH
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