Director, Data Analytics - Inventory Operations - HYBRID

Nordstrom•Seattle, WA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Nordstrom is seeking a Director of Data Analytics for Inventory Operations to lead the modernization of their data analytics and reporting capabilities. This role will oversee a unified organization responsible for business intelligence, reporting, data pipeline, and architecture. The Director will develop and lead a team of analysts, ensuring data infrastructure and business storytelling are aligned. Key responsibilities include driving the development of new inventory telemetry, performance visualization, and inventory modeling. The role requires a self-starter with strong problem-solving and change leadership skills, capable of driving key priorities and delivering results through collaboration with internal and external partners. The successful candidate will understand root causes, demonstrate the value of analytical solutions, and drive business change through performance optimization and enablement of long-term analytics capabilities. Strong executive communication and analytical thinking are essential. This individual will blend strategic, analytic, and collaboration skills, with proven experience in taking ideas from vision to execution in partnership with product/technology. The role reports into the VP of Inventory Movement and influences inventory decisions across positioning, replenishment, exhaust, and ordering, with visibility into FY26 Evolve Inventory Movement Capability priorities. The position involves partnering with cross-functional leaders in Merchandising, Supply Chain, and Technology, with outputs informing decisions at the SVP and ET level.

Requirements

8+ years of relevant experience with 3+ years leading teams, including direct leadership of both analytics/BI and data engineering functions, or demonstrated fluency in managing both.
A track record of building highly functioning teams and leading through change.
Working fluency in both technical languages: BI and visualization tools (Tableau, Looker, or similar) and data engineering fundamentals (SQL, Python, ETL/ELT, cloud data warehousing, pipeline architecture).
Outstanding executive communication and storytelling skills, with the judgment to know when a data engineering constraint needs to be translated into business terms for a non-technical audience.
Strong analytic and root-cause skills paired with the ability to demonstrate the value of a solution, not just diagnose the problem.
A history of building trust across functions and strong collaboration and influence skills.
Comfort holding teams accountable to a shared standard and setting clear expectations across the team.
Experience leading a mixed structure, some direct reports who are individual contributors and at least one who is a people manager, and a clear point of view on when a discipline needs its own management layer versus when it doesn't.
Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Analytics, Supply Chain/Logistics, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Nice To Haves

Retail or supply chain experience strongly preferred, given the operational stakes of inventory decisions on customer experience.

Responsibilities

Lead the integration of the Inventory Operations Data Analytics teams into one organization with a shared roadmap, shared prioritization process, and clear ownership and expectations.
Build and defend a unified data strategy for Inventory Operations, including data pipelines, architecture, and reporting/visualization layers.
Lead a combined organization of 10-15 team members, including a Manager of Data Analytics and individual contributors.
Balance team leadership with execution to deliver high-quality results while hiring, developing, and retaining a high-performing team.
Manage the weekly and monthly business review process for inventory data, ensuring it is decision-focused.
Identify root causes through analytics and drive improvements directly or through accountable partners.
Reduce manual reporting load by promoting automated, self-serve data products and leveraging AI and automation.
Represent Inventory Operations data capability in cross-functional forums and escalate risks and tradeoffs to leadership.
Establish a positive work environment conducive to collaboration and teamwork.
Ensure the team has the necessary tools, resources, and information to be successful.
Strategize with leadership to overcome potential stumbling blocks and resistance.