Director of Product Management – Planning & Selection (Hybrid - Seattle)

Nordstrom•Seattle, WA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Product Management for Merch Planning & Selection is a key member of the Nordstrom Product Management team, leading the strategy, vision, and execution for Integrated Merchandising capabilities, including our planning platform and all aspects of assortment selection. This role is accountable for transforming how Nordstrom plans, selects, and quantifies its assortment across all partnership models, enabling merchandising teams to help our customers feel good and look their best by having the right product in stock in the right place at the right time. This leader will partner closely with Engineering, Merchandising Business and other domain teams to design and deliver capabilities that modernize the connected planning platform, streamline the merchant experience, and provide AI-powered support and seamless information exchange. The Director will oversee multiple product teams focused on Merchandise Financial Planning, Assortment Planning, Selection & Intent, Item Planning & Quantification, and Spend/Open to Buy controls. Product Management is responsible for making sure we build the right products and features for our customers and business. To accomplish that, product managers plan the product roadmap and prioritize the applicable technology backlog, lead product discovery, and measure and communicate results of the feature portfolio in production, all while ensuring stakeholder alignment.

Requirements

10+ years' experience or equivalent with 5+ years of management experience required, specifically in product management with technology or retail/ecommerce company preferred
Background and understanding of Retail Technology
Proven track record of building and launching products/tools at scale that enable operational efficiency for merchants and vendors, with emphasis on automation, exception management, and workflow optimization
Ability to inspire others, including demonstrated experience managing and leading strong teams
Ability to define, measure and analyze processes to identify improvement opportunities, particularly in manual, error-prone workflows
Technical background and understanding of software development principles, system integration patterns, and data quality management
Familiarity with retail merchandise lifecycle from planning, product selection through ordering, receiving, and lifecycle management
Ability to build relationships cross-functionally
Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills with ability to influence stakeholders at all levels including executive leadership
Experience driving transformation from manual, legacy processes to modern, automated, data-driven capabilities

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership Define the long-term Planning & Selection product vision and roadmap, aligning with Nordstrom's strategy and goals
Drive adoption of new capabilities including data-driven market shopping lists, breadth and depth planning, and structured intent capture in Toolio
Lead deprecation strategy for legacy systems as capabilities migrate
Product Execution Develop roadmap strategy, vision, business benefits, and prioritization of goals for Connected Merchandise Planning and Connected Assortment Planning capabilities
Lead multiple product managers and teams to deliver high-impact capabilities across Merchandise Financial Planning, Assortment Planning (Supplier, Category, Location), Selection & Intent, and Item Planning & Quantification
Own the prioritization process, balancing short-term business needs with long-term capability development and legacy system deprecation timelines
Cross-Functional Partnership Collaborate with Engineering leadership to ensure timely and high-quality product delivery
Partner with Merchandising teams to deeply understand business needs and define requirements, KPIs, and success
Work with Data Science and Analytics teams to develop forecasting, demand signals, and optimization models that power AI-driven recommendations
People Leadership Build, coach, and inspire a high-performing product management organization with clear accountability and ownership
Foster a culture of customer-centric, data-driven decision making
Builds excellent teams through outstanding hiring decisions and direct feedback that supports employee growth