Senior Manager - Merchandise Planning
About The Position
The Senior Manager, Merchandise Planning owns the financial and strategic planning agenda across multiple divisions, setting direction for sales, margin, and inventory productivity at the business-unit level. The role partners with Merchandising, Allocation, Finance, and senior leadership to shape enterprise-level financial strategy, including long-range assortment investment, pricing architecture, and flow strategy. The position leads planning managers and their teams, develops talent across the function, and drives the evolution of planning tools, processes, and financial discipline across the enterprise. It requires balancing enterprise-level judgment with close attention to business details, including open-to-buy (OTB) planning. For preseason planning, the Senior Manager sets strategic direction and frameworks for divisional plans; synthesizes performance to identify enterprise drivers, risks, and opportunities; aligns financial goals with product strategy and long-range assortment planning; presents recommendations to senior executives; and develops scalable strategies for sales, margin, and inventory turns. For in-season planning, the role directs analysis of sales, margin, and inventory trends; establishes standards for forecasting, hindsight, and OTB management; leads leadership-level collaboration on receipts, pricing, and promotions; partners with Finance on reforecasting; and leads investment reviews that translate planning insights into strategic recommendations.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree.
- 10+ years of experience in merchandise planning, financial analysis, or related fields.
- Proven success leading planning strategy across multiple divisions or a large business unit.
- Advanced analytical and financial modeling skills, with expert-level Excel proficiency.
- Executive-level communication, presentation, and influencing skills.
- Demonstrated success building and developing teams of planning managers.
- Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, with the judgment to balance enterprise strategy and hands-on execution.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in multi-category or multi-channel retail planning at an enterprise scale.
- Deep familiarity with enterprise-level planning tools and financial reporting systems.
- Track record leading large-scale, cross-functional business initiatives.
- Sophisticated understanding of retail KPIs and how they connect to enterprise profitability and growth.
Responsibilities
- Own strategic direction for sales, margin, and inventory plans across multiple divisions.
- Set the planning framework for planning managers and their teams.
- Synthesize cross-divisional performance to identify enterprise-level drivers, risks, opportunities, and investment priorities.
- Partner with Merchandising leadership to align financial goals with product strategy and long-range assortment planning.
- Present strategy and financial recommendations to senior leadership and executive stakeholders.
- Build multi-division strategies that support sales, margin, and inventory-turn targets with enterprise-wide consistency and scalability.
- Direct in-season analysis of sales, margin, and inventory trends, identifying variances and risks.
- Set standards for in-season forecasting, hindsight, and OTB management across teams.
- Lead cross-functional leadership collaboration to inform adjustments to receipts, pricing, and promotions.
- Partner with Finance leadership on divisional and enterprise-level reforecasting.
- Lead hindsight and investment review discussions and translate planning insights into strategic recommendations.
- Lead and develop planning managers and their teams, building bench strength across the function.
- Drive the evolution of planning tools, processes, and enterprise-wide financial discipline.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, prescription, and vision insurance for eligible associates and family members.
- Family planning support, including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support.
- Fitness discounts and medical travel support.
- Associate discount across J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, and Madewell.
- Hybrid work model.
- Summer Fridays, with the office closing at 1:00 PM on Fridays during summer months.
- Philanthropic community support through the J.Crew Cares Program.
- PTO package and a winter break at the end of December for eligible full-time Home Office associates.
- Opportunity for a bonus.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
