VP of Merchandise Planning & Allocation

Madewell • New York, NY

13d • $205,400 - $277,700 • Hybrid

About The Position

The VP, Merchandise Planning & Allocation owns planning and allocation for Madewell, driving the inventory and financial strategies that underpin the brand’s commercial performance. Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer, this leader translates the long-range plan into seasonal investment decisions, partners closely with Merchandising, Design, Finance, and Supply Chain, and builds a high-performing team that owns the business.

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive experience in merchandise planning, allocation, or merchandising within a multi-channel apparel or specialty retail environment.
• Direct ownership of planning and allocation for a brand or significant business, with accountability for sales, margin, and inventory plans.
• 8+ years leading teams, including managers and directors, with a record of building bench strength and driving organizational change.
• Deep financial and analytical acumen, with a track record of using forecasting, inventory, and margin data to make high-stakes decisions and deliver measurable P&L impact.
• Executive presence and influencing skills, with the credibility to partner with commercial leaders, Merchandising, and Finance.
• Fluency across stores, e-commerce, and wholesale, and the inventory complexity each channel brings.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a premium or fashion-driven apparel or lifestyle brand, ideally within a multi-brand group.
• Familiarity with modern planning platforms and a record of leading technology-enabled improvement within planning and allocation.

Responsibilities

• Own the planning and allocation strategy for Madewell, translating the long-range plan into seasonal financial and inventory plans that drive sales growth, margin improvement, and inventory productivity across all channels and store formats.
• Partner with the Chief Commercial Officer, Merchandising, and Design to shape assortments and seasonal investment, sizing bets by category, channel, and customer so smart risks are taken where they matter most.
• Work with Finance and Supply Chain leadership to align inventory investment with commercial strategy, financial targets, and customer demand signals.
• Drive omnichannel inventory optimization, overseeing allocation strategy, replenishment, and receipt flow across stores, e-commerce, and wholesale to maximize sell-through, minimize markdowns and excess inventory, and protect gross margin.
• Champion data-driven decision-making through demand forecasting frameworks, KPI reporting, and business reviews, including the Strategic Alignment Meeting and Investment Reviews, that surface risk and opportunity early and enable fast response.
• Lead and develop the planning and allocation team, attracting and retaining top talent, setting clear accountability, and building a culture of analytical rigor, ownership, and continuous learning.
• Evaluate and improve the planning tools, systems, and processes the team relies on, driving adoption of changes that strengthen forecasting, allocation, and speed of decision-making.

Benefits

• medical, dental, prescription and vision insurance
• family planning (fertility, adoption & surrogacy support)
• fitness discounts
• medical travel
• associate discount across all of our brands (J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, and Madewell)
• Summer Fridays
• philanthropic efforts and the J.Crew Cares Program
• winter break at the end of December

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed