Director of Merchandise Planning

rag & bone, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 145,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Clothing Allowance

Generous Employee Discount

Paid Parental Leave

401k

Job summary

rag & bone is seeking a strategic Director of Merchandise Planning to build and lead a best-in-class planning function across women's, men's, and non-apparel categories. This role drives end-to-end planning, analytics, and procurement forecasting in alignment with brand strategy.

The leader will establish processes, develop forecasting models by channel, and partner with merchandising, supply chain, and financial teams to optimize margins and Open-to-Buy.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years in a planning function, including 5-7 years in Merchandise Planning.
• Strong business acumen and financial analysis skills.
• Technical and creative problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills with influence in groups.

Responsibilities

• Establish and operationalize the merchandise planning function with tools and reporting.
• Design standardized planning cadences across seasonal and long-range periods.
• Lead top-down and bottom-up financial plans for multiple categories.
• Shape line plans, pricing architecture, and lifecycle planning.
• Collaborate with sourcing, production, merchandising, and finance for alignment.

Skills

Merchandise Planning

Forecasting

Advanced Excel

Tools

Excel (Advanced)

Job description

About rag & bone

From our origins in New York in 2002, rag & bone was founded on a belief of uncompromising ideals: a commitment to doing things the right way, not the easy way. To making things that are as original as they are timeless. To being true to ourselves, even when that truth sets us apart from the mainstream.

We still believe in the same principles we started with: the easy elegance of classic British tailoring, the authenticity of American workwear, and the originality of our home city, New York. As New Yorkers, community and authenticity have become synonymous with our brand. An inclusive environment at rag & bone upholds our original values by encouraging employee connection and empowering each individual to have a voice on policy, process and collaboration for a more equitable future.

Job Summary:

rag & bone is seeking a strategic and forward-thinking Director of Merchandise Planning to build and lead a best-in-class planning function across women's apparel, men's apparel, and non-apparel categories. This newly created role will establish the foundation for scalable, data-driven planning decisions across a growing, multi-category business, developing and implementing end-to-end planning processes, integrating global analysis, and driving disciplined category and financial planning. This leader will influence how product strategies are built, from line plan architecture through procurement forecasting, ensuring alignment with financial targets, margin goals, and overall brand strategy.

Responsibilities:

Function Creation & Process Leadership

• Establish and operationalize the merchandise planning function, including tools, processes, and reporting frameworks
• Design and implement standardized planning cadences across seasonal and long-range time periods
• Introduce best practices in global analytics, forecasting, and merchandise financial planning
• Partner cross-functionally to introduce planning support into the merchandising and financial planning functions

Category Planning & Forecasting

• Lead the development of top-down and bottom-up financial plans across women's apparel, men's apparel, and non-apparel
• Drive category-level strategies in partnership with merchandising, including assortment planning, inventory optimization, and open-to-buy management
• Analyze historical performance and market trends to inform future product and investment decisions
• Build forecasting models that improve accuracy by channel, department, and category

Line Plan Architecture & Margin Optimization

• Partner with merchandising and design to shape line plans that align with financial targets and brand strategy
• Evaluate the financial impact of assortment decisions, including pricing architecture, cost structures, and lifecycle planning
• Ensure line plans are grounded in data insights while maintaining creativity and brand integrity
• Drive assortment optimization, adoption rates/KPIs, and development KPIs

Vendor Forecasting & Procurement Alignment

• Collaborate closely with sourcing and production to translate merchandise plans into vendor forecasts
• Partner with merchandising, supply chain, and production teams on supply forecasting and inbound planning

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and develop a high-impact team
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performance team culture
• Lead the team through the rollout of new planning processes, tools, and systems as the function is built out, ensuring adoption and change management alongside day-to-day planning demands
• Provide clear direction, coaching, and professional development to build both analytical and operational excellence
• Serve as a key bridge between planning, merchandising, and commercial teams

Requirements:

• Minimum 10 years in a planning function, including 5-7 years in Merchandise Planning
• Strong business acumen, financial analysis, and technical and creative problem-solving skills
• Advanced Excel skills required
• Resourceful and creative, with the ability to develop new systems and procedures to address constantly evolving business needs
• Strong organizational skills and excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence, present, and defend a business argument both one-on-one and in a group setting
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Ability to manage through competing priorities

Rules we live by | Rules you live by

Be a Good Human | Be original, be authentic. Stand for diversity, equitability & inclusivity

Have No Fear | Innovate and solve problems

Own Every Decision | Work together and get results

Quality Matters | Not only with product, but we see it in our people

Make Shit Happen | Be disciplined, be competitive

Our in-office policy is in office, 4 days a week.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off
• Clothing Allowance
• Generous Employee Discount
• Paid Parental Leave
• Membership to Calm and access to other wellness benefits
• Medical, dental, vision and ancillary benefits
• 401k

Salary:

The target salary for this role is between $145,000 and $165,000 based on candidates' experience and expectations.

rag & bone is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer. No employee or applicant is discriminated against because of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.