Manager - Merchandise Planning

Corporate J. Crew Group, LLC; United States; Hybrid; USD 109,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Well-being

Associate Discount

Summer Fridays

Community Impact

Winter Break

Job summary

J.Crew Group is seeking a Merchandise Planning Manager to lead the financial and strategic planning for your division, guiding a team to optimize sales, margin, and inventory productivity. You’ll partner with Merchandising, Allocation, and senior leadership to shape the financial roadmap that informs assortment investments, pricing, and flow strategies.

This role requires a strong balance of analytical rigor, strategic thinking, and leadership, with a focus on developing talent, fostering

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years in merchandise planning or related fields.
• Proven success leading planning strategy for a division or large department.
• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills with advanced Excel.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and influencing abilities across leadership levels.
• Experience managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills balancing strategy and execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creation of sales, margin, and inventory plans by department and division.
• Analyze business performance to identify key drivers, risks, and opportunities.
• Partner with Merchandising to align financial goals with product strategy and assortment decisions.
• Present preseason plans and recommendations to senior leadership with assumptions, risks, and growth opportunities.
• Develop division-level strategies that drive sales, margin, and inventory turn targets.
• Lead ongoing analysis of sales, margin, and inventory to identify trends, variances, and risks.
• Guide in-season forecasting, hindsight, and OTB management for agile decision-making.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to adjust receipts, pricing, and promotions.
• Partner with Finance to monitor divisional performance and reforecast based on updated trends.
• Provide actionable insights during hindsight and investment review meetings to inform future strategies.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Advanced Excel

Financial modeling

Leadership

Communication

Team development

Analytical thinking

Strategic thinking

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Enterprise planning tools

Job description

Our Story

Our Story J.Crew gets you dressed every day, for every occasion. Since 1983, we’ve been creating classics that feel familiar and refreshingly new, crafted with unbeatable quality and distinctive point of view—it’s no wonder we’ve been in your closet for four decades and counting. Today, we continue to do the classics our way, inspiring not only how you shop but how you define your personal style. Our commitment runs deeper than just making great clothes—we’re proud of our role in getting you dressed with confidence, character, and celebrating a distinctly American sensibility that makes us who we are. Our dedication to Diversity, Equity, Belonging & Sustainability has been celebrated with industry recognition, reflecting our commitment to fostering an inclusive and sustainable workplace.

The Role + Purpose

As a Merchandise Planning Manager, you’ll lead the financial and strategic planning for your division — guiding a team in driving sales, margin, and inventory productivity. You’ll partner closely with Merchandising, Allocation, and senior leadership to shape the financial roadmap that informs assortment investments, pricing, and flow strategies. This role requires a strong balance of analytical acumen, strategic thinking, and leadership — someone who can both zoom out to see the big picture and dive into the details to deliver results. You’ll also play a key role in developing talent, fostering collaboration, and evolving planning tools and processes to support financial integrity and growth.

Preseason

• Lead the creation of sales, margin, and inventory plans by department and division, providing strategic guidance to planners and cross-functional teams
• Analyze business performance to identify key drivers, risks, and opportunities that inform future investments
• Partner with Merchandising to align financial goals with product strategy and assortment decisions
• Present preseason plans and recommendations to senior leadership, clearly articulating assumptions, risks, and growth opportunities
• Develop division-level strategies that drive sales, margin, and inventory turn targets

In Season

• Lead the ongoing analysis of sales, margin, and inventory to identify trends, variances, and emerging risks
• Guide the team through in-season forecasting, hindsight, and OTB management, ensuring agility and accuracy in financial decision-making
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to make data-driven adjustments to receipts, pricing, and promotions
• Partner with Finance to monitor divisional performance and reforecast based on updated trends and financial goals
• Provide actionable insights during hindsight and investment review meetings to inform future product and financial strategies

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 8+ years of experience in merchandise planning, financial analysis, or related fields
• Proven success leading planning strategy for a division or large department
• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills with advanced Excel proficiency
• Excellent communication, presentation, and influencing abilities across multiple levels of leadership
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing high-performing teams
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, with ability to balance strategy and execution

Preferred:

• Experience in multi-category or multi-channel retail planning
• Familiarity with enterprise-level planning tools and financial reporting systems
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional business initiatives
• Strong understanding of retail KPIs and their impact on profitability and growth

Benefits + Perks

• Health & Well-being - Eligible associates and family members receive medical, dental, prescription and vision insurance, family planning (fertility, adoption & surrogacy support), fitness discounts, medical travel and more.
• Associate Discount - We love our products just as much as you do! That’s why we offer a great associate discount across all of our brands (J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, and Madewell).
• Summer Fridays - In addition to our hybrid work model, we also close our office at 1:00 PM every Friday during the Summer months.
• Community Impact - We support the communities where we live and work through our philanthropic efforts and the J.Crew Cares Program.
• Winter Break - In addition to our PTO package, J.Crew Group offers a winter break at the end of December to eligible full-time associates at the Home Office to provide time to refresh and recharge.
• Note: Availability of these benefits and perks may be subject to work location & employment type and may have certain eligibility requirements.

Salary Range

$108,800.00 - $140,400.00 At J.Crew Group (JCG) we aim to pay competitively for our company’s size and industry. The base salary offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region of work premises, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. The base salary is just one component of J.Crew Group’s competitive total rewards strategy that also includes the opportunity for bonus, competitive benefits and perks.

EEO Statement

We are deeply committed to our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, and we warmly welcome job applicants of all backgrounds. JCG is proud to affirmatively provide equal opportunity to all associates and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or citizenship, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, legally protected physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other basis protected under applicable law.

Our Brand Philosophy

We make timeless clothes that last a lifetime…then pair them with of-the-moment styles season after season, decade after decade. We think that distinct heritage pairs perfectly with modern design and fabric technology. We believe in feel-good color… Even if black or navy makes you feel best, we’re here for that. We’re the experts in signature categories: cashmere, coats, blazers, pants—and we also collaborate with the coolest brands out there because we know that creativity is contagious. We consider leopard a neutral, speak stripes fluently and live for a great gingham. We believe in looking like a million bucks, not spending it—which is why we go the extra mile to source the absolute best fabrics at the most accessible prices. We also know that we have a responsibility to the planet and to humanity to choose eco-friendly fabrics and to support our factory workers, without compromise.

Workplace Culture

Our workplace should be a safe haven, where you flourish and succeed both as an individual and teammate. Discrimination, harassment and intimidation have no place in our offices, stores, or contact and distribution centers. We will not tolerate it in any form, and furthermore, it is illegal. This applies not only to our associates but also to vendors and customers. We explicitly prohibit discrimination based on the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identification and expression, legally protected physical or mental disability, genetic information (including characteristics, testing and refusing to submit to a test), veteran status or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state or local law. Any behavior or acts that violate this policy will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.