Strategic Merchandise Planning Leader

J.Crew; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

J.Crew seeks a Merchandise Planning Manager to lead financial and strategic planning for the 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 for assortment investments, pricing, and flow strategies.

You will also develop talent, foster collaboration, and evolve planning tools and processes to support financial integrity and growth.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience 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 multiple levels of leadership.
• Demonstrated 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 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.
• Lead ongoing analysis of sales, margin, and inventory to identify trends, variances, and risks.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to adjust receipts, pricing, and promotions.

Skills

Analytical skills

Leadership

Excel proficiency

Communication

Team development

Strategic thinking

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Job description

J.Crew seeks a Merchandise Planning Manager to lead financial and strategic planning for the 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 for assortment investments, pricing, and flow strategies.

You will also develop talent, foster collaboration, and evolve planning tools and processes to support financial integrity and growth.