VP of Merchandise Planning & Allocation

Madewell; New York (NY); On-site; USD 205,000 - 278,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Well-being

Associate Discount

Summer Fridays

Community Impact

Winter Break

Job summary

Madewell is seeking a VP, Merchandise Planning & Allocation to own strategic planning and inventory for the brand across channels. You will partner with Merchandising, Design, Finance, and Supply Chain to translate long-range plans into actionable seasonal investments and allocations.

You will build and lead a high-performing team, champion forecasting frameworks, and drive efficiency while protecting gross margin.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in merchandise planning, allocation, or merchandising.
• 8+ years leading teams, including managers and directors.
• Deep financial and analytical acumen for forecasting and margins.
• Executive presence with ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Fluency across stores, e-commerce, and wholesale inventory dynamics.

Responsibilities

• Own the planning and allocation strategy, translating long-range plans into seasonal financial and inventory plans.
• Shape assortments and seasonal investment with Merchandising and Design.
• Align inventory investment with financial targets and demand signals.
• Drive omnichannel inventory optimization across stores, e-commerce, and wholesale.
• Champion data-driven decision-making with forecasting frameworks and KPI reviews.
• Lead and develop the planning and allocation team, building analytical culture.
• Evaluate and improve planning tools and processes to speed decisions.

Skills

15+ years experience

8+ years leadership

Financial analytics

Executive presence

Cross-channel fluency

Job description

Our Story

At Madewell, we believe that great style starts with great design. Since 2006, we’ve been creating premium denim and foundational wardrobe pieces for men and women that balance quality, authenticity, and versatility. From iconic jeans perfected by denim experts to the essential tee, the most versatile shoe, and the timeless leather bag—if it’s Madewell, it’s made well.

Our Story

At Madewell, we believe that great style starts with great design. Since 2006, we’ve been creating premium denim and foundational wardrobe pieces for men and women that balance quality, authenticity, and versatility. From iconic jeans perfected by denim experts to the essential tee, the most versatile shoe, and the timeless leather bag—if it’s Madewell, it’s made well.

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:

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.

• 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.

Qualifications:

Required:

• 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.

Preferred:

• 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.

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: $205,400.00 - $277,700.00

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.

One of our core focuses here at JCG is creating a community and culture that builds belonging. 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.