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

We welcome you to apply, even if you don't check all the boxes. Our passion is scouting life-long learners who are driven by curiosity, and who feel connected to our brands and share our desire to make an impact. We’re always seeking bright new talent who leverage their unique experiences to discover, grow and evolve with our teams.

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.

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.