Collaborations are core to how we stay culturally relevant and reach new audiences — bringing new perspectives, craft, and points of view back to our brand codes, and introducing our brand to communities we couldn't reach alone. This role owns the collaborations strategy end-to-end: identifying and cultivating the right partners, structuring deals, and orchestrating cross-functional execution from concept through launch and cultural moment.

This is a highly cross-functional leadership role. It sits in Marketing and is accountable for the strategic vision and external-facing narrative of every partnership, while working in lockstep with the Creative Director, Design and Merchandising, who shape product point of view and own commercial execution. Success requires equal fluency in brand storytelling and deal-making, plus the credibility to align creative, commercial, and cultural priorities across teams that don't report to you.

Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Own and evolve the company's collaborations strategy, curating a portfolio of partners across three tiers:

• Cultural Expansion partners (communities, institutions, experiences, culture) that build relevance and reach new audiences

• Editorial Point of View partners (designers, creatives, editors, makers) that introduce fresh ideas and new ways of seeing the brand

• Best in Class partners (craftsmanship, heritage, authority) that reinforce and strengthen brand codes

• Build and prioritize a pipeline of prospective partners against clear strategic criteria, ensuring every collaboration creates productive tension with — rather than dilutes — the brand's identity

• Set an annual collaborations calendar aligned to brand moments, seasonal storytelling, and business priorities based on the seasonal Concept strategy laid out by the Creative Director & Concept Team

Partner Development & Deal-Making

• Identify, court, and negotiate agreements with iconic and emerging brand partners, creatives, and institutions

• Structure deal terms (creative rights, revenue/royalty models, exclusivity, marketing commitments, timelines) in partnership with Legal and Finance

• Serve as the primary relationship owner for partners throughout the life of the collaboration, from first conversation through post-launch wrap-up

Cross-Functional Orchestration

• Partner closely with the Creative Director & Concept Team to ensure prospective collaboration partners editorially align with seasonal Concept

• Partner closely with Design to translate a partner's editorial point of view into product and creative direction that still reads as authentically the brand

• Partner closely with Merchandising to align on assortment, pricing, production timelines, and commercial goals for each collaboration

• Act as the connective tissue across Marketing, Design, Merchandising, PR, and Sourcing — keeping every workstream aligned to a single narrative and launch date

• Brief and align internal stakeholders and leadership on collaboration strategy, status, and results

Brand & Go-to-Market

• Shape the external narrative and marketing moment for each collaboration in partnership with Brand and PR — ensuring each launch amplifies both the partner's story and the company's own brand codes

• Partner with PR/Communications on press strategy, launch events, and talent/community activations tied to cultural-expansion partnerships

• Define success metrics for each collaboration (brand awareness, new customer acquisition, sell-through, earned media, social engagement) and report on performance

Team & Process Leadership

• Build and manage the processes, tools, and (over time) team needed to run a growing collaborations pipeline efficiently

• Establish clear intake, evaluation, and approval processes for new partnership opportunities

• Develop playbooks and best practices so collaborations scale without losing craft or brand integrity

• 8–12+ years of experience in brand marketing, partnerships/business development, or brand collaborations, ideally within fashion, retail, or lifestyle brands

• A demonstrated track record of sourcing, negotiating, and launching brand collaborations or partnerships — bonus points for experience spanning both heritage/legacy brand deals and smaller, culturally-driven partnerships

• Strong negotiation and deal-structuring skills, with comfort partnering closely with Legal and Finance on contracts and economics

• Exceptional cross-functional leadership skills; able to drive alignment and influence outcomes across Design, Merchandising, PR, and Brand teams without direct authority

• A sharp, discerning eye for brand and cultural relevance — able to evaluate whether a potential partner strengthens or dilutes brand equity

• Excellent storytelling and communication skills, both externally (partner-facing) and internally (executive-facing)

• Strong project management skills and comfort managing multiple concurrent partnerships against tight, overlapping timelines

• An extensive and credible network across design, culture, and industry — or a demonstrated ability to build one quickly

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent experience a plus

• A well-curated, strategically diverse portfolio of collaborations across all three partnership tiers

• Partnerships that consistently generate cultural buzz, new-customer acquisition, and/or strong commercial performance

• Smooth, well-orchestrated execution between Marketing, Design, and Merchandising on every launch

• A repeatable, scalable process for sourcing and running collaborations as the program grows

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.