Senior Merchandise Planner

About Us

J.Crew has been dressing you every day, for every occasion since 1983. We create classics that feel familiar yet refreshingly new, crafted with unbeatable quality and a distinctive point of view. Today, we continue to inspire personal style with a distinctly American sensibility. Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Sustainability has earned industry recognition, reflecting our dedication to fostering an inclusive and sustainable workplace.

About the Role

As a Senior Planner, you’ll drive the financial success of a critical department by developing and executing sales, margin, and inventory plans that balance strategy and execution. You’ll take ownership of preseason and in-season planning, providing insights that influence buying decisions, assortment strategies, and receipt flow. This role combines analytical strength with strategic foresight, requiring precise forecasting, opportunity identification, and actionable recommendations to drive profitable growth. You’ll partner closely with Merchandising, Allocation, and your Planning Manager while managing and developing a direct report.

Responsibilities

• Preseason
  • Partner with manager and merchant partners to develop high-level department strategy
  • Lead the creation of preseason sales, margin, and inventory plans by department and class using historical performance and trend analysis
  • Develop bottoms-up style plan in partnership with Merchandising, making recommendations on rank, depth of buy, and flow timing
  • Analyze and summarize opportunities and risks across product categories based on key metrics such as markup, margin rate, and average unit cost
  • Develop seasonal strategies aligned with divisional goals and customer demand, ensuring optimized style counts, flow, and depth
  • Present preseason financial recommendations and investment strategies to cross-functional teams and leadership
  • Partner with cross-functional peers to refine planning tools, processes, and reporting for enhanced financial visibility and efficiency
• In Season
  • Lead weekly and monthly business recaps, providing analysis of performance versus forecast and identifying drivers of variance
  • Manage ongoing sales, margin, and inventory forecasts, reflowing receipts and adjusting plans to align with current business trends
  • Collaborate with Merchandising and Allocation to determine optimal product flow, replenishment, and markdown strategies
  • Drive OTB (Open-to-Buy) management, ensuring inventory positions align with financial goals and opportunities
  • Recommend and communicate cross-channel inventory transfers or actions to maximize sales and profitability
  • Partner with manager and cross-functional leadership to provide insights and recommend actions that drive profitable growth
• Other
  • Manage a direct report, supporting the development of analytical and planning skills
  • Support the creation and enhancement of reports and templates used across the planning organization

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5+ years of experience in merchandise planning, allocation, or financial analysis
• Proven ability to build strong cross-functional partnerships and influence decision-making
• Strong analytical, financial modeling, and forecasting skills with advanced Excel proficiency
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to synthesize data into actionable insights
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing or mentoring junior team members
• Familiarity with enterprise-level planning tools and reporting systems
• Strong understanding of retail metrics, including sell-through, turn, and inventory-to-sales ratios
• Demonstrated success driving financial results through strategic planning and in-season optimization

Schedule

This role follows our in-office work model, requiring associates to work from our New York office Tuesday through Thursday each week, effective September 8, 2026.

Benefits

• Health & Well-being: Eligible associates and family members receive medical, dental, prescription, and vision insurance, family planning (fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support), fitness discounts, and medical travel.
• Associate Discount: Discount across all J.Crew brands (J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, and Madewell).
• Summer Fridays: Office closes at 1:00 PM every Friday during summer months.
• Community Impact: Support for local communities through philanthropic efforts and the J.Crew Cares Program.
• Winter Break: Additional time off at the end of December for eligible full-time associates.

Note: Availability of benefits and perks may be subject to work location and employment type and may have certain eligibility requirements.

Pay

Salary Range: $86,400.00 - $111,700.00. The base salary offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This is one component of J.Crew Group’s competitive total rewards strategy, which also includes the opportunity for bonus, competitive benefits, and perks.