Senior Merchant - Women's Denim Pants

About the role

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 Senior Merchant, Denim Pants is a key role on the Madewell women’s merchandising team, responsible for owning the end-to-end product strategy for our most important category. This role blends creative vision with analytical rigor, partnering closely with Design, Planning, Marketing, and Visual to bring compelling assortments to life that resonate with the Madewell customer. We welcome candidates from diverse professional backgrounds who bring curiosity, a strong point of view, and a passion for product.

Responsibilities

• Pre-Season: Understand trend analysis and translate trend to commercial big ideas, identifying the next big thing.
• Present pre-season strategy to the cross-functional team.
• Partner with Planning to strategize budget and departmental opportunities.
• Analyze seasonal and hindsight information, trends, product assortment, and competition to develop the strategy.
• Participate in Design Board Reviews and provide feedback on silhouette, fabric, and wash based on hindsight and strategy.
• Build the Roadmap for Design articulating newness needs by month with AUC targets, as well as clear direction on carry-forward products.
• In Season: Approve garment fit on key products and buys, ensuring product execution meets the design aesthetic and commercially acceptable quality standards.
• Drive partnership with Planning and Allocation on reviewing sales, receipts, markdown cadence, and style-color counts.
• Analyze the competitive environment and use that knowledge to positively impact results, making recommendations to leadership.
• Utilize product strategies and analytical results to plan all merchandise buys in accordance with budget for each quarter; present the line at assortment and investment reviews.
• Evaluate financial and business indicators, assess reports, and translate data into actionable information to drive results.
• Partner with Marketing, Styling, and Visual to ensure key items and big bets are elevated and supported by the cross-functional team.

Qualifications

Required: 7+ years of experience in a merchant or buying role within apparel or fashion retail. Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into clear, actionable strategies. Strong business acumen with a demonstrated understanding of retail financial metrics and buying principles. Self-motivated, highly organized, and comfortable managing multiple priorities simultaneously. High taste level with a genuine passion for fashion and an eye for trend-right, commercially viable product. Proven cross-functional collaboration skills with the ability to influence and partner across design, planning, and marketing teams.

Preferred: Experience in bottoms or pants categories, with specific knowledge of denim fabric, wash & fit. Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or a related field is a plus, but not required