Urban Outfitters Divisional Merchandise Manager - Women's Apparel

About the Role

The DMM is responsible for developing and overseeing the execution of the divisional merchandising strategy, ensuring the delivery of a customer-centric Women's Apparel assortment that is compelling, profitable, and aligned with brand values. This role identifies and drives year-over-year growth opportunities through new product concepts, category expansion, and trend-right assortment strategies while managing and evolving the core owned brand business.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement merchandising strategies that align with the company’s goals and objectives.
• Partner with the GMM on ownership of the Women's Apparel business.
• Drive category growth through innovation, trend analysis, and white space opportunities within owned brands.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team that consistently meets or exceeds business targets and cultivates individuals ready for greater responsibility.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performance culture focused on creativity, agility, and execution.
• Oversee the development, assortment, and cohesion of product to meet customer needs, reflect current fashion trends, and support the overall brand vision.
• Partner closely with design, sourcing, production, and planning teams to build commercially viable assortments with strong fashion relevance and margin performance.
• Collaborate with Design, Technical Design, Production, Sourcing, and Planning teams throughout the product lifecycle to ensure alignment on product strategy, timelines, costing, and delivery.
• Ensure consistency across assortments while identifying opportunities for innovation and differentiation.
• Monitor sales performance and analyze data to identify opportunities for growth and improvement.
• Adjust strategies based on market trends, customer insights, and business performance.
• Lead online expansion and testing opportunities by identifying category extensions, exclusives, and new product opportunities to drive growth.
• Ensure optimal inventory levels to meet customer demand while minimizing excess stock.
• Partner with the planning team to manage the Open to Buy (OTB) plan and drive healthy inventory productivity across all categories.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including marketing, creative merchandising, visual, ecommerce, and finance, to ensure cohesive execution of merchandising strategies and seasonal initiatives.
• Stay updated on industry trends, competitor activities, and consumer behavior to inform merchandising decisions.
• Maintain a strong awareness of fashion trends, cultural shifts, and emerging market opportunities that influence product development and customer preferences.
• Monitor fashion shows, social media, retail landscape shifts, and industry publications to identify new opportunities for the private label business.
• Develop and manage the division’s budget, ensuring financial targets are met across sales, margin, and inventory turn.
• Generate regular reports on sales performance, inventory levels, and market trends, and present key business insights and strategies to senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent analytical and decision-making abilities.
• Proficiency in inventory management and sales analysis tools.
• Strong negotiation and vendor management skills.
• Deep understanding of fashion trends and consumer behavior.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to clearly and confidently express ideas, needs, and boundaries in a respectful manner.
• Ability to persuade and motivate others to support ideas, initiatives, or changes.
• Commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within the workplace.
• Strong experience managing private label or owned brand businesses preferred.

Benefits

URBN offers comprehensive Perks & Benefits to employees. Availability and eligibility to specific benefits may be subject to your location and employment status. Benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Paid time off (PTO).
• Generous employee discounts.
• Retirement savings.