Director of Allocation - J.Crew Factory

Our Story

We make modern classics with character. We believe in true timelessness, the integrity of well-made clothes, and since our inception, great quality at a great price. That’s in our DNA.

But we know it’s not only about the clothes, it’s about the feeling it gives the people who wear them—whether they’re confidently giving a presentation in a well-tailored suit; basking in salty beach days in vibrant, sun-soaked swimsuits; or joyfully rediscovering their favorite Rollneck sweater in their closet again and again, season after season.

Ultimately, it’s about helping our customers be the best, most authentic versions of themselves. And that’s what we’re after, to inspire people’s lives and style, for four decades and counting...

Our dedication to Diversity, Equity, Belonging & Sustainability has been celebrated with industry recognition, reflecting our commitment to fostering an inclusive and sustainable workplace.

Overview: The Director of Allocation is responsible for the successful end-to-end Inventory Management (product life cycle) for J.Crew Factory. They lead the Allocation team through the successful development, execution and communications of financial and inventory plans and strategies to meet or exceed sales, gross margin, GMROI and inventory goals.

Key Roles And Responsibilities

People Management

• Manage team of Allocation Managers, Distribution Planners, and Distribution Analysts by creating a collaborative, innovative and results-orientated environment
• Balance workload priorities across departments and team to ensure successful execution of store plans and inventory management
• Support the career and skill development of team to ensure job satisfaction, retention and associate growth trajectory
• Foster partnership with key cross functionals including: Planning, Merchants, DC/Logistics, Finance, Production, Visual, Field, Marketing
  
  

Business Process Management

• Maintain and improve Business Processes and serve as subject-matter expert for process improvements
• Lead strategic store-focused projects for process, system, and operating improvements
  
  

Financial Planning & Forecasting

• Create and enhance end-to-end allocation process flows, in conjunction with key cross-functional partners
• Build a tops-down and bottoms-up forecasting reconciliation process in collaboration with Planning partners
• Develop product strategies for key store groups, including but not limited to Climate and higher-end markets; Read results and influence merchandise strategy
• Recommend in-season actions based on bottom-up flow forecasts
• Enhance sizing analytics and strategies to optimize sales and inventory
• Identify sales opportunity within stores and create action plan to capitalize on the opportunity
  
  

Plan Management

• Proactively identify inventory risk, in aggregate or store-specific, with proposed solutions to mitigate the risk; Present plan to leadership with customer-facing and bottom-line impact
• Implement consistent and profitable in-season replenishment strategies and practices
• Create efficiencies within cross-channel and cross-channel inventory balancing
  
  

Skills Required

• 10 total years of retail industry experience; 5 years in a leadership role including people management
• Analytic Skills: Ability to think objectively and interpret meaningful themes from quantitative and qualitative data
• Financial and Business Acumen: Ability to evaluate financial and business indicators and translate data into actionable information to drive results; proficiency in retail math
• Problem Solving & Decision Quality: Able to use rigorous logic and methods to solve problems with effective solutions
• Planning & Priority Setting: Demonstrate an ability to set objectives and goals and organize work appropriately to meet and exceed goals
• Process Management: Can identify and articulate the processes necessary to get things down efficiently and effectively
• Influencing & Negotiation: Can present ideas and directions that lead others to action
• Systems and Tools Acumen: Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, and have aptitude to learn technical applications quickly
• Risk Management: Anticipate risks and identifies contingency plans and processes to prevent disruptions when risks occur
• Able to build constructive and effective relationships with a broad and diverse group of business partners
• Possess strong organizational and time management skills
• Demonstrates strong listening, written and oral communication skills
  
  

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).
• Flex Fridays - In addition to our hybrid work model, we also close our office at 1:00 PM every Friday year-round.
• 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.

Salary Range: $136,000.00 - $170,000.00

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.

One of our core focuses here at JCG is creating a community and culture that builds belonging. We are deeply committed to our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, and we warmly welcome job applicants of all backgrounds.

JCG is proud to affirmatively provide equal opportunity to all associates and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or citizenship, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, legally protected physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other basis protected under applicable law.