Merchant - Footwear & Accessories - Men's
New York
**The Role Purpose:** The Merchant, Footwear \& Accessories (3rd Party Collaborations) is a key merchant role on the J.Crew men's team, responsible for owning the end-to-end product strategy for our footwear and accessories categories. This role blends creative vision with analytical rigor, partnering closely with Design, Planning, Marketing, Visual, and our third-party buying team to bring compelling assortments to life both in-house and through strategic brand collaborations that resonate with the J.Crew customer. We welcome candidates from diverse professional backgrounds who bring curiosity, a strong point of view, and a passion for product. ***Pre-Season*** * Understand trend analysis and translate trends to commercial big ideas, identifying the next big thing across footwear and accessories * 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, materials, and color 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 * Partner with the third-party buying team on identifying and evaluating brand collaborations, attending buying appointments, trade shows, and vendor meetings to inform assortment strategy ***In Season*** * Approve product fit on key styles 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 * Manage vendor communication and PO placement for third-party partnerships, driving the merchandising strategy behind why we bring in specific brands and how they fit into the broader assortment **Qualifications:** *Required* * 6 years of experience in a merchant or buying role within Men's apparel, footwear, accessories, 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 Men's footwear, accessories, or third-party buying, with familiarity across brand partnerships and collaboration strategy * Bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or a related field is a plus, but not required
