Senior Director, Women's Buying

About the Role

Stitch Fix is seeking experienced and visionary Merchandising leaders to drive the strategy for our Women’s business. This role will oversee Buying & Private Brands for all divisions underneath Women’s, including Apparel and Non-Apparel. 

The role requires both vision for the long term merchandising strategy/assortment and the ability to identify and drive short and long-term growth in the near term (ie. product development, product expansion, and product innovation, consistent with the Company's aesthetic vision and branding).The ideal candidate will utilize their business acumen to drive profitability for the enterprise. This role will report to the Vice President of Buying & Private Brands. In this role, they will set the merchandising vision and strategy for our Women’s division, bring to life Stitch Fix's private brand portfolio, cultivate relationships with current and prospective vendors, and build a team of modern merchants working to deliver the best assortment of apparel, footwear and accessories. 

The candidate should have extensive experience operating in a high growth environment. They should be able to seamlessly switch between crafting a future vision and giving feedback on specific product design details (e.g. buttons, zippers). Stitch Fix is looking for a leader that inspires with their clarity, vision and goal setting - and challenges the team to innovate. Success in this role requires critical thinking, bold decision-making, proactivity, and the ability to thrive with limited resources and in ambiguous situations.

You're excited about this opportunity because you will…

• Drive short and long-term product assortment strategy, line planning, and launch strategy across key categories, including building a product life cycle roadmap & identifying white space opportunity
• Act as a cross functional leader between merchandising and other teams on key initiatives, including Tech, Marketing and Styling 
• Leverage competitive analysis and consumer demand to translate market trends into actionable product and merchandising direction
• Leverage Stitch Fix’s best-in-class data to form client-right assortment strategies that will drive the business forward
• Oversee a multi-branded assortment, partnering closely with over 100 vendors and continuously evaluating the market to prioritize bringing on new brand partners
• Fully own the Women’s private label assortment strategy through effective partnership with internal (Tech Design, Sourcing and Brand Management) and external Vendor teams

We’re excited about you because…

• You have 10+ years of leadership experience in driving product and merchandising strategy in apparel and/or accessories with an ability to bridge brand and product priorities to drive growth, leveraging market trend & consumer demand
• You have a track record of delivering financial results and building teams
• You have deep experience in multi-brand environments of scale
• You have managed large teams and excel at fostering talent and building best-in-class organizations 
• You are a product-first leader with experience in a company that has visually differentiated product with material/fabric innovation
• You have a strong business & financial acumen with the ability to deliver topline revenue and gross margin as well as drive growth against key KPIs
• You are highly analytical and strategic with strong problem-solving and negotiation skills
• You have experience in Creative, Design, Innovation, Product Development, Merchandising, Inventory Management
• Bachelor’s degree required, MBA preferred
• Preferred experience working in a lifestyle apparel consumer-facing brand, focused on premium and high-quality products

Personal Characteristics

•  An entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the industry
• Highly creative leader, a tastemaker and creator, with a product point of view and willing to take risks
• A brand builder, with a balance of creativity and financial acumen
• Staying up to date with industry trends and implementing successful general management best practices
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, negotiation and influencing skills to work effectively with all stakeholders (internal and external)
• Strong communication skills and listening skills
• Superior intellect with the ability to think critically, solve complex problems and make clear and well-reasoned decisions in a high growth environment complemented by a sense of passion about the role, company, potential for growth and most importantly the people
• Personal presence, excellent interpersonal skills, and enthusiasm
• You are able to travel up to 30% (Market Travel to NYC/LA + Travel to HQ in San Francisco every other month for 1 full week M-F)

Why you'll love working at Stitch Fix...

• We are a group of bright, kind people who are motivated by challenge. We value integrity, innovation and trust. You’ll bring these characteristics to life in everything you do at Stitch Fix.
• We cultivate a community of diverse perspectives— all voices are heard and valued.
• We are an innovative company and leverage our strengths in fashion and tech to disrupt the future of retail. 
• We win as a team, commit to our work, and celebrate grit together because we value strong relationships.
• We boldly create the future while keeping equity and sustainability at the center of all that we do. 
• We are the owners of our work and are energized by solving problems through a growth mindset lens. We think broadly and creatively through every situation to create meaningful impact.
• We offer comprehensive compensation packages and inclusive health and wellness benefits.