With over 130 store and warehouse locations and more than 7,500 associates across the U.S. and Canada, Crate and Barrel is a dynamic and growing multi-channel furniture and housewares retailer. So we can continue to help others love how they live in moments that matter, the iconic brand is looking for a driven and passionate professional to raise the bar and join our Crate Kids department  as Senior Director, Crate and Kids located in our Northbrook, IL corporate office.

The Senior Director, Crate and Kids is responsible for setting the overall strategy and direction for Crate and Kids, as well as leading cross-functional teams in the execution of the brand throughout all channels.

• Lead the vision and execution of the Crate and Kids brand through direct as well as cross-functional team management and influence.
• Responsible for leading the Kids merchant team, and has dotted line responsibility for the Kids Sourcing, Planning, Marketing and Design. 
• Serve as a leader in the company and drive best practices and performance standards for Kids merchandise assortment plans and lifestage marketing (baby, kids, tween and eventually teen).
• Utilize market and data insights to maximize company sales growth and profitability by building business strategy, growing market share and meeting or exceeding sub-brand financial goals.
• Grow existing as well as new categories, identify trends, and deeply immerse in the customer experience.
• Drive financial results that maximize Kids / Crate and Barrel revenue, conversion, gross margin, and inventory turn goals.
• Utilize sales and marketing data insights to drive future Kids strategies and tactics across channels.
• Responsible for the development of the Kids team to utilize historical data and current trends, to capitalize on new Kids opportunities and identify risks.
• Oversee development of strategic, diligent, long-term and financially sound Kids assortment plan.
• Lead cross-functional Kids teams in the identification of trends, ideas and the interpretation of business opportunities that will drive customer connection and grow share.
• Optimize Kids presentation and conversion across store and e-commerce channels.
• Develop a high-performing Kids team through thoughtful team member development, effective and timely performance assessments, and productive workflow processes.
• Clarify objectives, assess performance and provide regular feedback.
• Establish and maintain programs, procedures, and guidelines to ensure brand and financial objectives are achieved.
• Stay current on the mobile user landscape, growth trends, best practices, and competitor strategies.
• Maintain an awareness of new trends and product ideas in order to develop and maintain a successful assortment plan for specific merchandising categories and marketing approaches.
• Ability to easily evaluate inventory, gross margin and markdowns in order to manage financial goals of the product category and assortment.
• Ability to understand customer growth development and assess digital marketing spend.
• Champion and serve as the voice/leader of the Kids team in internal communications.

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Finance or an equivalent combination of experience and education
• 12+ years retail experience with a minimum of 7+ years leading team(s); Merchandise expertise preferred; Kids retail experience a plus
• Excellent cross-functional leader with Marketing, Product, Analytics, Creative and Finance to drive performance
• Demonstrated successful experience leading a business or large category  
• Strong experience in owning and managing a budget, creating forecasts and models for program performance and cost  
• Strong knowledge of Merchant plans, processes, and product assortments  
• Good financial acumen related to buying, planning, and marketing  
• Highly analytical with experience pulling data, building reports and analyzing large sets of data
• Knowledged in evaluating inventory, gross margin and markdowns in order to manage financial goals of the product category and assortment
• Understand customer growth development and assess digital marketing spend
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities, prioritize, and focus in order to drive key initiatives that fuel the business (80/20)  
• Self-starter, with demonstrated ability to garner support, alignment, and prioritization with peers as well as senior leadership across functions
• Superior communication skills- to communicate high level vision to senior management as well as tactical direction to the teams
• Demonstrated ability to approach opportunities with a problem-solving mindset
• Strong change management skills and experience
• Good reading, written and verbal language skills (English)

The job description and other aspects of the job listed on this job posting should not be construed to contain every function/responsibility that may be required to be performed by an associate in this job. Associates are required to perform other related functions as assigned.