Program Manager 2 – Brand Programs, Unowned Inventory Model Operations, Hybrid (Seattle, WA)

The Program Manager 2 supports one of Nordstrom's most strategic and high-visibility business areas. Concession and Hybrid inventory models are a critical component of Nordstrom's brand portfolio strategy, requiring strong execution across onboarding, offboarding, inventory transitions, and operational lifecycle management to support evolving business priorities and customer needs. 

Reporting to the Senior Manager of Program Management, this role serves as a key program leader within the Unowned Inventory Models portfolio. Partnering closely with the Senior Program Manager on Brand onboarding execution, this individual independently owns Brand Offboarding, Brand and hierarchy setup, Conversions and Buybacks, and the NQC Unsellable Inventory program. 

This role leads complex cross-functional initiatives spanning Merchandising, Accounting, Store Operations, Product & Technology, Brand Partnerships, and other key business functions to deliver operationally sound and scalable solutions. Success requires strong program leadership, operational rigor, sound judgment, and the ability to build alignment, navigate competing priorities, and drive accountability across stakeholders without direct authority. 

The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with execution excellence, proactively managing risks, resolving operational challenges, and identifying opportunities to improve processes, scalability, and program performance. Through effective governance, stakeholder alignment, and data-informed decision-making, this role helps ensure successful business outcomes and supports the continued evolution of Nordstrom's unowned inventory business. 

This role offers broad exposure across the organization and the opportunity to shape highly visible programs that support the health, scalability, and long-term success of Nordstrom's brand portfolio. 

A Day in the Life… 

• Lead the internal Brand and hierarchy setup process, partnering across Brand Partnerships, the Hierarchy Team, Supplier and Vendor Teams, Accounting and Product & Technology teams to ensure Brand Partners are operationally ready to transact with Nordstrom.  

• Partner with the Senior Program Manager to execute Brand onboarding, with ownership of setup, conversions, and buybacks within the onboarding lifecycle. 

• Own Conversions and Buybacks, coordinating the logical and financial movement of inventory in and out of the Nordstrom ecosystem while ensuring execution aligns with operational, accounting, and business requirements.  

• Own program strategy and execution for Brand Offboarding, developing implementation plans, managing risks and dependencies, and driving cross-functional accountability to ensure seamless brand exits. 

• Lead the Hybrid NQC Unsellable Inventory program, partnering with NQC, Last Chance, and Brand Partners to maintain portfolio health, manage RTV communications, and resolve operational issues.  

• Partner with business stakeholders to evaluate operational impacts, identify process improvement opportunities, and recommend solutions that improve program effectiveness and execution.  

• Proactively identify and manage risks, dependencies, and blockers across owned workstreams, escalating with proposed solutions and clear decision paths to drive stakeholder alignment and ensure delivery against business objectives.  

• Develop and maintain program governance frameworks, KPI’s, performance reporting, stakeholder communications, and operational documentation that enable transparency, informed decision-making, and successful program outcomes. 

You Own This If You Have… 

• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and drive accountability across cross-functional teams without direct authority; this is core to success in the role. 

• 4+ years of program management, project management, business operations, or related cross-functional operations experience. 

• Experience managing multiple concurrent workstreams with competing priorities, timelines, and stakeholder groups. 

• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships and drive alignment across Accounting, Merchandising, Brand Partnerships, Store Operations, and Product & Technology teams. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information, tailor messaging to different audiences, and drive alignment across stakeholders. 

• Comfort operating in a dynamic environment where priorities and business needs may evolve. 

• Program, Collaboration & Data Tools: Proficient in program and collaboration tools (Microsoft 365, Aha, Confluence, Slack, SharePoint, Claude Desktop) and data and reporting tools (Looker, SQL, Tableau). 

• AI Fluency & Continuous Learning: Ability to leverage AI-enabled tools (e.g., Claude) to enhance documentation, reporting, analysis, and workflow efficiency, while continuously exploring and adopting emerging AI capabilities. 

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience preferred. 

*This is a hybrid role requiring the selected candidate to work onsite 4 days per week at the Nordstrom corporate offices in Seattle, WA.*