Full-Time

Copy Director

Deadline 6/17/27
J.Jill

J.Jill

1,001-5,000 employees

Retailer of women's apparel and accessories

Compensation Overview

$154.2k - $190k/yr

+ Bonus

Quincy, MA, USA

In Person

Bachelor's

Category
Content & Writing (2)
,
Required Skills
Communications
SEO
Journalism
Data Analysis

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Requirements
  • A decisive leadership style with creative and strategic thinking at the brand level, while being comfortable in a fast-paced production environment.
  • Strong business and operational judgment, with the ability to balance conflicting needs and timelines among multiple stakeholders and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
  • Ability to partner energetically on the development of brand concepts and campaigns.
  • Ability to champion and develop talent while balancing hands-on guidance with delegation.
  • Ability to challenge senior executives with strategic intent and accountability.
  • Passion for continual learning and offering fresh viewpoints.
  • In-depth knowledge of production and creative processes.
  • Ability to thrive in a fluid, fast-paced environment.
  • Familiarity with artificial-intelligence-assisted content workflows and content optimization technologies while maintaining editorial oversight and brand standards.
  • Ability to balance performance-driven content objectives with premium brand voice and customer experience.
  • Strong cross-functional leadership and collaboration skills with Ecommerce, Marketing, Analytics, and Technology teams.
  • 15+ years of fashion branding or editorial writing experience in an in-house creative department or agency, preferably with specialty retail omnichannel expertise, including at least 6 years managing a team of 10 or more.
  • A bachelor's degree in Journalism, English, Communications, or a related field.
  • Proficiency with Mac computers and the ability to learn necessary platforms.
  • Ability to perform sedentary desk and computer work for prolonged periods.
  • Ability to communicate information and observe details at close range.
  • Ability to perform light to moderate lifting if required.
Responsibilities
  • Continuously refine the brand voice and execute it consistently across all customer-facing touch points.
  • Develop creative copy across all types of media.
  • Partner with Design and Creative Development on seasonal initiatives, including concept themes for omnichannel creative work and quick-turnaround market-response projects.
  • Interpret data and translate business strategy into creative strategy, making recommendations to senior management.
  • Stay current with new technologies and market developments.
  • Create seasonal manifestos serving as voice guides for corporate creative teams.
  • Review and refine processes and workflows related to creative copy and copy editing across the organization.
  • Collaborate with Brand Marketing, Merchandising, and Ecommerce partners to drive sales, acquire new customers, and strengthen the brand.
  • Meet deadlines while maintaining high quality-control standards.
  • Develop, mentor, and inspire the Copy team of writers and copyeditors.
  • Analyze competitors and leading ecommerce organizations for best practices in creative, technology, user experience, and store design and experience.
  • Ensure digital copy follows search-engine-optimization best practices, including metadata optimization, semantic keyword usage, internal linking strategy, structured content hierarchy, and accessibility standards.
  • Develop Generative Engine Optimization strategies to improve brand visibility and authority within AI-powered search experiences, generative engines, and conversational discovery platforms.
  • Partner with Ecommerce and Product teams to optimize product-detail-page, product-listing-page, editorial, and campaign copy for human engagement and machine readability.
Desired Qualifications
  • Fashion design experience.
  • Luxury brand experience.

J.Jill sells women's apparel, accessories, and footwear through both online and physical stores, with a focus on inclusive sizing that covers misses, petite, tall, and plus. Its products come in seasonal collections that are refreshed regularly to reflect current fashion trends. Customers shop through direct sales of clothing and accessories, and can use the brand’s own credit card, which offers benefits and discounts.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Tilton, New Hampshire

Founded

1959

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Q1 2026 DTC sales rose 2.6%, showing digital demand despite weak store traffic.
  • J.Jill raised its quarterly dividend 12.5% to $0.09 and kept repurchasing shares.
  • The company refinanced $75 million with Manulife | Comvest, saving about $2 million annually.

What critics are saying

  • Fiscal 2026 guidance still calls for sales flat to down 2% and comps down 3%.
  • Tariffs add $14.5 million in 2026 costs, crushing gross margin and EBITDA.
  • Pomerantz launched a May 2026 securities investigation; a lawsuit and disclosure spiral can hit confidence.

What makes J.Jill unique

  • J.Jill sells size-inclusive women's apparel across misses, petite, tall, and plus.
  • Its omnichannel model blends 255 stores with direct-to-consumer sales, reaching older loyal shoppers.
  • Mary Ellen Coyne and Kimberly Wallengren rebuilt leadership in 2025-2026 around growth and branding.

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Benefits

Employee Assistance Program

401(k) Retirement Plan

Employee Discounts

Flexible Work Hours

Paid Vacation

Paid Sick Leave

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

8%

1 year growth

8%

2 year growth

8%
Retail Dive
May 1st, 2026
J. Jill names Coach vet as chief marketing officer.

J. Jill names Coach vet as chief marketing officer. Kimberly Wallengren, who also worked at American Eagle and Adidas, will focus on brand positioning, expanding customer reach and growing consumer engagement. Published May 1, 2026 By Howard Ruben Dive brief: * J. Jill appointed Kimberly Wallengren its chief marketing officer, effective April 27, according to a press release. She reports directly to the retailer's president and CEO, Mary Ellen Coyne. Wallengren is replacing Kara Howard, who was senior vice president of marketing and customer experience, and has left the company. * Wallengren most recently was Coach's vice president of marketing for North America. Prior to that, she served as head of marketing for American Eagle's AE77 sustainable premium denim brand. She also held leadership roles with Adidas and New Balance, where she led marketing campaigns. * As J. Jill's marketing chief, Wallengren will focus on brand positioning, expanding customer reach and growing consumer engagement. Dive insight: Wallengren's appointment follows other recent executive changes at J. Jill. In the past year, the retailer has brought on a new CEO, chief merchandising officer and now a chief marketing officer in Wallengren. "We're excited to welcome Kimberly to J. Jill as we focus on expanding brand awareness and growing our customer file," Coyne said in a statement. "Kimberly brings a strong track record of leading marketing strategies that have attracted new audiences and strengthened engagement with existing customers. She has a deep understanding of today's consumer and a proven ability to translate these insights into impactful campaigns and more effective ways to reach and engage customers, which will be critical as we look to our next phase of growth." J. Jill is coming off a fourth quarter where net sales dropped 3.1% year over year to $138.4 million and comparable sales fell 4.8%. For the year, net sales fell 2.3%. DTC sales in the quarter increased 2.6%, representing 53.5% of total sales. For 2026, the company is projecting net sales to be flat to down 2%, while comp sales are expected to down 1% to 3%.

MarketScreener
Dec 15th, 2025
J.Jill completes $75M refinancing, expects $2M annual interest savings

J.Jill has completed refinancing its existing credit agreement with a new $75 million senior secured five-year term loan facility from Manulife | Comvest Credit Partners. The refinancing replaces the company's previous term loan from April 2023. The apparel retailer expects annual cash interest expense savings of approximately $2 million, excluding one-time accelerated debt issuance costs. CCP Agency serves as administrative agent, collateral agent and sole lead arranger for the facility. Chief Financial and Operating Officer Mark Webb said the refinancing demonstrates the company's commitment to maintaining a strong balance sheet whilst preserving operational and strategic flexibility. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius served as legal adviser on the transaction. J.Jill operates over 200 stores nationwide alongside an e-commerce platform, offering women's apparel, footwear and accessories.

SmartBrief
Nov 19th, 2025
J.Jill hires former Cole Haan exec as chief growth officer

J.Jill hires former Cole Haan exec as chief growth officer. Fashion retailer J.Jill has appointed former Cole Haan executive Viv Rettke to the newly created position of chief growth officer, marking a strategic addition to the retailer's leadership team. Rettke will report directly to CEO Mary Ellen Coyne as she assumes the role, designed to drive the company's growth and transformation initiatives. Designed specifically for retail professionals, NRF SmartBrief is a free, daily email newsletter. It provides the latest need-to-know news and industry information that maximizes your time, giving you an edge over your competition.

DMNews
Jun 28th, 2025
Talbots' $517M J.Jill Merger Failure

In 2006, Talbots acquired J.Jill for $517 million, aiming to merge their strengths in womenswear for women over 35. Despite initial optimism, the merger led to brand confusion and declining sales due to overestimated customer overlap. By 2009, Talbots sold J.Jill at a loss. This case highlights the risks of assuming aesthetic and operational alignment equates to consumer alignment, a mistake still relevant in today's fragmented retail environment.

Fibre2Fashion
Jun 25th, 2025
American retailer J.Jill appoints Courtney O'Connor as CMO

J.Jill has named Courtney O'Connor as senior vice president and chief merchandising officer, effective June 30, 2025, succeeding Shelley Liebsch.