Director, Merchandise Planning

Position Summary

The Director of Global Merchandise Planning is responsible for establishing and executing the enterprise strategy for inventory planning, allocation, replenishment, logistics, warehousing, and inventory flow across all retail, ecommerce, and omni-channel channels. This leader serves as the strategic owner of inventory productivity from initial forecasting and inventory deployment through fulfillment, replenishment, and sell-through. The role drives revenue growth, gross margin improvement, working capital efficiency, and operational excellence by ensuring the right inventory is available in the right location at the right time and at the optimal cost.

Scope of Role

• Leads a Planning and Logistics organization consisting of Planning Managers, Analysts, and logistics support resources.
• Oversees enterprise inventory planning, allocation, replenishment, warehousing, inventory deployment, and logistics performance.
• Owes inventory productivity across retail stores, ecommerce, wholesale, franchise, and emerging business channels.
• Serves as the primary business partner for inventory investment, deployment, and operational efficiency decisions.
• Direct accountability for sales optimization, inventory turns, fulfillment performance, inventory accuracy, and logistics cost management.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Inventory Leadership

• Develop and execute enterprise inventory strategies that support sales growth, margin expansion, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
• Establish annual, seasonal, monthly, and weekly planning frameworks aligned with company objectives.
• Define inventory strategies for core assortments, seasonal programs, limited-edition launches, collectibles, city-specific merchandise, collaborations, and new business initiatives.
• Lead enterprise inventory investment decisions to maximize productivity and minimize risk.
• Own inventory productivity across retail stores, ecommerce, wholesale, franchise, and emerging business channels.
• Serve as the primary business partner for inventory investment, deployment, and operational efficiency decisions.
• Direct accountability for sales optimization, inventory turns, fulfillment performance, inventory accuracy, and logistics cost management.

Inventory Planning, Allocation & Replenishment

• Oversee all forecasting, allocation, replenishment, and inventory deployment activities.
• Ensure optimal inventory placement across stores, ecommerce fulfillment centers, and distribution facilities.
• Drive inventory productivity through improved forecasting accuracy, replenishment efficiency, and inventory optimization strategies.
• Develop proactive solutions to inventory imbalances, excess inventory, stock-outs, and demand fluctuations.
• Lead SKU rationalization initiatives to improve assortment productivity and inventory efficiency.
• Establish inventory strategies that maximize sales opportunities while reducing working capital requirements.

Logistics, Distribution & Warehouse Management

• Provide strategic oversight of logistics, warehousing, distribution, and inventory flow operations.
• Ensure efficient movement of inventory from vendors through distribution centers and into stores and ecommerce fulfillment channels.
• Lead initiatives that improve warehouse productivity, inventory accuracy, fulfillment speed, and operational efficiency.
• Develop transportation and distribution strategies that optimize service levels while reducing operating costs.
• Manage relationships with logistics providers, carriers, freight partners, and warehouse operators.
• Oversee inventory transfer strategies to ensure inventory is deployed efficiently throughout the retail network.
• Establish warehouse and logistics performance standards that support enterprise sales and customer service objectives.
• Identify and implement process improvements that increase throughput, reduce costs, and improve inventory visibility.

Omni-Channel & Ecommerce Integration

• Partner with Ecommerce and Omni-Channel leaders to create a unified inventory strategy across all selling channels.
• Optimize inventory availability and deployment to maximize enterprise sales and customer satisfaction.
• Support ship-from-store, buy-online-pickup, fulfillment optimization, and future omni-channel initiatives.
• Ensure inventory decisions are made with an enterprise-first mindset that balances store and ecommerce performance.

Systems, Technology & Innovation

• Lead the modernization of planning and logistics capabilities through automation, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and advanced inventory management tools.
• Evaluate and implement planning technologies, auto-allocation systems, replenishment tools, forecasting platforms, and warehouse optimization solutions.
• Develop reporting dashboards and business intelligence tools that improve decision-making speed and effectiveness.
• Champion innovation and continuous improvement throughout planning and logistics operations.

Financial Performance & Inventory Productivity

• Drive enterprise inventory productivity and working capital optimization.
• Improve inventory turns, sell-through rates, gross margin performance, and return on inventory investment.
• Lead markdown, liquidation, transfer, and inventory recovery strategies.
• Partner with Finance to develop inventory budgets, forecasts, and profitability analyses.
• Identify opportunities to improve EBITDA through inventory and logistics efficiencies.

Team Leadership & Organizational Development

• Build, lead, coach, and develop a high-performing Planning & Logistics organization.
• Create clear performance expectations, accountability measures, and development plans.
• Create succession plans and strengthen organizational capabilities.
• Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, urgency, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure resources are aligned to support evolving business priorities and growth objectives.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as the primary Planning & Logistics partner to senior leaders across Merchandising, Product Development, Retail Operations, Ecommerce, Finance, and Supply Chain.
• Influence assortment strategies, launch plans, inventory investments, promotional activities, and fulfillment priorities through data-driven insights.
• Ensure alignment between planning strategies and field execution.
• Lead enterprise discussions regarding inventory priorities, operational performance, and inventory risk mitigation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Retail Management, Logistics, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in merchandise planning, inventory management, logistics, warehousing, supply chain, or retail operations.
• Proven success leading planning, allocation, replenishment, logistics, and inventory optimization functions within a multi-channel retail environment.
• Deep expertise in inventory management systems, forecasting methodologies, warehouse operations, and logistics management.
• Strong financial, analytical, and strategic planning capabilities.
• Demonstrated success implementing operational improvements and driving measurable business results.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within specialty retail, hospitality retail, lifestyle brands, consumer products, entertainment, or global retail organizations.
• Experience leading AI-enabled planning, forecasting, automation, or warehouse optimization initiatives.
• Expertise in omni-channel inventory management and e-commerce fulfillment operations.
• Experience supporting international, franchise, and multi-market retail environments.

Leadership Expectations

• Operate with an enterprise mindset focused on sales growth, profitability, inventory productivity, and customer satisfaction.
• Lead with accountability, ownership, urgency, and integrity.
• Drive data-informed decision-making with a bias toward action and results.
• Build and develop high-performing teams that consistently deliver measurable outcomes.
• Champion innovation and continuous improvement across planning, logistics, and inventory management functions.
• Influence enterprise decisions through strategic insight, collaboration, and operational expertise.
• Deliver sustainable improvements in revenue, margin, inventory productivity, fulfillment performance, and operational efficiency.