Director of Planning

Duties

• Own the company inventory sales plan forecast across seasonal launches, replenishment businesses, and new category expansion
• Build and manage bottom-up forecasts at the SKU, color, and size level using historical performance, customer behavior, trend analysis, and business inputs
• Develop forecasting methodologies that account for lifecycle dynamics including launch ramps, replenishment curves, cannibalization, and demand decay
• Partner with Marketing and Merchandising to incorporate promotional activity, product launches, and customer acquisition trends into forecasts
• Lead forecast reviews and continuously improve forecast accuracy across channels and categories
• Translate strategic sales forecasts into inventory buy plans and vendor production plans that optimize in-stock rates, inventory productivity, freight optimization, warehouse storage, and cash flow
• Balance forecasted inventory needs by category against operational constraints including production capacity, lead times, MOQ requirements, vendor capabilities, and raw material availability
• Manage inventory risk mitigation, scenario planning, and contingency planning to reduce stockouts and excess inventory
• Lead the company’s Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process, aligning inventory efficiency, product sales forecasting by style, and inventory health and turn
• Facilitate recurring cross-functional planning meetings and drive alignment on forecasts, risks, opportunities, and operational tradeoffs
• Own departmental planning objectives and communicate clear recommendations and perspectives during executive and cross-functional meetings
• Act as a strategic thought partner to executive leadership on inventory investment, capacity planning, growth opportunities, and operational risk
• Own in-stock rates and size-level availability to ensure a strong customer experience across e-commerce and marketplace channels
• Optimize inventory allocation across DTC, marketplaces, Amazon, and wholesale partners based on demand signals and channel performance
• Partner with Merchandising to align inventory with product lifecycle strategies including launch, growth, replenishment, and markdown optimization

Analytics, Systems & Process Improvement

• Track and report on key metrics including forecast accuracy, fill rate, inventory turns, stockouts, excess inventory, and service levels
• Build dashboards, reporting tools, and scalable planning processes that improve visibility and decision-making
• Identify operational risks and opportunities early and recommend data-driven actions
• Possess advanced analytical and financial modeling skills; advanced proficiency in Excel and planning systems
• Partner with leadership to implement and improve planning systems, forecasting tools, and operational workflows to increase efficiency and scalability

Qualifications

• 8-12+ years of inventory planning experience displaying career progression, leadership and profit optimization
• Foundation in bottoms up inventory management with both core and fashion styles managing lifecycle efficiencies across categories
• Experience with DTC or vertically designed products with end-to-end inventory planning ownership for apparel, intimates, or other size intensive consumer products preferred
• Strong understanding of apparel planning fundamentals including size curves, replenishment models, lifecycle planning, and inventory optimization
• Proven experience leading end-to-end S&OP or IBP processes
• Experience balancing commercial demand with operational and supply chain constraints
• Advanced analytical and financial modeling skills; advanced proficiency in Excel and planning systems
• Strong leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration capabilities
• Experience building scalable planning processes in high-growth environments preferred