Director of Planning Operations & Inventory Management

Key Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the end-to-end planning and inventory strategy, aligning demand, supply, and production to support business growth
• Drive cross-functional alignment across Merchandising, Sales, Operations, and Finance to ensure integrated, executable plans
• Lead demand planning, supply planning, production scheduling, procurement, and inventory management functions
• Translate demand signals and business strategy into actionable plans that balance service levels, capacity, and inventory investment
• Establish best-in-class inventory management practices to optimize in-stock rates while minimizing excess and obsolescence
• Oversee purchase order strategy and execution to ensure inventory flow aligns with forecasted demand
• Build visibility through KPIs and dashboards, driving accountability for service, cost, and inventory performance
• Identify and proactively resolve constraints across supply, materials, and production to ensure continuity and responsiveness
• Lead the evolution of planning systems, tools, and processes, including evaluating and implementing new technologies with clear ROI
• Transform data into actionable insights that inform strategic and operational decision-making
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean or similar methodologies to improve efficiency, service levels, and cost performance
• Partner with leadership to shape inventory investment strategy and balance growth, profitability, and customer experience
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing planning and inventory team
• Create a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement
• Provide clear goals, regular feedback, and development opportunities to elevate team performance
• Build strong cross-functional relationships to promote transparency, alignment, and effective execution

Basic Qualifications

• Experience in supply chain, inventory planning, operations, or related fields, with increasing leadership responsibility
• Proven experience leading planning and inventory functions in a complex, fast-paced environment
• Strong track record of improving forecast accuracy, inventory turns, and service levels
• Experience implementing or optimizing planning systems (ERP, demand planning, or advanced planning tools)
• Demonstrated ability to build, lead, and scale high-performing teams
• Advanced analytical skills with the ability to translate data into strategic insights and decisions
• Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management capabilities
• Able to operate effectively in ambiguity and manage competing priorities
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence at multiple levels of the organization

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in high-growth or evolving business environments
• Experience leading transformation of planning systems, tools, and processes
• Experience building scalable, integrated planning frameworks that align demand, supply, and financial plans
• Ability to increase visibility and accountability through clear KPIs and performance reporting
• Ability to strengthen cross-functional alignment, improving speed and quality of decision-making
• Ability to act as the primary liaison to internal business partners, translating technical software capabilities into strategic business value