Manager- Planning

About the role

We are a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames, and sunglasses. Our unique business model and relentless pursuit of operational excellence ensure consumers everywhere have access to high-quality vision care products. As the Planning Manager, you will create and analyze performance within your categories, plan open-to-buy (OTB), and manage inventory to achieve the department’s financial objectives (sales mix, inventory turn, initial markup, AUR). You will provide analytical and process-oriented skills to complement the Category Managers’ product and assortment knowledge, acting as the CFO of the team.

The Planning Manager partners with and indirectly leads a cross-functional peer group in executing the seasonal plan, establishing financial goals, and outlining team expectations.

Responsibilities

• Prepares monthly financial forecasts and provides them to the Finance Department for profitability analysis each quarter.
• Projects inventory ownership based on forecasted sales, planned purchases, and other adjustments, providing them to the Finance Department for capital analysis and budgeting.
• Analyzes the impact of retail price increases and overall department markup, average dollar sale, and gross profit, providing insights to the Product Management team for pricing decisions and to the Financial Planning department for profitability analysis.
• Forecasts monthly department/classification sales based on seasonality, trends, and year-over-year analysis.
• Provides key analysis and direction on vendor and collection forecasts, resulting in assortment changes for the Product Manager.
• Supplies upper management with analysis of key performance indicators within department/classifications.
• Controls corporate expenditures on inventory through open-to-buy management.
• Manages the purchasing process for items sourced from alternate suppliers.
• Evaluates inventory supply to support promotional events and communicates issues to marketing representatives and upper management.
• Adjusts style/SKU rates of sale to account for stockouts.
• Determines proper Distribution Center supply levels by product, consistent with vendor shipping history, and works with the Product Management team to evaluate supply levels based on individual style performance/status.
• Evaluates and prioritizes weekly Distribution Center receipts.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or 5+ years of work experience in a specialty retail buying office as a Merchandise Planner, Location Planner, Allocator, Buyer, or Financial Planner.
• Experience forecasting at the top-line or store level, including Open To Buy (OTB), markdowns (in both cost and retail), and profit analysis.
• Proficient in Excel, with the ability to create complex spreadsheets using advanced formulas (V-lookups, IF statements, pivot tables, macros).
• Strong analytical and mathematical skills, with the ability to extract conclusions from available data.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate financial plans and results from a merchandise perspective.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Apparel Design/Planning, Business, Mathematics, or Computer Science.
• Previous experience directly managing a team of at least 2 planners.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $101,233.35 - $149,307.95. Employee pay is determined by multiple factors, including geography, experience, qualifications, skills, and local minimum wage requirements. In addition, you may be offered a competitive bonus and/or commission plan.

Benefits

• Health care coverage.
• Retirement savings plans.
• Paid time off/vacation.
• Various employee discounts.