VP, Merchandise Planning, Allocation, and Inventory Management
About the role
Babylist is creating a new VP of Merchandise Planning, Allocation, and Inventory Management to own how the company plans, buys, and allocates inventory as it scales beyond $1B in merchandise revenue. This is a net-new leadership role, reporting to the CFO/COO and sitting as a peer to the VP of Merchandising, the SVP of Supply Chain, and the SVP of Data and Finance.
Responsibilities
- Define and develop the team to Merchandise Planning’s north star: the standards, operating cadence (OTB, team ceremonies), and expectations for every level of the function of a high-performance team
- Take the forecasting/allocation platform from “migrated” to “trusted.”
- Finalize and execute a scalable org design for Planning, Inventory Management, and Allocation built for a $1B+ business. Fill open roles, set reporting lines, and communicate changes with enough lead time for the team to plan around them.
- Lead the warehouse network expansion and inventory deployment across the network.
- Own the inventory strategy: when to drop-ship vs. own, when to invest more vs pull back, when to pull back vs add more SKUs based on cannibalization or customer need with Merch partners. Set the criteria, make the call, and work through your team to execute on that strategy.
- Own inventory health end to end: in-stock rate, weeks of supply, aged, and working capital efficiency, including leading the org’s response when network in-stock performance slips.
- Lead leaders: develop the team below you into stronger, more autonomous operators.
- Establish Planning as an equal, vocal partner to Merchandising, Supply Chain, and Data & Finance in MBRs, S&OP, OTB, and other cross-functional forums, showing up with a point of view, not just support.
Requirements
Proven executive leadership of a merchandise planning, inventory management, and allocation function at a wholesale retail business across hundreds of vendors, ideally $500M to $2B+, through double-digit growth
A strong people manager with a track record of building a high-performance team culture: setting clear expectations, coaching direct reports toward promotion-ready capability, and building bench strength as the team scales.
A track record of setting strategic vision and operating standards for a planning organization: defining what “great” looks like, not just executing against someone else's model.
Demonstrated speed and conviction in high-stakes decisions (org design, staffing, systems investments) and the discipline to hold those decisions through execution.
Experience building the planning point of view behind allocation as we expand the distribution network, the inventory deployment and drop-ship strategy that comes with adding fulfillment nodes.
Direct experience owning a demand planning or allocation platform implementation (e.g., Intuendi, Blue Yonder, o9, ToolsGroup, Impact Analytics) through to full adoption, closing the gap between “live” and “trusted and used.”
A history of designing and scaling planning organizations, roles, levels, and career paths, for a rapidly growing and evolving business.
Comfort operating as an equal, vocal strategic partner to Merchandising, Supply Chain, and Data & Finance leaders.
Fluency in inventory KPIs (in-stock rate, weeks of supply, weeks on hand, aged inventory, working capital efficiency) and experience owning to in-stock or inventory incidents.
Experience owning operations that sit between planning and supply chain, vendor onboarding, vendor performance analytics, or drop-ship EDI a plus.
You naturally reach for AI in your work. At Babylist, every team uses AI daily. You're already using it to move faster and improve your output, and you stay curious about what's coming next.
Qualifications
Proven executive leadership of a merchandise planning, inventory management, and allocation function at a wholesale retail business across hundreds of vendors, ideally $500M to $2B+, through double-digit growth
A strong people manager with a track record of building a high-performance team culture: setting clear expectations, coaching direct reports toward promotion-ready capability, and building bench strength as the team scales.
A track record of setting strategic vision and operating standards for a planning organization: defining what “great” looks like, not just executing against someone else's model.
Demonstrated speed and conviction in high-stakes decisions (org design, staffing, systems investments) and the discipline to hold those decisions through execution.
Experience building the planning point of view behind allocation as we expand the distribution network, the inventory deployment and drop-ship strategy that comes with adding fulfillment nodes.
Direct experience owning a demand planning or allocation platform implementation (e.g., Intuendi, Blue Yonder, o9, ToolsGroup, Impact Analytics) through to full adoption, closing the gap between “live” and “trusted and used.”
A history of designing and scaling planning organizations, roles, levels, and career paths, for a rapidly growing and evolving business.
Comfort operating as an equal, vocal strategic partner to Merchandising, Supply Chain, and Data & Finance leaders.
Fluency in inventory KPIs (in-stock rate, weeks of supply, weeks on hand, aged inventory, working capital efficiency) and experience owning to in-stock or inventory incidents.
Experience owning operations that sit between planning and supply chain, vendor onboarding, vendor performance analytics, or drop-ship EDI a plus.
You naturally reach for AI in your work. At Babylist, every team uses AI daily. You're already using it to move faster and improve your output, and you stay curious about what's coming next.
Skills
Proven executive leadership of a merchandise planning, inventory management, and allocation function at a wholesale retail business across hundreds of vendors, ideally $500M to $2B+, through double-digit growth
A strong people manager with a track record of building a high-performance team culture: setting clear expectations, coaching direct reports toward promotion-ready capability, and building bench strength as the team scales.
A track record of setting strategic vision and operating standards for a planning organization: defining what “great” looks like, not just executing against someone else's model.
Demonstrated speed and conviction in high-stakes decisions (org design, staffing, systems investments) and the discipline to hold those decisions through execution.
Experience building the planning point of view behind allocation as we expand the distribution network, the inventory deployment and drop-ship strategy that comes with adding fulfillment nodes.
Direct experience owning a demand planning or allocation platform implementation (e.g., Intuendi, Blue Yonder, o9, ToolsGroup, Impact Analytics) through to full adoption, closing the gap between “live” and “trusted and used.”
A history of designing and scaling planning organizations, roles, levels, and career paths, for a rapidly growing and evolving business.
Comfort operating as an equal, vocal strategic partner to Merchandising, Supply Chain, and Data & Finance leaders.
Fluency in inventory KPIs (in-stock rate, weeks of supply, weeks on hand, aged inventory, working capital efficiency) and experience owning to in-stock or inventory incidents.
Experience owning operations that sit between planning and supply chain, vendor onboarding, vendor performance analytics, or drop-ship EDI a plus.
You naturally reach for AI in your work. At Babylist, every team uses AI daily. You're already using it to move faster and improve your output, and you stay curious about what's coming next.
Benefits
Company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance
Retirement savings plan with company matching and flexible spending accounts
Generous paid parental leave and PTOW
Winter Wonder Week: the whole company takes a paid week off at the end of the year, whether or not you celebrate anything, so everyone's out at once and comes back refreshed
Remote work stipend to set up your office
Perks for physical, mental, and emotional health, parenting, childcare, and financial planning