ABOUT THE ROLEThe Director of Planning is responsible for developing and executing the inventory and financial planning strategy across Wholesale, Retail, and Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) channels. This leader serves as the architect of the company's inventory investment strategy, balancing sales growth, margin optimization, inventory productivity, and customer experience across all channels. The Director of Planning partners closely with Merchandising, Production, Sourcing, Marketing, Finance, Retail Operations, and Sales to ensure inventory is aligned with consumer demand, strategic growth initiatives, and financial objectives. This role leads the planning team and serves as the organization's source of truth for forecasting, inventory management, and business performance
A DAY IN THE LIFEFinancial Planning & Forecasting- Lead annual, seasonal, monthly, and weekly planning processes across Wholesale, Retail, and DTC channels.
- Develop and maintain sales, margin, inventory, and turn forecasts that support company growth and profitability goals.
- Drive Open-to-Buy (OTB) management and inventory investment decisions across all channels.
- Establish and monitor key financial metrics including Sales, Gross Margin, Inventory Turn, Sell-Through, Weeks of Supply, and GMROI.
- Deliver accurate forecasts and actionable insights to executive leadership to support strategic decision-making.
Omni-Channel Inventory Strategy- Develop and execute an integrated inventory strategy that optimizes inventory placement across Wholesale, Retail, and E-commerce.
- Ensure appropriate inventory depth in core, replenishment, and seasonal product categories.
- Lead inventory allocation and replenishment strategies to maximize sales while minimizing markdown exposure.
- Identify risks and opportunities related to inventory ownership, aging, excess stock, and stock-outs.
- Partner with Operations and Supply Chain teams to manage inventory flow from purchase order through customer fulfillment.
Demand Planning & Forecast Analytics- Drive demand forecasting processes utilizing historical performance, market trends, promotional activity, and customer insights.
- Continuously improve forecast accuracy and planning methodologies.
- Evaluate performance by channel, category, style, color, fit, and size to identify opportunities for growth.
- Lead post-season hindsight analysis and incorporate learnings into future assortment and inventory strategies.
Merchandising & Assortment Partnership- Partner with Merchandising and Product teams to develop financially sound assortments that align with customer demand and brand strategy.
- Influence line architecture, depth, breadth, and buy quantities through data-driven recommendations.
- Support new product launches, seasonal collections, and key growth initiatives with robust planning analysis.
- Provide channel-specific insights that improve assortment productivity and customer experience.
- Wholesale, Retail & DTC Business Management
- Partner with Wholesale Sales leadership to forecast account demand, manage inventory commitments, and support growth initiatives.
- Collaborate with Retail Operations to optimize store inventory productivity and allocation strategies.
- Work with E-commerce leadership to forecast digital demand and support promotional and marketing initiatives.
- Ensure channel inventory decisions are aligned with enterprise profitability objectives rather than siloed channel goals.
Promotional & Markdown Strategy- Develop and execute markdown, liquidation, and promotional strategies that protect margin and brand integrity.
- Evaluate promotional effectiveness and customer response across channels.
- Balance inventory productivity with premium brand positioning.
- Monitor aging inventory and implement proactive action plans to maximize recovery and minimize risk.
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Establish strong operating rhythms with Production, Sourcing, Logistics, Finance, Marketing, Merchandising, and Sales.
- Align inventory investments with marketing campaigns, product launches, and strategic business priorities.
- Communicate risks, opportunities, and recommended actions clearly across the organization.
- Serve as a strategic business partner to executive leadership.
- Planning Team Leadership
- Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing planning organization.
- Create a culture of accountability, analytical rigor, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Standardize planning processes, reporting, and KPI definitions across the business.
- Develop succession plans and career growth opportunities for planning team members.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED- 8-12+ years of merchandise planning, inventory planning, or financial planning experience within apparel, retail, wholesale, or consumer products.
- 3-5+ years leading planning teams.
- Strong omni-channel planning experience across Wholesale, Retail, and DTC businesses.
- Advanced financial, analytical, and forecasting skills.
- Proven experience managing Open-to-Buy processes and inventory investments.
- Expert proficiency in Excel and planning/reporting systems.
- Strong communication, influencing, and leadership skills.
- Experience working in high-growth consumer brands preferred.
