Merchandise Planning Manager

Recruiting a hands-on, business-owning Merchandise Planner who can take full ownership of forecasting, inventory strategy, and performance management across Wholesale and DTC. This is not a support role — this planner will run the numbers, tell the story, and drive decisions.

The Planning Manager partners closely with the Head of Wholesale & Planning and works cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, Finance, and Brand to ensure we are buying, producing, and selling the right product at the right time — with clarity and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Planning & Forecasting

• Own seasonal and monthly forecasts by channel (Wholesale, DTC, International as needed)

• Build and manage SKU-level demand plans tied to sales targets and growth goals

• Create rolling forecasts that adapt to business changes (not static annual plans)

Inventory & Open-to-Buy (OTB)

• Own OTB planning and inventory flow across core, newness, and replenishment styles

• Monitor weeks of supply, sell-through, and inventory risk

• Partner with Operations and Supply Chain to align production timing and quantities

• Flag inventory risks early and propose clear actions (chase, pause, rebalance)

Wholesale Support

• Partner with leadership on:

  • Account-level forecasts

  • Line reviews and buy planning

  • Show and market planning

• Ensure wholesale commitments align with inventory and margin targets

Reporting & Business Insights

• Deliver clear, executive-ready reporting:

  • Sales vs plan

  • Inventory health

  • Forecast changes

• Translate data into actionable recommendations, not just spreadsheets

• Bring insights to weekly and monthly business reviews

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as the single source of truth for numbers

• Work closely with Finance to align forecasts, accruals, and inventory valuation

• Partner with Brand and Marketing to understand launch timing and demand impact

Who You Are

• 6–10+ years in merchandise planning, demand planning, or inventory planning

• Experience in DTC + Wholesale (consumer brand experience strongly preferred)

• Comfortable in growth environments where structure is still being built

• Strong Excel/Sheets skills (advanced modeling required)

• Experience working with ERP, inventory, or BI tools (NetSuite, Power BI, etc. a plus)

• Confident communicator who can push back with data

• Proactive, organized, and calm under pressure