Ref #
W181338
State/Region
New York
Department
Merchandising & Planning
Location
United States
City
New York
Pay Range: The pay range for this job is $85000 - $161444 annually; actual pay is dependent on experience and geographic location.
Benefits: Base pay is only one part of our employee value proposition, which includes a robust benefits package, above-market time off, hybrid working arrangements, incentive compensation, where applicable, and varied learning opportunities.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands.
At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Senior Account Planning Manager will partner closely with Sales, Regional Merchandising, and other key partners to develop, forecast, and deliver balanced, customer-focused assortments. This role is responsible for driving both sales and margin growth through strategic assortment planning while ensuring alignment with Ralph Lauren's seasonal merchandising vision and overall business objectives.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Partnership & Assortment Planning
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales and Regional Merchandising teams to identify product opportunities and develop assortment strategies across all categories and divisions.
- Partner with Sales to ensure seasonal assortment plans support account-specific objectives and drive profitable growth.
- Analyze historical and in-season business performance to inform future assortment decisions and strategies.
- Support the end-to-end Account Planning process through the development and execution of detailed strategic plans.
- Maintain strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment and successful execution of assortment strategies.
- Financial & Assortment Planning
- Partner with Sales and Regional Merchandising to establish account budgets, SKU requirements, and tier-based assortment strategies.
- Develop assortment plans that align with the brand's merchandising vision, support financial objectives, and maximize profitability for both Ralph Lauren and retail partners.
- Lead the creation and maintenance of key planning tools, including class plans, assortment planning tools, ladder plans.
- Develop and manage analytical tools that support Go-to-Market (GTM) strategies.
- Create and maintain reporting and presentation materials for market preparation and sales meetings.
- Drive proactive communication across all levels of account management to support achievement of financial and strategic goals.
Analysis and Forecasting Process
- Conduct ongoing analysis of account performance, including Department store sales summaries, Pagination performance, Tier and door-level analysis
- Deliver actionable insights to Sales and Regional Merchandising teams, identifying opportunities, risks, and performance trends
- Analyze top and bottom-performing products to optimize future assortments
- Monitor and report on key performance metrics, including sell-through, product margin, bookings, class penetration
- Pre-market, in-market, and post-market performance
- Partner with cross-functional teams in weekly business reviews to evaluate account performance and recommend actions
- Support ad hoc projects requiring a comprehensive understanding of the product lifecycle
- Validate and monitor account size scales and SKU depths, recommending adjustments to optimize assortment productivity and sales performance
EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
- 5+ years of experience in assortment planning, merchandise planning, or account planning, with a strong emphasis on retail analysis and product strategy
- Demonstrated ability to analyze business performance and translate insights into actionable assortment recommendations
- Self-motivated, highly organized, and able to thrive in a fast-paced environment
- Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills
- Advanced Excel proficiency required, including PivotTables, VLOOKUPs/XLOOKUPs, and data analysis tools, experience with Power Pivots a plus
- Proven success developing and implementing new tools, processes, or reporting methodologies to improve efficiency
- Strong understanding of retail math and financial planning principles
- Accessories experience preferred but not required
Ralph Lauren will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in a manner consistent with the requirements of the law, including any applicable fair chance laws. Please note background checks will be evaluated individually.