Senior Merchandise Planner & Supply Chain Manager

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Merchandise Planner & Supply Chain Manager based in the United States.** The Senior Merchandise Planner & Supply Chain Manager will lead end-to-end inventory planning, demand forecasting, and supply chain execution for a growing omnichannel retail business. This strategic and hands-on role connects merchandising strategy with financial performance, ensuring the right products are available at the right time while optimizing sales, margins, and inventory productivity. You will own the entire planning lifecycle, from open-to-buy management and seasonal forecasts to purchase orders, import logistics, and markdown strategies. Working closely with ecommerce, product development, sourcing, customer service, finance, and executive leadership, you will translate business trends into actionable inventory decisions. In a lean, fast-paced environment, you will have significant autonomy to build processes, improve operational efficiency, and influence commercial outcomes. This is an opportunity for an analytical, proactive leader to take full ownership of a brand's inventory strategy while contributing to broader business growth and operational transformation. ### Accountabilities: - **Inventory Planning and Open-to-Buy Management:** Own and manage the monthly open-to-buy (OTB) process in collaboration with executive leadership, ensuring inventory investments align with brand strategy, sales forecasts, and margin objectives. Deliver timely re-projections based on current business trends and changing market conditions. - **Demand Forecasting and Financial Planning:** Develop and maintain monthly and seasonal forecasts for sales, inventory receipts, gross margin, and inventory positions across sales channels, product categories, and warehouses. - **Inventory Optimization and Replenishment:** Establish and maintain a reliable replenishment system for best-selling products to minimize stockouts. Monitor inventory health, seasonal sell-through targets, buying budgets, and purchase order receipt schedules to improve product availability and inventory efficiency. - **Assortment Strategy:** Partner with cross-functional teams to develop assortment recommendations, including brand-level and key-item projections, SKU counts, inventory depth, and product allocation strategies. - **Purchase Order and Supply Chain Management:** Manage the complete purchase order lifecycle, from order issuance and vendor coordination through shipment tracking and final delivery. Coordinate container bookings and import logistics to support timely and cost-effective product flow. - **Trade Compliance and Cost Management:** Navigate tariff classifications, import requirements, and applicable government trade regulations to maintain compliance and ensure accurate cost of goods sold (COGS). - **Margin and Markdown Management:** Develop pricing recommendations and strategies to protect gross margin, maximize sales, improve inventory turnover, and proactively manage excess or end-of-life inventory. - **Business Performance Reporting:** Prepare weekly business recaps, evaluate actual performance against forecasts and plans, investigate variances, identify emerging trends, and recommend corrective actions. - **Executive Decision Support:** Prepare data-driven recommendations for key financial and merchandising meetings, helping leadership make informed decisions about inventory investment, sales opportunities, profitability, and operational priorities. - **Reporting and Process Improvement:** Maintain accurate, consistent, and timely reporting deliverables while identifying opportunities to improve reporting efficiency, standardize best practices, and strengthen planning processes. - **Cross-Functional Collaboration:** Build strong working relationships across ecommerce, customer service, product development, sourcing, finance, and other relevant teams to align inventory decisions with broader business objectives. - **Operational Ownership:** Take full responsibility for the brand's inventory planning lifecycle, from pre-season strategy through in-season execution, establishing scalable processes and making independent decisions in a fast-moving environment. ## Requirements: - **Relevant Experience:** At least 5 years of experience managing end-to-end inventory planning, including demand forecasting, replenishment, weekly business reporting, and open-to-buy management. - **Education:** Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional experience. - **ERP and Purchase Order Management:** Practical experience using enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to manage purchase orders, monitor inventory, and coordinate supply chain activities. - **Advanced Excel Skills:** High proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including the ability to analyze complex datasets, perform retail calculations, develop forecasts, and build reliable reporting tools. - **Forecasting and Analytical Expertise:** Strong forecasting capabilities, exceptional retail math skills, and a demonstrated ability to use data to guide inventory investments, optimize margins, and improve business performance. - **Inventory and Supply Chain Knowledge:** Solid understanding of inventory management, replenishment planning, seasonal demand, product availability, purchase order workflows, and inventory productivity. - **Financial and Commercial Acumen:** Ability to connect merchandising decisions with sales performance, gross margin, cost of goods sold, and overall financial objectives. - **Cross-Functional Collaboration:** Proven ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders across ecommerce, customer service, product development, sourcing, and finance. - **Problem-Solving and Decision-Making:** Strong judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to identify risks, investigate variances, and develop practical solutions based on business data. - **Ownership and Independence:** A proactive, resourceful mindset with the ability to manage a broad scope of responsibilities, prioritize competing demands, and deliver results with limited supervision. - **Technology Adaptability:** Ability to learn new technical applications quickly and leverage digital tools to improve planning, reporting, and operational workflows. **Preferred Qualifications:** - At least 2 years of experience in a lead or management position, with the ability to guide planning activities and influence business decisions. - Experience in multichannel B2B wholesale environments or businesses operating across multiple sales channels. - Familiarity with AI tools such as Claude or similar platforms, as well as Microsoft Office 365 integrations, to automate repetitive tasks and improve productivity. - Exposure to additional planning, financial, analytical, or data management systems beyond Excel. - Experience building or scaling inventory planning processes in a growing retail or omnichannel business. ## Benefits: - **Competitive compensation:** Compensation details are not specified in the available job description. - **Remote work:** Remote opportunities for candidates based in the United States or Canada, with a preference for applicants near Salt Lake City, Utah; Austin, Texas; or Toronto, Ontario. - **Paid time off:** Paid time off policies designed to support work-life balance. - **Retirement benefits:** A 401(k) employer match for eligible US employees or an RRSP match for eligible Canadian employees. - **Healthcare coverage:** Medical, dental, and vision insurance, with coverage options varying by country. - **Supplemental benefits:** Access to additional insurance and benefit options, depending on location and eligibility. - **Employee discounts:** Discounts across a portfolio of retail brands. - **Professional growth:** Opportunities to take on increased responsibility, develop leadership capabilities, and pursue new challenges as the business grows. - **End-to-end ownership:** Direct influence over inventory investments, sales performance, gross margin, and operational efficiency. - **Entrepreneurial environment:** The opportunity to build processes, improve planning systems, and make meaningful decisions within a lean, fast-moving organization. - **Technology-enabled operations:** Opportunities to use AI tools, automation, and data-driven processes to improve planning efficiency and decision-making.