Summary
The Inventory Planner drives sales and margin results by developing and managing assortment and inventory plans at the department level. This role creates pre-season plans, manages open-to-buy activities, forecasts demand and receipts, and collaborates with cross-functional teams to optimize inventory investments and achieve financial goals.
Responsibilities
- Develop department and sku level sales plans with supporting investment quantities and flow forecasts
- Analyze historical data and current trends to identify opportunities and risks by department, subclass, collection and sku
- Manage open-to-buy activities and reconcile top down to bottom up financial plans
- Forecast sales and inventory and calculate receipt needs based on inventory and rate of sale
- Present buying strategies and inventory investments to senior leadership and during monthly OTB meetings
- Manage on order pipeline and negotiate flow requirements with vendors
- Collaborate with Merchandising to support product strategies and vision
- Focus on top volume collections and skus to maximize in-stocks and revenue
- Manage and develop team members through mentoring and onboarding activities
Requirements
- 3 years of experience preferably in inventory management
- 1 year of supervisory experience preferred
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
- Multi-Channel planning experience a plus
- Strong analytical skills with ability to interpret trends from quantitative and qualitative data
- Solid grasp of retail math and inventory planning concepts
- Advanced knowledge of Excel with aptitude to learn new systems quickly
- Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills focused on driving results
- Excellent organizational and time management skills
