Associate Planner

Lola Blankets; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Annual bonus based on performance

21 days paid vacation + federalholid a

16 weeks paid birth parent leave

55% off Lola Blankets for friends and

Opportunities for career growth

Job summary

Lola Blankets is seeking an Associate Planner to support inventory planning for our fast-growing ecommerce channel. You will forecast inventory, balance on-order and on-hand stock, and work with Commercial Planners on wholesale, international, specialty bulk orders, and other channels.

The ideal candidate is analytical with experience at fast-growing DTC brands and adept at ladder plans for SKU-level forecasting.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of inventory planning, allocation, or related roles at fast-growing DTC brands.
• Strong track record with ladder plans.
• Proficiency in forecasting, financial modeling, and inventory optimization; advanced Excel skills required, ERP experience a plus.
• Excellent cross-functional communication and problem-solving skills
• Ability to balance data-driven decisions with brand priorities.

Responsibilities

• Develop inventory forecasts in partnership with cross-functional teams based on trends, launches, lifecycles, and promotions.
• Maintain and optimize ladder plans for SKU-level needs through annual cycles.
• Deliver buys to Production and manage on-order pipelines to balance inventory and fulfill demand.
• Monitor inventory levels and recommend replenishment strategies to reduce stockouts/overstocks.
• Identify risks and opportunities in inventory to support growth.
• Balance virtual warehouse inventory strategies with fulfillment flexibility and distribution visibility.
• Collaborate with Merchandising, Operations, Production, Marketing, and Finance on assortment, goals, and margins.

Skills

Inventory planning

Forecasting

Excel

ERP experience

Cross-functional communication

Problem solving

Tools

Excel

ERP systems

Job description

We are seeking an Associate Planner to support inventory planning within our fast-growing, ecommerce channel. This role will be responsible for forecasting inventory needs for the highest growth subset of the product portfolio, balancing on-order and on-hand inventory to optimize sales and margin. This role will also work closely with Commercial Planners to support wholesale, international, specialty bulk orders, and other distribution channels.

The ideal candidate is highly analytical and detail-oriented with experience at fast-growing DTC brands, and adept at ladder plans for SKU-level forecasting.

Core Responsibilities

Inventory Planning

• Develop inventory forecasts in partnership with cross-functional teams, incorporating sales trends, product launches, product lifecycles, and promotional plans to inform purchasing and financial planning.
• Maintain and optimize ladder plans, enabling daily thru annual sales and receipt unit needs at the SKU level.
• Deliver buys to Production for on-time PO placement, and collaborate to manage on-order pipelines to ensure balanced inventory levels and timely demand fulfillment.
• Monitor inventory levels and recommend replenishment strategies to maximize availability and reduce stockouts or overstocking.
• Identify risks and opportunities in inventory and recommend actions to support business growth.

Allocation & Distribution

• Partner with the Director of Ecomm Planning to balance virtual warehouse inventory strategies to support flexibility in fulfillment.
• Partner with Logistics and Operations teams to ensure accurate distribution and inventory visibility across the network.
• Partner with Commercial channel planners to allocate inventory across ecommerce, wholesale, international, specialty, and bulk channels based on demand forecasts and sales priorities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Merchandising, Operations, Production, Marketing and Finance teams to align inventory strategies with assortment plans, sales goals, and margin objectives.
• Provide weekly and monthly reporting on inventory health and forecast accuracy.

This is a hybrid role, reporting to the Director of Planning & Allocation (Ecomm). You’ll be based in our office 3 days per week in Brooklyn.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of inventory planning, allocation, or related roles at fast-growing DTC brands
• Strong track record with ladder plans.
• Proficiency in forecasting, financial modeling, and inventory optimization; advanced Excel skills required, ERP experience a plus.
• Excellent cross-functional communication and problem-solving skills
• Ability to balance data-driven decisions with brand priorities.

What We Offer:

• Competitive base salary and annual bonus based on company and individual performance
• 21 days paid vacation + all federal holidays
• 16 weeks paid birth parent leave; 8 weeks non-birth parent leave
• 55% off Lola Blankets for friends and family
• Opportunities for career growth within Lola Blankets