Merchandise Planning Manager

Away Travel Limited; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 108,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Discount codes and product stipends

Volunteer and charitable opportunities

Job summary

Away is hiring a Merchandise Planning Manager to lead multi-channel planning, inventory pacing, and strategic product buys. You will shape Open-To-Buy plans, collaborate with B2B, Product, and Finance, and drive profitability across DTC and Wholesale channels.

This role requires 5+ years in merchandise planning, strong forecasting skills, and a track record in planning tool implementations. Based in the Soho, NYC office with a four-day onsite work week.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in merchandise planning, demand forecasting, or inventory management in multi-channel retail.
• Expertise in Open-To-Buy (OTB) planning, financial pacing, gross margin optimization, and lifecycle management.
• Experience with enterprise planning system implementations or UAT; openness to AI-driven tools.
• Strong quantitative skills and ability to translate data into channel recommendations.
• Ability to partner across B2B/Sales, Product, and Finance and communicate insights clearly.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end planning process for assigned channels and categories; manage inventory pacing and in-season adjustments.
• Build and maintain open-to-buy plans by account/market/SKU to align with financial targets.
• Collaborate with B2B, Product, and Finance to balance product pools across channels.
• Analyze historical trends, sell-through, and delivery cadence to inform pricing and lifecycle strategies.
• Participate in UAT/testing for planning tool rollout and ensure readiness ahead of 2027 launch.
• Translate topline demand forecasts into automated product-level buys for the planning tool.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Forecasting

OTB planning

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

About Away

We believe travel makes us better. Launched in 2016 with one perfectly designed carry-on, we now offer a range of luggage and travel essentials for every journey. Together we create, innovate, and embark on this journey as a community of travelers, helping to make travel more seamless for everyone.

Join The Crew

We are hiring a Merchandise Planning Manager to join our Merchandising, Planning, Allocation team. This position reports to the Director, Merchandise Planning and takes Away further by architecting our multi-year omnichannel product roadmap and global pricing strategy, allowing us to further grow our ownership in the travel marketplace.

As a key strategic leader, you will own portfolio profitability across DTC and Wholesale channels, drive commercial performance, and develop a high-impact team to scale Away's global footprint.

What You'll Do As The Merchandising Planning Manager

• You'll own the end-to-end planning process for assigned channels and categories, managing inventory pacing, monitoring channel trends, and reacting in-season to drive sales performance

• You'll build and maintain open-to-buy (OTB) plans by account, door, market, and/or SKU level aligned to financial pacing and margin targets, collaborating with commercial partners to inform pre-season assortment and volume recommendations

• You'll partner with B2B, Product, and Finance to balance shared product pools across competing channels, evaluating trade-offs to optimize total business performance without overexposing inventory.

• You'll analyze historical trends, sell-through, and delivery cadences to surface actionable insights for product mix, pricing, and lifecycle strategies

• You'll serve as a core functional tester during user-acceptance testing (UAT) and system implementation for our planning and allocation tool, validating demand inputs and planning logic to ensure departmental readiness ahead of the 2027 rollout

• You'll translate topline demand forecasts into automated product-level buys following the 2027 launch of our planning and allocation tool, utilizing system analytics to optimize replenishment and lifecycle execution

• You'll maintain baseline demand-tracking models and current operational tools before the 2027 launch, generating quality benchmark data to support model calibration and ongoing operational pacing

• You'll proactively evaluate and adopt emerging AI tools and digital planning technologies to streamline inventory analysis, automate routine reporting, and enhance category execution

Who You Are

• You have at least 5 years of experience in merchandise planning, demand forecasting, or inventory management within multi-channel retail environments

• You have demonstrated expertise in building and managing Open-To-Buy (OTB) plans, financial pacing, gross margin optimization, and product lifecycle management

• You have hands-on experience participating in enterprise planning system implementations or User Acceptance Testing (UAT), with a strong willingness to learn, adapt to, and leverage AI-driven demand forecasting tools

• You have strong quantitative skills with proficiency in data analysis software and inventory management platforms to translate complex data into actionable channel recommendations

• You've proven your ability to partner effectively across B2B/Sales, Product, and Finance teams, navigating competing channel priorities and communicating data insights with minimal guidance

• You're creative and innovative; you love to build great new things that are fresh and unique while staying on brand

• You're agile and motivated by a fast-paced and ever-changing environment.

• You're passionate about transforming travel for all (but that's a given!)

Who We Are

• We're travelers. Travel is about the journey - the transformative experiences and the growth each trip offers. All employees are encouraged to take time to get away through our variety of time away from work offerings.

• We're driven. The work we do matters and collectively drives impact. No matter the job title, everyone at Away is a meaningful contributor in unlocking our ever growing potential.

• We're supportive. We value the entirety of your life's journey, not just the milestones. You'll find an environment that celebrates balance, understanding that your personal passions and commitments outside of work, are threads of the same fabric that makes you unique.

What We Offer

Our total rewards are inclusive of both compensation and benefits. What we offer within a salary range is dependent on a number of factors, including scope and qualifications for the role, skillset, and balancing internal equity relative to other Away employees. Salary and benefit offerings are reviewed during phone screenings to ensure alignment.

• Compensation: $108,000-$120,000 annually

• This role is eligible to participate in Away's Annual Company Performance Incentive Bonus Plan, the terms of which are determined at the discretion of the company

• Equity Grant: commensurate with level determined at the discretion of the company

• Benefits Overview:

  • Take care of yourself and your family through our health insurance offerings

  • Invest in your future by participating in our 401(k) (with a company match!)

  • Find balance through our many paid time off programs (vacation, wellbeing, holidays, summer Fridays, and compassion leave - just to name a few!)

  • Build your travel uniform through discount codes, product stipends, and giveaways

  • Give back through company-sponsored volunteer and charitable opportunities

How We Work

This is an office-based position that works from our Soho, NYC office four days a week. Our working hours are 9am-6pm et, but we embrace a common-sense approach to flexibility in the workplace. It's about being present, engaged, and balancing work with real-life needs.

Our Commitment

As a company that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, Away seeks individuals of all backgrounds and experiences to apply for this opportunity. We're creating an environment where everyone can thrive. Our customers are global and diverse, so we're building a team that is too. Through initiatives like our Employee Resource Groups, anti-racism training, and bias prevention initiatives, we're building the cultural foundation that gives people the emotional and physical space to bring their authentic selves to work.

EEOC Statement:

Away is dedicated to hiring a diverse workplace that celebrates an inclusive culture and a sense of belonging. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, veteran status, genetic information or disability.

Away is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail].