Planning Manager Operations

Startops; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 127,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Planning Manager to shape the financial strategy across multiple product categories. This hybrid role involves forecasting product performance and leading a high-performing team to ensure optimal inventory flow. Candidates should have strong analytical skills and experience in merchandise planning and financial strategy.

Benefits

31 days holidays (including Bank Holidays) + your birthday

401K contributions up to 6%

Fitness Perk

50% Gymshark Discount

Medical, Dental, Vision and FSA

Paid time off when unwell

Generous Family Leave package

Bonus potential

Qualifications

• Experience in merchandise planning, allocation, or financial planning.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Forecast and optimize product inventory flow to maximize seasonal profitability.
• Drive financial strategy and team empowerment in merchandise planning.
• Monitor and report weekly business performance versus forecast.

Skills

Analytical skills

Financial modeling

Problem-solving

Communication

Technical aptitude

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Planning Manager

Forecast and optimize product inventory flow to maximize seasonal profitability

Location: New York

Compensation: $127,000 - 140,000 USD / year

Job Tags: Operations

About The Role

Planning Manager

Overview: As a Planning Manager, you are at the heart of shaping the financial strategy for an entire gender across multiple product categories. You don't just manage numbers, you drive the success of the business by balancing current sales trends, inventory insights, and ambitious financial goals with a keen eye on what's next. In close partnership with your Merchandising counterpart, you forecast future product performance, analyze in-season results, and build strategies that guide product flow across channels and regions.

But this role is more than just financial planning, it's about team empowerment. You manage the company's largest financial asset: our product inventory for NAM. And with that comes the responsibility to lead and inspire a high-performing team. You're someone who brings out the best in others, coaching, developing, and nurturing talent to grow both their potential and their impact on the business.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills are essential, as you collaborate cross-functionally and influence partners at all levels. You create clarity through complexity and empower others through your vision, insight, and inclusive mentorship. If you're a strategic thinker with a passion for people and product and you're motivated by driving results through others...this role is where you can truly make your mark.

What You'll Be Doing:

Preseason:

• Build preseason sales, margin, and inventory plans across gender, category, and style/color levels.
• Analyze past performance to identify growth drivers and missed opportunities.
• Evaluate and summarize product plan risk and opportunity based on trend and key financials (IMU, AUR, AUC, net margin £/$ and rate).
• Present financial strategy and insights at key Commercial Process Milestones.
• Recommend optimal style and color count, product flow, and category investment to drive margin and seasonal productivity.
• Partner with the Head of Planning to define and communicate strategies for growth, maintenance, or decline categories based on trends and historical data.

In Season:

• Monitor and report weekly business performance vs. forecast, identifying key trends and variances.
• Flag risks and opportunities early; recommend actions to optimize current and future quarter results.
• Lead monthly OTB forecasting with updated sales, margin, and inventory projections in partnership with the Head of Planning.
• Provide forward-looking insights, validate stock-to-sales ratios, and identify opportunities to maximize in-season performance.
• Manage receipt flow to improve turn, reconcile receipts, and drive pricing strategies for profitability.
• Track core style trends and align with Merchandising on inventory flow.
• Ensure accurate in-store allocations by style, color, and size, maintaining optimal weeks of supply.
• Build weekly style-level sales plans to track performance vs. forecast.
• Partner with Head of Planning on markdown and promo strategies, delivering pricing and margin impact scenarios.

What You'll Need:

Please note this is a hybrid role partially based in our New York City office. All candidates must be local or willing to relocate. You must also be authorized to work in the United States.

• Previous experience in merchandise planning, allocation, merchandising, financial planning, strategy or business analytics
• Strong analytical, financial modeling and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Ability to manage multiple work streams/projects with tight deadlines
• Strong technical aptitude, including advanced competency in Microsoft Excel and ability to quickly master new applications and systems

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Experience in activewear apparel planning
• Experience working internationally, across multiple currency types
• Experience working on multiple apparel product categories
• A love of the gym and living an active lifestyle

Salary Range:

This role has a salary range between $127,000 - $140,000. The base pay offered is based on market, experience, and skills.

The Perks:

At Gymshark we believe in the importance of investing in our employees through their physical, mental, and financial health along with being able to provide some fun and inclusive perks along the way.

31 days holidays (including Bank Holidays) + your birthday 401K contributions up to 6% Fitness Perk 50% Gymshark Discount Medical, Dental, Vision and FSA Paid time off when you're physically and mentally unwell Generous Family Leave package – we support you extending your family Bonus potential

*All benefits are non-contractual, and Gymshark may amend, terminate, or enhance the benefits provided you and our other employees from time to time as it deems appropriate.

Belonging at Gymshark:

Our mission is to be a place where everyone belongs. We're an equal opportunities employer, and for us that means we always strive to be as inclusive as possible in all aspects of employment, right from your application. We're committed to finding reasonable adjustments for candidates with specific needs or have a disability during our recruitment process, and all applicants will be considered fairly and equally. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind.