Planning Manager, Essentials

Peter Millar LLC; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A luxury performance apparel company in Raleigh is looking for a Planning Manager to oversee replenishment and planning systems. This critical role requires strong analytical skills, experience with enterprise planning, and a bachelor's degree. Responsibilities include managing demand forecasts, inventory performance, and ensuring system governance. The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years in merchandise or demand planning and be adept in Excel and relevant planning tools.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in merchandise planning or inventory management.
• Experience with enterprise planning systems is preferred.
• Strong analytical skills necessary for demand forecasting.

Responsibilities

• Own SKU-level demand forecasts for core products.
• Manage open-to-buy and ensure alignment with financial targets.
• Lead cross-functional requirements gathering and workflow design.

Skills

Analytical capability with advanced Excel proficiency

Cross-functional communication skills

Governance and process refinement

Familiarity with statistical forecasting methodologies

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or Analytics

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Enterprise planning systems (e.g., Anaplan, Blue Yonder)

Job description

Planning Manager, Replenishment & Planning Systems page is loaded## Planning Manager, Replenishment & Planning Systemslocations: Research Triangle Park, NCtime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Yesterdayjob requisition id: JR100585It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing!*We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business.***Peter Millar was founded in 2001 with a single cashmere sweater offered in 24 colors. Based in Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina, the American lifestyle brand has grown to include luxury performance sportswear, seasonal resort and country club apparel, sophisticated classics, casually refined tailored clothing and sartorial accessories.****We strive to capture timeless style upgraded with signature innovations, in designs that are in tune with modern life. We embrace working hard, being kind and doing right by our customers, aiming to set a higher standard for the apparel industry.***Peter Millar is seeking a Planning Manager to lead our replenishment business while serving as the business owner and governance lead for our enterprise planning systems. This is a high-impact role that blends analytical rigor, cross-functional leadership, and systems ownership. The individual will be responsible not only for driving inventory health and financial performance, but also for ensuring our planning tools are structured, adopted, and optimized to support long-term growth.*This role has dual accountability:1. Own the replenishment strategy and inventory performance for our core, year-round styles across channels.2. Serve as the business systems owner for our planning platform ecosystem, ensuring consistency, governance, and continuous improvement as we expand into Demand Forecasting, Allocation, and Assortment Planning capabilities.**ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS**:**Replenishment Strategy & Inventory Ownership*** Own SKU-level demand forecasts and replenishment planning for core product across all channels* Manage open-to-buy and ensure purchase orders align to financial targets* Partner with Supply Planning to ensure accurate inbound timing and balanced inventory across distribution centers* Develop long-range demand forecasts to inform capacity planning and safety stock strategy* Set and manage safety stock targets by SKU; communicate required adjustments to Production and Sourcing teams* Lead quarterly replenishment assortment reviews with Planning, Design, and Commercial leadership to evaluate GMROI, margin, and productivity**Planning Systems Governance & Business Ownership*** Serve as business owner of the Merchandise Financial Planning (MFP) platform and future modules (Demand Forecasting, Allocation, Assortment Planning)* Establish and enforce governance standards including:* Seasonal setup protocols* Data integrity rules* Process consistency across users* Lead cross-functional requirements gathering and future-state workflow design* Translate business needs into clear functional requirements for IT and vendor partners* Maintain and prioritize a backlog of enhancements based on business impact* Ensure high adoption through training, documentation, and user enablement* Partner with IT to resolve technical issues and optimize performance**Operational Excellence*** Monitor system data accuracy, planning inputs, and forecasting outputs* Serve as escalation point for planning system questions* Develop and maintain documentation including SOPs, FAQs, and training guides* Champion disciplined planning processes and best practices across teams* Drive continuous improvement in forecasting accuracy and inventory productivity**COMPETENCIES:*** Strong analytical capability with advanced Excel proficiency* Experience operating within modern planning systems* Ability to balance strategic thinking with detailed execution* Comfortable driving structure and governance in a growing environment* Strong cross-functional communication and influence skills* Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to build and refine processes* Advanced or Expert in Microsoft Excel (familiar with: creating variables, power query editor, and data models)* Familiarity with forecasting methodologies and statistical models**DESIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:*** Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Analytics, or related field* 3–5 years of merchandise planning, demand planning, or inventory planning experience (apparel or footwear preferred)* Experience working within enterprise planning systems (e.g., Impact Analytics, Anaplan, Blue Yonder, etc.)* Experience supporting or administering planning systems is strongly preferred*If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!*