Strategic Merch & Inventory Planning Leader

BRICK Executive Search; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Brick Executive Search is partnering with a fast-growing contemporary womens retail/ wholesale brand to recruit a Planning Manager. This role oversees merchandise and financial planning across multiple categories, driving sales, margin and inventory health.

You will collaborate with merchants, allocators and cross-functional teams to build, analyze and execute seasonal plans and lifecycle improvements, ensuring targets are met.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in retail, e-commerce and/or international markets.
• Experience within an apparel business is a plus.
• Retail math and margin planning experience evident.
• Strong verbal and written communication, able to present complex material.
• Strategic thinker who builds business cases and influences leadership.
• Strong product sense to guide assortments and investments.
• Excellent time management, detail-oriented and collaborative.
• Proven track record driving financial results and mentoring talent.
• Ability to articulate financial concepts to non-financial partners.
• Experience with Forecast & Replenishment, Financial Planning and Allocation systems.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, Access or BI tools.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with merchant team to aggregate 12-month revenue and margin plans.
• Monitor performance vs forecasts; adjust metrics monthly with insights.
• Communicate variances with supporting details to stakeholders.
• Align merchants and buy levels at all checkpoints.
• Partner cross-functionally to analyze performance for new product introductions.
• Develop merchandise assortment plans to meet financial objectives.
• Set seasonal sales and margin goals; reconcile top-down and bottom-up forecasts.
• Account for assortment changes due to store count, launches, or discontinue products.
• Lead product reviews with marketing, merchandising and design.
• Oversee a team of category-management and replenishment planners.

Skills

10+ yrs exp

Retail

E-commerce

International exp

Merchandise planning

Financial planning

Forecasting & replenishment

Excel

Access

BI tools

Tools

Excel

Access

BI tools

Job description

Brick Executive Search is partnering with a fast-growing contemporary womens retail/ wholesale brand to recruit a Planning Manager. This role oversees merchandise and financial planning across multiple categories, driving sales, margin and inventory health.

You will collaborate with merchants, allocators and cross-functional teams to build, analyze and execute seasonal plans and lifecycle improvements, ensuring targets are met.