Strategic Planning Manager: Demand, Inventory & Forecasting

Dufry Careers; East Rutherford (NJ); On-site; USD 110,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Generous paid time off

Employee discounts across brands

Employee assistance program

Training and career growth

Referral program

Job summary

Dufry Careers in East Rutherford, NJ is seeking a Senior Planning Manager to lead demand, inventory, and financial planning across multiple merchandise categories. You will establish forecasting and Open-to-Buy strategies, govern planning processes, and partner with Category Management, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations.

The role requires 6+ years in retail planning, advanced knowledge of forecasting, OTB, and inventory optimization, and strong analytical and leadership skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; education and experience must exceed 6 years.
• 2+ years in a leadership role supervising planning professionals.
• 6–8 years of retail planning experience with forecasting and inventory focus.
• Strong knowledge of merchandise planning, OTB, and replenishment.

Responsibilities

• Leads planning strategy across assigned categories with targets aligned to enterprise objectives.
• Owns category-level forecasts ensuring alignment with commercial strategies and financial plans.
• Serves as primary planning partner to Category Management, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations; guides risks and opportunities.
• Directs forecasting processes and governance using historical trends, promotions, seasonality, and growth initiatives.
• Governs Open-to-Buy plans and inventory investment strategies with Finance; balances sales and capital.
• Provides guidance on inventory management including assortment optimization, markdown strategies, exit plans, and productivity.
• Delivers analytics to evaluate category performance and provide actionable recommendations to improve sales and margins.
• Partners with suppliers and internal stakeholders to align demand and drive category performance.
• Delivers executive-level reporting, financial analysis, scenario planning, and business insights.
• Leads, coaches, and develops Planning talent and drives process governance improvements.

Skills

Forecasting

OTB

Inventory planning

Demand forecasting

Open-to-Buy

Analytical skills

Leadership

Stakeholder mgmt

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Job description

Dufry Careers in East Rutherford, NJ is seeking a Senior Planning Manager to lead demand, inventory, and financial planning across multiple merchandise categories. You will establish forecasting and Open-to-Buy strategies, govern planning processes, and partner with Category Management, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations.

The role requires 6+ years in retail planning, advanced knowledge of forecasting, OTB, and inventory optimization, and strong analytical and leadership skills.