Merchandise Planning Manager

  • Dallas, Texas, United States
  • Full-Time
  • On-Site
  • 85,000-105,000 USD / Year

Job Description:

Recruiting a hands-on, business-owning Merchandise Planner who can take full ownership of forecasting, inventory strategy, and performance management across Wholesale and DTC. This is not a support role — this planner will run the numbers, tell the story, and drive decisions.

The Planning Manager partners closely with the Head of Wholesale & Planning and works cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, Finance, and Brand to ensure we are buying, producing, and selling the right product at the right time — with clarity and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Planning & Forecasting

  • Own seasonal and monthly forecasts by channel (Wholesale, DTC, International as needed)

  • Build and manage SKU-level demand plans tied to sales targets and growth goals

  • Create rolling forecasts that adapt to business changes (not static annual plans)

Inventory & Open-to-Buy (OTB)

  • Own OTB planning and inventory flow across core, newness, and replenishment styles

  • Monitor weeks of supply, sell-through, and inventory risk

  • Partner with Operations and Supply Chain to align production timing and quantities

  • Flag inventory risks early and propose clear actions (chase, pause, rebalance)

Wholesale Support

  • Partner with leadership on:
    • Account-level forecasts

    • Line reviews and buy planning

    • Show and market planning

  • Ensure wholesale commitments align with inventory and margin targets

Reporting & Business Insights

  • Deliver clear, executive-ready reporting:
    • Sales vs plan

    • Inventory health

    • Forecast changes

  • Translate data into actionable recommendations, not just spreadsheets

  • Bring insights to weekly and monthly business reviews

Cross-Functional Leadership

  • Serve as the single source of truth for numbers

  • Work closely with Finance to align forecasts, accruals, and inventory valuation

  • Partner with Brand and Marketing to understand launch timing and demand impact

Who You Are

  • 6–10+ years in merchandise planning, demand planning, or inventory planning

  • Experience in DTC + Wholesale (consumer brand experience strongly preferred)

  • Comfortable in growth environments where structure is still being built

  • Strong Excel/Sheets skills (advanced modeling required)

  • Experience working with ERP, inventory, or BI tools (NetSuite, Power BI, etc. a plus)

  • Confident communicator who can push back with data

  • Proactive, organized, and calm under pressure