Job Description

About the Inventory Planning Team

The Inventory Planning team is responsible for maximizing sales and margin through strategic inventory management.

of the Planning Manager role

As the Inventory Planning Manager, you will be responsible for setting, directing and executing the inventory planning and management strategy for your product category. You will manage the team to execute planning and purchasing in accordance with brand financial plans, working to maximize fulfillment, minimize overstocks, and achieve optimum inventory levels for all selling channels. In partnership with Merchant, Sourcing, and sales Channel teams, you will review and make recommendations regarding merchandising plans and strategies.

Responsibilities

• Manage the monthly Open-to-Buy process for your product category
  • Forecast sales, backorders, margin, receipts and end-of-period inventories.
  • Gain alignment from your merch partners
  • Present plan and variances to prior forecast to brand leadership, effectively communicating challenges to maintaining inventory to budget and proposing solutions
• Collaborate with your merchant partners to build quarterly bottom-up sales, margin and receipt plans for your division at the SKU level that are presented to senior brand leadership for alignment.
• Maintain unit sales forecast in the JustEnough statistical planning software
• Participate in weekly business review meetings, communicating relevant inventory issues to brand stakeholders
• Propose monthly re-orders for your category, ensuring they optimize to in-stock rates and the inventory budget and pass off to the Supply Chain Optimization (SCO) team for placement.
• Monitor and assess current purchase orders monthly for any desired shifts in receipts (pull-up, push-out, cancel) or unexpected shifts in delivery dates.
• Create weekly Clearance and Promotional pricing proposals to manage in-season inventory and exits, balancing margin with inventory targets.
• Review daily sales results and react to the business
• Provide ad hoc reporting for senior leadership and brand partners.

You…

• Love to work collaboratively in a group, you have an innate willingness to dig in and contribute with your team
• Are a true business owner; comfortable with decision making and calculated risk taking
• Enjoy presenting and collaborating with senior leadership
• Think innovation is critical in a business environment and support others in creative thinking
• Pride yourself on the quality of work and are a stickler for the details

• Effectively manage workload amongst competing priorities

• Are comfortable working with and leveraging data to develop solutions and business insights

• Are driven and motivated by the possibilities ahead

• Naturally challenge yourself and others to grow

Qualifications:

• 5-8 years of experience in Inventory Planning and Management, Retail Systems, or other analytical role

• Advanced Excel skills

• Proficiency with SQL and other business intelligence/ reporting platforms

• Strong analytical thinking skills

• Strong understanding of Retail Math

• Flexible and growth-oriented mindset

• Able to clearly communicate complex ideas

• College degree preferred

People First

Putting People First means investing in overall well-being and opportunities to grow and advance within the organization. Depending on the position and location, here are a few highlights of what benefits may be available:

Benefits

• A generous discount on all WSI brands
• A 401(k) plan and other investment opportunities
• Paid vacations, holidays, and time off to volunteer
• Health benefits, dental and vision insurance, including same-sex domestic partner benefits
• Tax-free commuter benefits
• A wellness program that supports your physical, financial and emotional health

Continued Learning

• In-person and online learning opportunities through WSI University
• Cross-brand and cross-function career opportunities
• Resources for self-development
• Advisor (Mentor) program
• Career development workshops, learning programs, and speaker series

WSI will not now or in the future commence an immigration case or "sponsor" an individual for this position (for example, H-1B or other employment-based immigration).

This role is not eligible for relocation assistance.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, or other applicable state or local laws and ordinances.

Our Company

Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is the premier specialty retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home in the United States. Our family of brands are Williams Sonoma, Williams Sonoma Home, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, Rejuvenation, West Elm, Mark & Graham, Outward, and GreenRow. These brands are among the best known and most respected in the industry. We offer beautifully-designed, stylish and functional products for every area of the home, including the kitchen, living room, bedroom, home office, closet, laundry room and even outdoor spaces. We've seen some big changes since our first brick-and-mortar store opened more than half of a century ago. What hasn't changed is our passion for high-quality products, functional design, outstanding customer service, and enhancing the lives of our customers and the communities where we operate. Today, we're a multi-brand, multi-channel, global enterprise supported by state-of-the-art technology and some of the most talented teams in retailing - and we're always looking for new energy and ideas.