Inventory Planning Manager

  • Full-time

Job Description

 The Inventory Planning Manager will be responsible for delivering a best-in-class customer experience through the strategic management of inventory for our fast-growing decor categories. You will partner with the Merchandising, Sourcing, E-commerce, and Operations teams to maximize sales and in-stocks, identify trends and opportunities, optimize inventory efficiency, and drive profitable growth.

Reporting to the Sr. Planning & Procurement Manager, you will be responsible for managing our robust product costing program to ensure we are realizing our margin goals. You will also have significant interactions with our large vendor network, building relationships to help us sustain our long-term growth.

Above all, we hope you will join and contribute to our unique culture of teamwork, collaboration, and fun!

What you’ll do:

  • Create pre-season, item-level sales plans that align with company financial goals and open-to-buy constraints.
  • Design inventory strategies that balance the composition of new and core, carry-over merchandise, and support in-stock and inventory level targets.
  • Determine item level order quantities and flow strategies and partner with Procurement to ensure timely and accurate execution of purchase orders and track on time shipments.
  • Leverage historical data to identify key learnings around product, pricing, and inventory and apply learnings to future seasons.
  • Perform in-season, item level forecasting and ad-hoc analysis to identify inventory-related risks and opportunities for chase.
  • Recommend promotional pricing that maximizes sales and margin and balances inventory.
  • Determine markdown and end-of-life disposition strategies for non-go forward products.
  • Develop strong cross-functional partnerships with Merchandising, Sourcing, E-commerce, Operations, and external vendors.
  • Manage and maintain product costing for new and carry-over items

What you bring to the table:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Math, Finance, Accounting, Business, or Statistics preferred (MBA or other relevant master’s degree a bonus)
  • 5+ years of experience in an inventory planning or forecasting role
  • A passion for drawing insights from data
  • Excellent business acumen
  • Comfort with ambiguity
  • Strong Excel skills
  • Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to partner with and influence internal partners and external vendors
  • Strong attention to detail when identifying data relationships, trends, and anomalies
  • Proficiency in retail math and experience managing a traditional open-to-buy
  • Creative problem solver
  • Ability to take initiative and deliver tangible results within deadlines
  • Ability to take direction from several individuals and be self-directed
  • Experience in retail strongly preferred
  • Experience with direct vendor negotiation preferred

About Balsam Brands: Balsam Brands is a multi-brand eCommerce retailer with roots in holiday and home décor. We strive for excellence in everything we do and present a unique opportunity to those who are seeking to have a meaningful impact in a fast-paced, high-energy environment. We love to reimagine eCommerce and retail in ways that thrill our customers, and to leave a lasting impact on the world around us. We have fast-growing teams in the Bay Area, Boise, Manila, and Dublin.

The company's outward focus on building trusted consumer brands along with its internal focus on excellence and being a great place to work have propelled it to consistent, rapid growth.

Location: Redwood City, CA

Notes: This is a full-time, permanent position with benefits. 

Contact: Please submit a cover letter and resume. Please include in your cover letter a dish that you would like to bring to one of our potlucks.

At Balsam Brands, we are dedicated to diversity in our dynamic and growing workforce and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, citizenship, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

Additional Information

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