Vice President / Head of Wholesale Planning

Location: New York

Direct Reports: Director(s) of Planning, Merchandise Planning Managers, Demand Planning, Planning Analysts

Position Summary

The Vice President / Head of Wholesale Planning is responsible for leading the company's wholesale planning strategy, driving profitable growth through best-in-class merchandise planning, inventory management, demand forecasting, and financial planning. This executive partners closely with Sales, Merchandising, Design, Sourcing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations to ensure the organization delivers the right product, in the right quantities, at the right time.

This leader builds planning capabilities, improves forecasting accuracy, optimizes inventory investments, and develops scalable planning processes that support both existing business and future growth. The role is highly analytical while serving as a strategic business partner to senior leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning Leadership

• Develop and execute the company's wholesale planning strategy aligned with financial and growth objectives. 
• Own seasonal financial plans including sales, inventory, margin, and receipt targets. 
• Lead long-range planning and annual operating plans for the wholesale business. 
• Build scalable planning capabilities to support continued company growth. 
• Serve as a key member of the Product and Commercial Leadership Team. 

Merchandise & Financial Planning

Lead planning across all brands and wholesale channels including:

• Sales forecasting 
• Inventory planning 
• Open-to-Buy (OTB) 
• Receipt planning 
• Margin planning 
• SKU productivity 
• Category performance 
• Style productivity 
• Lifecycle planning 

Ensure inventory investments maximize profitability while maintaining appropriate customer service levels.

Forecasting & Demand Planning

• Improve forecast accuracy using historical data, market trends, POS information, and customer insights. 
• Develop scenario planning around demand shifts, tariffs, supply disruptions, and customer changes. 
• Lead monthly forecast reviews with executive leadership. 
• Establish standardized forecasting methodologies across brands. 

Inventory Optimization

• Optimize inventory investments across all brands. 
• Reduce excess inventory and markdown exposure. 
• Improve inventory turns and productivity. 
• Partner with Supply Chain to balance service levels with working capital objectives. 
• Develop strategies for slow-moving and aging inventory. 

Commercial Partnership

Support Sales leadership by:

• Providing customer-level planning insights 
• Supporting major account planning      
• Building financial scenarios 
• Identifying growth opportunities 
• Evaluating assortment productivity 
• Participating in customer business reviews 

Business Analytics

Develop executive reporting and dashboards including:

• Sales performance 
• Forecast accuracy 
• Inventory health 
• Fill rates 
• Customer demand 
• Margin performance 
• Inventory turns 
• Weeks of Supply 
• Open-to-Buy 
• Gross Margin Return on Inventory (GMROI) 

Provide actionable recommendations based on data.

Process Improvement

Drive continuous improvement across planning functions by:

• Standardizing planning processes 
• Implementing planning tools and technology 
• Improving data quality 
• Automating reporting 
• Simplifying planning workflows 
• Creating scalable operating rhythms 

Team Leadership

• Recruit, develop, and mentor a high-performing planning organization. 
• Build organizational capability through coaching and succession planning. 
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. 
• Establish clear performance expectations and development plans. 

Leadership Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic business acumen 
• Executive presence 
• Strong commercial mindset 
• Exceptional analytical capability      
• Financial acumen 
• Collaborative leadership 
• Data-driven decision making 
• Influence without authority 
• Change leadership 
• Operational excellence 
• Customer focus 
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment 

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, Merchandising, or related field 
• 12+ years of progressive planning experience within wholesale apparel, footwear, or consumer products 
• 7+ years leading high-performing planning teams 
• Experience supporting major wholesale retailers 
• Strong financial planning and  inventory management expertise 
• Advanced analytical and forecasting skills 
• Experience with ERP, planning, and BI platforms 
• Expert proficiency in Excel and planning systems 

Preferred

• MBA 
• Experience in licensed apparel 
• Children's apparel experience 
• Experience with omnichannel planning 
• Experience leading planning transformation initiatives 

This position is currently expected to work in-office four days per week. The in-office schedule may change based on evolving business needs.