Sr Inventory Planner

As Senior Inventory Planner, you will play a critical role in driving strategic inventory decisions across Lands' End product categories and enterprise level accounts. This highly visible position requires exceptional analytical and communication skills, with regular interaction across internal cross-functional teams and external enterprise clients. The planner will lead the development of inventory forecasts, analyze performance trends, and present actionable recommendations that influence business outcomes. Success in this role requires an entrepreneurial mindset, a customer-first approach, and the ability to think strategically while executing with precision. Experience in business-to-business (B2B) planning is highly preferred, as this role often supports large enterprise customers with tailored inventory solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, execute, and communicate strategic product/color/size forecasts that support merchandising, sales, and financial objectives across divisions or client accounts.
• Deliver early commits and pre-season projections to support proactive inventory positioning.
• Analyze historical performance, productivity, and current trends to identify risks and opportunities, translating insights into strategic recommendations for both internal teams and external clients.
• Present inventory strategies and performance insights in high-visibility meetings with senior leadership and large enterprise customers.
• Provide guidance on depth and timing of markdowns and price cuts throughout the product lifecycle.
• Recap and analyze actual performance against key financial metrics (e.g., OTB, LY), and forecast in-season metrics and fulfillment rates on a weekly/monthly/quarterly basis that aligns with contractual KPI's
• Collaborate with Merchandising, Sourcing, and Saless to align financial and product strategies.
• Communicate financial results, forecasts, and action plans clearly and effectively to internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Champion a customer-first mindset by aligning inventory strategies with client needs and expectations.
• Support a collaborative, innovative, and results-oriented environment by sharing best practices and driving continuous improvement.
• Lead or participate in special projects across the functional area, taking ownership of outcomes and cross-functional coordination.
• Mentor, coach, and support onboarding of associate planners and new hires.
• Identify and implement process improvements that enhance inventory planning efficiency and accuracy.
• May assume leadership responsibilities in the absence of the Manager.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in inventory planning, merchandise planning, or supply chain analytics.
• Experience in business-to-business (B2B) planning strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to analyze complex data sets and translate findings into clear, actionable strategies.
• Exceptional communication skills-verbal, written, and presentation-with the ability to influence internal stakeholders and external enterprise clients.
• Strong proficiency in planning tools and systems (e.g., Excel, Tableau, SAP, or similar platforms).
• Experience presenting to senior leadership and external partners in high-stakes environments.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a proactive approach to problem-solving and innovation.
• Customer-first orientation with a strong understanding of client needs and business impact.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Collaborative mindset with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities and interest in mentoring others.