Director of Merchandise Planning Jobs
Director of Merchandise Planning jobs are open across retail, e-commerce, wholesale, and consumer goods, at levels from manager to VP, with specializations in open-to-buy planning, assortment strategy, and inventory optimization. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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As the Vice President Merchandise Planning, you will lead the team responsible for developing and executing merchandise planning, forecasting, and inventory management functions. This critical leadership position is responsible for developing and executing inventory plans that align with the company’s overall strategy and objectives. The primary goal of the position is to optimize sales, margin, and inventory turnover, ensuring we meet customer demand while maximizing profitability. You will also play an important role in evolving our planning capabilities including driving improvements in processes, systems, and operational methodologies.
Job Functions (Employees must be able to perform the job functions of this position satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the duties, knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. If requested, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.)
- Strategic Planning: Develop and oversee comprehensive merchandise inventory plans and strategies that support the company's goals, market trends, and customer demand. Ensure alignment with cross-functional partners, including Merchandising, Marketing, and Operations.
- Sales and Margin Optimization: Strategically balance inventory levels to optimize sales and profitability. Use data-driven insights to achieve a competitive margin and maximize sell-through rates.
- Forecasting and Demand Planning: Oversee forecasting and demand planning processes to ensure accurate, timely inventory allocation that matches customer demand and minimizes stockouts or overstock situations.
- Inventory Management: Implement efficient inventory management practices to support inventory turnover aligned with industry best practices while maintaining quality stock levels across all channels.
- Process Transformation: Lead the transformation of planning processes and capabilities. Identify and implement improvements in forecasting methodologies, systems, and planning tools to enhance the agility and accuracy of the planning function.
- Team Leadership: Build and lead a high-performing Planning & Inventory team. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and collaboration while focusing on developing team members' skills and capabilities.
- Cross Functional Collaboration: Work collaboratively with other departments such as merchandising, sourcing, marketing, finance, and operations to ensure alignment and effective execution. Collaborate to support company-wide strategic initiatives and drive best practices.
- Technology and Tools: Leverage and implement appropriate planning tools, systems, and technology to enhance the merchandise planning process and improve efficiency
- Performance Analysis and Reporting: Utilize data analysis to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to sales, margin, and inventory. Provide regular updates and insights to senior leadership, along with recommendations for corrective actions as needed.
Skills
- Proven expertise leading demand planning, forecasting, and inventory optimization efforts aligned with the company's financial objectives, market trends, and customer demand.
- Experience leading large-scale transformations in planning processes, tools, and systems.
- Strong analytical skills with a deep understanding of data analysis and reporting to drive decisions.
- Experience leading an omni channel business including wholesale, Ecommerce and direct to consumer.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across departments and influence stakeholders at various levels.
- Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills, capable of prioritizing teams and tasks while driving results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Proactive problem-solving abilities with a focus on continuous improvement and operational efficiency.
- Experience leading large teams providing guidance, mentorship and career development.
- Ability to adapt to a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities effectively.
Leadership Responsibilities
- Lead and manager a team of 30+ employees.
- Provide guidance, support, and mentorship to team members.
- Foster a collaborative and positive work environment.
- Set performance expectations and goals for team members.
- Conduct regular performance evaluations and provide constructive feedback.
- Identify and address performance issues through coaching and disciplinary actions when necessary.
- Participate and recruitment and onboarding of new team members, as needed.
- Identify training needs within the team and coordinate relevant development programs, encourage continuous learning and skill development among team members.
- Serve as liaison between upper management and team, conveying organizational goals and expectations.
- Address conflicts or issues within the team promptly and effectively.
- Manage team resources, including workload distribution and project assignments.
- Ensure optimal utilization of team member’s skills and expertise.
- Collaborate with upper management to establish team goals aligned with organizational objectives.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of department strategies.
Education & Experience Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, or a related field.
- 10+ years of experience in merchandise planning, inventory management, or a related field, with a track record of success in a senior leadership role.
- Demonstrated success in leading and developing high-performing teams.
-
Experience working within an SAP environment, including exposure to SAP implementations or transformations, is a plus.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
As the Vice President Merchandise Planning, you will lead the team responsible for developing and executing merchandise planning, forecasting, and inventory management functions. This critical leadership position is responsible for developing and executing inventory plans that align with the company’s overall strategy and objectives. The primary goal of the position is to optimize sales, margin, and inventory turnover, ensuring we meet customer demand while maximizing profitability. You will also play an important role in evolving our planning capabilities including driving improvements in processes, systems, and operational methodologies.
Job Functions (Employees must be able to perform the job functions of this position satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the duties, knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. If requested, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.)
- Strategic Planning: Develop and oversee comprehensive merchandise inventory plans and strategies that support the company's goals, market trends, and customer demand. Ensure alignment with cross-functional partners, including Merchandising, Marketing, and Operations.
- Sales and Margin Optimization: Strategically balance inventory levels to optimize sales and profitability. Use data-driven insights to achieve a competitive margin and maximize sell-through rates.
- Forecasting and Demand Planning: Oversee forecasting and demand planning processes to ensure accurate, timely inventory allocation that matches customer demand and minimizes stockouts or overstock situations.
- Inventory Management: Implement efficient inventory management practices to support inventory turnover aligned with industry best practices while maintaining quality stock levels across all channels.
- Process Transformation: Lead the transformation of planning processes and capabilities. Identify and implement improvements in forecasting methodologies, systems, and planning tools to enhance the agility and accuracy of the planning function.
- Team Leadership: Build and lead a high-performing Planning & Inventory team. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and collaboration while focusing on developing team members' skills and capabilities.
- Cross Functional Collaboration: Work collaboratively with other departments such as merchandising, sourcing, marketing, finance, and operations to ensure alignment and effective execution. Collaborate to support company-wide strategic initiatives and drive best practices.
- Technology and Tools: Leverage and implement appropriate planning tools, systems, and technology to enhance the merchandise planning process and improve efficiency
- Performance Analysis and Reporting: Utilize data analysis to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to sales, margin, and inventory. Provide regular updates and insights to senior leadership, along with recommendations for corrective actions as needed.
Skills
- Proven expertise leading demand planning, forecasting, and inventory optimization efforts aligned with the company's financial objectives, market trends, and customer demand.
- Experience leading large-scale transformations in planning processes, tools, and systems.
- Strong analytical skills with a deep understanding of data analysis and reporting to drive decisions.
- Experience leading an omni channel business including wholesale, Ecommerce and direct to consumer.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across departments and influence stakeholders at various levels.
- Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills, capable of prioritizing teams and tasks while driving results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Proactive problem-solving abilities with a focus on continuous improvement and operational efficiency.
- Experience leading large teams providing guidance, mentorship and career development.
- Ability to adapt to a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities effectively.
Leadership Responsibilities
- Lead and manager a team of 30+ employees.
- Provide guidance, support, and mentorship to team members.
- Foster a collaborative and positive work environment.
- Set performance expectations and goals for team members.
- Conduct regular performance evaluations and provide constructive feedback.
- Identify and address performance issues through coaching and disciplinary actions when necessary.
- Participate and recruitment and onboarding of new team members, as needed.
- Identify training needs within the team and coordinate relevant development programs, encourage continuous learning and skill development among team members.
- Serve as liaison between upper management and team, conveying organizational goals and expectations.
- Address conflicts or issues within the team promptly and effectively.
- Manage team resources, including workload distribution and project assignments.
- Ensure optimal utilization of team member’s skills and expertise.
- Collaborate with upper management to establish team goals aligned with organizational objectives.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of department strategies.
Education & Experience Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, or a related field.
- 10+ years of experience in merchandise planning, inventory management, or a related field, with a track record of success in a senior leadership role.
- Demonstrated success in leading and developing high-performing teams.
-
Experience working within an SAP environment, including exposure to SAP implementations or transformations, is a plus.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
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Find JobsDirector of Merchandise Planning Job Market
Who's Hiring
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in director of merchandise planning jobs.
- 7 or more years of merchandise planning or inventory management experience in retail or e-commerce
- Proficiency in planning and allocation software such as Oracle Retail, Blue Yonder, or similar platforms
- Demonstrated experience managing open-to-buy budgets across multiple categories or departments
- Strong skills in financial forecasting, demand planning, and inventory optimization
- Experience leading and developing a team of planners or analysts
- Bachelor's degree in business, finance, merchandising, or a related field
Tips for Your Director of Merchandise Planning Job Search
Quantify your open-to-buy impact
Hiring managers for director-level roles want to see OTB numbers, not just responsibilities. Pull your actual figures for inventory turn improvement, markdown reduction, or sales-to-stock ratios and lead your resume bullets with those outcomes.
Align your resume to the retail format
Retail and e-commerce companies scan for category-specific vocabulary: OTB, receipt flow, sell-through, and demand forecasting. Mirror the exact language from each job posting so your application clears the ATS and reads as a match to the hiring team.
Target companies at the right growth stage
A fast-growing direct-to-consumer brand needs a director who can build planning infrastructure from scratch. A legacy department store needs someone who can optimize existing systems. Read the job description for clues about which situation you are walking into, then pitch accordingly.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists director of merchandise planning openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Prepare a case study for the final interview
Directors are often asked to present a planning scenario or a past business problem they solved. Prepare one concise example that shows how you built or revised a merchandise plan, what data you used, and what the outcome was for the business.
Negotiate scope before you negotiate compensation
Before accepting an offer, clarify what departments you own, whether you have direct reports, and how much authority you have over assortment decisions. Scope mismatches at the director level are the most common reason people leave inside two years.
Director of Merchandise Planning Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most director of merchandise plannings?
The most active employers for director of merchandise plannings right now are Macy's, Vera Bradley, and Gap, and the most openings are in New York, Indiana, and California, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Retail chains, department stores, and large e-commerce operators tend to post the highest volume of these roles year-round.
How many director of merchandise planning jobs are remote?
About 100% of director of merchandise planning openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though availability varies by company size and retail format. Functions centered on financial planning, OTB management, and cross-functional strategy tend to be more flexible than roles that require close collaboration with buying or allocation teams on-site.
How do you become a director of merchandise planning?
Most directors start as merchandise planners or analysts, build experience managing category-level OTB and inventory, and progress through senior planner and planning manager roles before reaching director. Developing cross-functional experience with buying, allocation, and finance teams accelerates that path, as does demonstrating that you can lead and develop a team of planners.
Can you get hired as a director of merchandise planning without director-level experience?
It is possible if you have been managing a planning function at the manager or senior manager level and can show direct accountability for financial outcomes. Smaller retailers and growing direct-to-consumer brands are more likely to promote strong managers into director roles than large legacy retailers, which tend to require prior director tenure.
What does the director of merchandise planning interview process look like?
The process typically starts with a recruiter screen, followed by a hiring manager interview focused on your planning experience and leadership approach. Later rounds usually involve a panel with cross-functional partners from buying, finance, or operations, and many companies add a case study or presentation where you walk through a merchandise planning scenario or a past business problem you solved.
Where can I find and apply to director of merchandise planning jobs?
You can find and apply to director of merchandise planning jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search for roles that match your category experience and seniority level, then apply directly to each listing that fits.
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Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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