Left On Friday Canada

 

Manager, Planning & Allocations

We are seeking a highly analytical, strategic, and organized Manager of Planning & Allocations to oversee sales and inventory planning, demand forecasting, and allocation strategies for our growing brand. Reporting to the Director of Merchandising, this critical role will drive our sales and inventory goals by ensuring alignment between product availability, customer demand, and revenue targets. The ideal candidate will blend strong analytical skills and strategic thinking with effective collaboration across cross-functional teams. In this position, you will manage key processes in sales planning, inventory allocation, and margin optimization, significantly contributing to the growth and financial success of Left On Friday. In this role, you will get to work with a small, brilliant team on one of the most desirable, fast growing DTC brands out there today! 

 

Core Responsibilities: 

• Sales Planning & Analytics:
• Drive weekly, monthly, and quarterly sales planning and analytics processes, providing guidance on sales trends and omni-channel revenue projections.
• Manage topline revenue planning and forecasting by sales channel by country
• Develop and refine demand forecasting models within the technology available and additional spreadsheets to accurately predict sales trends by country, channel and product category
• Collaborate cross-functionally with merchandising, marketing, and supply chain teams to align inventory allocation with sales and revenue goals.
• Provide data-driven insights into risks and opportunities, helping the business adapt and stay ahead of market trends.
• Deep understanding of planning processes with the ability to develop tools as needed in Excel and Google Sheets
• Agile and able to embrace new systems as the business evolves  
• Act as the subject matter expert for all things planning

 

• Inventory & Allocation Management:
• Lead the development of seasonal and monthly inventory plans, ensuring optimal product availability at the right time and in the right quantities.
• Collaborate with the merchandising team to manage stock allocation across ecom, retail, and wholesale channels, driving sales growth and minimizing excess inventory.
• Execute inventory distribution strategies to ensure product flow is optimized and stockouts or overstock situations are avoided.
• Monitor inventory turnover, proactively identifying slow-moving inventory and taking corrective actions as needed.

 

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
• Work closely with key stakeholders in merchandising to share insights, influence decisions, and drive action.
• Act as a key contributor to cross-functional meetings such as Weekly Sales, QBRs, and Buy Reviews, providing analytical support and strategic input.
• Provide ongoing communication to ensure all teams are aligned on planning, sales trends, and forecasts.

 

• Process Development & Improvement:
• Lead the development, roll-out, and ongoing updates to the sales planning process, tools, and systems, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Identify opportunities to streamline planning and allocation processes, improving efficiency and scalability while ensuring accuracy in forecasting.
• Ensure timely reporting and updates to senior leadership on sales performance, inventory levels, and financial outcomes.

 

• Reporting & Forecasting:
• Analyze historical sales data, forecast demand, and develop actionable insights to improve inventory planning and allocation strategies.
• Maintain regular reporting on sales performance, product margins, and inventory health to share with senior leadership and cross-functional teams.

 

 

Key traits/experience we’re looking for: 

• Bachelor’s degree 
• 5+ years experience in a similar role within a fashion apparel environment
• Analytical Skills: Ability to analyze data and derive actionable insights.
• Strategic Thinking: Experience in developing effective planning and allocation strategies.
• Sales Planning: Background in driving sales planning processes and revenue forecasting.
• Inventory Management: Expertise in developing inventory plans and managing stock allocation.
• Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written skills for conveying insights clearly.
• Process Improvement: Track record of identifying and implementing planning process improvements.
• Data Analysis: Proficiency in analyzing historical sales data for demand forecasting.

 

 

 

Interested?

Send your application here. Application process closes on December 31, 2024.