Senior Merchandise Planner in New York at Alex and Ani

Location: US Remote (ET hours) Role Type: Full-time | Exempt Overview We're seeking a Senior Merchandise Planner to drive inventory and demand planning execution across our channels, including Direct-to-Consumer (DTC), Amazon (US, CA, MX), and wholesale partners. We're looking for a planner who thrives with autonomy and sound judgment, confidently owning day-to-day execution across line-level planning, promotional management, allocation, and inventory health. This is a strong opportunity to build deep, hands-on experience across a multi-channel business, operating with the pace and agility of a scaling business while leveraging the foundation of an established consumer brand.
What You'll DoDemand Forecasting & Inventory Support

• Own and drive sales and demand forecasts for an assigned category or channel, partnering closely with the Director of Merchandise Planning to align on strategy and targets.
• Analyze historical sales, trends, seasonality, and market dynamics to build and refine demand plans, proactively flagging risks and opportunities
• Translate forecasts into inventory recommendations that optimize service levels and turnover targets

Inventory & Channel Management

• Monitor inventory health across assigned channels, proactively identifying and acting on stockout and excess risk
• Lead inventory allocation across regions and channels, escalating as needed
• Partner closely with supply chain and operations teams on production, replenishment, and lead-time tracking

Open-to-Buy (OTB) Management

• Own the monthly OTB process for assigned category or channel, including data prep, tracking, and reporting, with the ability to independently manage the cadence and ensuring accuracy
• Support merchandising and finance on OTB updates and variance tracking
• Proactively surface risks and opportunities identified in the data, translating findings into actionable recommendations

Systems & Reporting

• Leverage existing planning tools and reporting workflows to maintain accurate, up-to-date plans
• Identify and flag opportunities for process or reporting improvements
• Stay curious about emerging AI-enabled planning tools and support evaluation efforts as the business explores new capabilities

Channel & Market Support

• Own planning execution for assigned channel(s) (DTC, Amazon US/CA/MX, or wholesale) based on established strategy
• Collaborate with marketplace and wholesale teams to incorporate partner promotions into forecasts

Merchandising Support

• Support the merchandise team with assortment planning work as needed
• Assist with sample coordination and related merchandising tasks

Who You Are

• You've been thrown into the deep end and figured it out. You've been handed a messy problem with little support, and you built the tool, system, or analysis that solved it. We especially want to hear about times you had true ownership. Startup or small-company experience, operating without established processes or tools, is highly preferred.
• You're curious and driven. You dig into the "why" behind the numbers and keep looking for a better way. Your hunger shows in how you've navigated your career and grown in each role.
• You can explain complex topics simply. You can explain planning concepts clearly to your cross-functional, non-planner counterparts.

What You Bring

• 6+ years of experience in merchandise planning, demand planning, or inventory management within DTC ecommerce, retail, fashion, accessories, lifestyle, jewelry, or consumer brands (8+ years for Director level)
• Experience in multi-channel environments (DTC, Amazon/marketplaces, and wholesale)
• Strong expertise in forecasting methodologies, inventory optimization, allocation, and OTB management
• Hands-on experience with weekly business reporting, inventory tracking, and promotional/markdown management
• Advanced Excel skills, including building and maintaining complex models and formulas (e.g., INDEX/MATCH, XLOOKUP, nested logic), plus experience with Looker or similar BI tools
• A track record of true ownership: owning planning work end-to-end, including building a tool, model, or process that solved a real business problem and delivered measurable results
• Proven ability to operate both strategically and tactically, with a high degree of autonomy and sound judgment
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain complex planning concepts simply to non-planners, and experience partnering with senior stakeholders (VP/SVP level)
• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, economics, mathematics, statistics, supply chain, retail or fashion merchandising, or a related field