Associate Director, Merchandise Planning

Brilliant Earth

23h

About The Position

Brilliant Earth is searching for an Associate Director, Merchandise Planning to lead our Inventory Planning function and the team behind it. Reporting to the Senior Director of Merchandising, you'll own forecasting, open-to-buy, and inventory strategy across every category and function, as well as the roadmap that takes our planning capabilities to the next level. This is a builder's role as much as a planner's: our planning infrastructure is actively evolving, and you'll set the direction, partner with Technology and Merchandising to implement new tools, and raise the analytical bar for the whole team. You'll build planning approaches that work for attribute-based, specification-driven assortments while holding the line on turn, in-stock, and margin. We have a social and environmental mission at the core of our company, and we're looking for someone excited to deliver exceptional business results while helping us advance it.

Requirements

10+ years in merchandise planning, inventory planning, forecasting, or quantitative analysis within retail, product, or e-commerce, including demonstrated success leading and developing a team.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field; advanced degree or relevant certification a plus.
Experience with attribute-based or commodity inventory planning (precious metals, gemstones, or other specification-driven categories) is a strong plus.
Expert Excel skills: complex formulas, pivot tables, financial modeling, and efficient handling of large datasets. Retail math is second nature.
Hands-on experience with demand planning software (Blue Yonder, Logility, Demantra, o9, MI9, or similar) and reporting/BI tools (Domo, Tableau, Power BI); NetSuite or comparable ERP experience a plus.
A track record of leading system implementations and cross-functional programs end to end—from defining business requirements and guiding development through adoption—including new forecasting tools, report automation, and process redesign.
Experience with AI-assisted tools (e.g., Claude, Excel Copilot, BI-native AI features, Snowflake Intelligence) to automate analysis and reduce manual effort; familiarity with prompt engineering and connecting AI tools to live data sources such as data warehouses or ERP is highly valued.
Comfort operating in an evolving systems environment: you can spot the gap, build the workaround, then turn it into lasting process.
Expert written and verbal communication, with clear, direct, concise presentations to broader teams and executive leadership.
Entrepreneurial spirit and a self-starter mindset, with the ability to think critically and adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment.
Commitment to respect and inclusion in the workplace.
Interest in socially and environmentally responsible organizations and products.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or relevant certification a plus.
Experience with attribute-based or commodity inventory planning (precious metals, gemstones, or other specification-driven categories) is a strong plus.
NetSuite or comparable ERP experience a plus.
Familiarity with prompt engineering and connecting AI tools to live data sources such as data warehouses or ERP is highly valued.

Responsibilities

Own sales and inventory forecasts across all categories and functions, and hold the team accountable for the accuracy, timeliness, and achievement of inventory plans and KPIs.
Set inventory strategy for fine jewelry assortments, including diamond, gemstone, and precious metal commodities, establishing the parameters (weeks of supply, safety stock, reorder points) that balance service levels against inventory productivity.
Lead inventory planning for new showroom launches and growth initiatives, directing the scenario modeling and statistical analysis that pressure-test those plans.
Own and continue to evolve the OTB alignment and consensus process, translating financial plans into actionable buying strategies with Merchandising and Finance.
Contribute to the annual bookings, ASP, and margin budget-setting process, bringing the inventory point of view to category and department targets and reporting consistently against inventory KPIs.
Create and drive the Inventory Planning roadmap. Work with leadership to initiate, prioritize, and approve projects, and manage long-term program schedules through to adoption.
Partner with Technology on planning system implementation and maintenance, leading the broader team’s adoption of new demand planning and reporting tools.
Adapt planning tools and models to integrate cleanly with our evolving enterprise systems and reporting, identifying gaps, developing workarounds, and replacing them with durable solutions.
Leverage AI tools to automate recurring analysis and reporting, and drive identification and rollout of new AI-enabled planning workflows across the function.
Manage, coach, and develop a growing planning team through hiring, feedback, and clear team objectives.
Raise planning fluency across the organization by mentoring cross-functional Merchandising partners on forecasting and inventory principles, and by representing Planning credibly to executive leadership.