Demand Planner

Rowan•New York, NY

About The Position

We’ve built Rowan by rethinking the ear piercing experience from the ground up—prioritizing safety, clinical expertise, and a customer experience that feels both celebratory and trusted. Every piercing is performed by licensed nurses and guided by our Rowan Clinical Piercing Standard® and paired with our hypoallergenic products, setting a clear standard that is differentiated from traditional retail models. Our goal is to create a destination where customers feel confident, cared for, and excited to participate. Rowan’s Demand Planner, reporting directly to the Director of Inventory Management, will be data and process driven and be expected to drive sales growth and profitability using analytics, historical trends, and industry knowledge to help develop item, category, assortment and brand level merchandise sales and buy plans. This role requires the ability to influence both peers and managers at all levels of the business. Accountability for analysis of the business and the development of future strategies that support financial targets is a key component of this role. A successful candidate enjoys working with a team in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about retail.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Finance, Business, Accounting or similar field or equivalent experience.
3-5 years’ experience in merchandise planning, inventory management, analytics, planning, business management, omni-channel merchandising, or related area.
Very strong analytically with strong communications and presentation skills; ability to present complex information to various audiences.
Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, time management, and influencing cross functionally.
Strong executive presence with the ability to partner and challenge simultaneously.
Proficient in Microsoft Applications (i.e., Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
Entrepreneurial spirit - excited by the challenges that come along with building brands.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain strong relationships with inventory and buying departments to deeply understand business performance at the item level.
Collaborate with relevant teams to develop item, category-level and subcategory strategies, enhancing overall business effectiveness.
Develop and maintain accurate demand forecasts by analyzing sales trends, seasonality, promotions, and market intelligence.
Monitor forecast accuracy and identify root causes of forecast errors; implement continuous improvements.
Maintain SKU-level forecast data and support new product introductions and phase-outs.
Prepare and present reports and dashboards on forecast performance, inventory metrics, and demand trends.
Lead Open to Buy (OTB) discussions, identifying and focusing on business drivers, opportunities, and strategic initiatives.
Oversee markdown management and inventory health, including pre-season buying budgets, in-season replenishment, pricing strategies, and procurement forecasts.
Conduct comprehensive financial forecasting, including item-level planning, annual operating plans, and regular forecasts of sales, receipts, gross margin, and inventory positions across various timeframes and categories.
Conduct detailed analyses to support strategic initiatives and regularly review business performance, providing actionable insights and recommendations for improvement.
Understand and anticipate customer behavior and market trends to influence demand and adjust category vision and strategies accordingly.
Perform detailed vendor analysis to support and inform negotiations.
Communicate effectively to align and influence cross-functional stakeholders, ensuring collaboration with Allocation, Finance, Marketing, and Operations teams to meet collective goals.
Drive initiatives aimed at maximizing sales potential and continuously seek opportunities to improve overall business performance.
Run financial modeling to support informed buying decisions, incorporating assumptions, expectations, and known risks.
Ensure structured reporting deliverables are met, evaluating reports for accuracy, performance efficiency, and adherence to best practices.
Provide timely and accurate re-projections based on current trends to effectively manage inventory and drive margin.
Interface with key departments to ensure cross-functional goals are met.
Exhibit initiative to look beyond the everyday business to identify opportunities to maximize sales potential.
Perform all other duties as assigned, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability to changing business needs and expectations.