Director of Inventory Planning & Optimization

CSC Generation

About The Position

With over 59 stores and the largest avocational cooking program in the US, Sur La Table offers an unsurpassed selection of exclusive and premium-quality goods for the kitchen and table â and the culinary expertise and inspiration to go along with it. Whether the job entails interacting with our customers, driving digital growth, or providing vital behind-the-scenes support, weâre all here for the same reason â to roll up our sleeves and create happiness through cooking and sharing good food. The Director of Inventory Planning & Optimization is responsible for leading the enterprise inventory planning and merchandise control function across all channels, including stores and eCommerce. This role owns the design, execution, and continuous improvement of inventory planning, allocation, and replenishment strategies that support merchandising and marketing plans while maximizing sales, margin, and inventory productivity. This leader will modernize planning processes through advanced analytics, financial modeling, and AI-enabled automation, ensuring inventory decisions are proactive, scalable, and aligned to business strategy. This role is accountable for scaling these capabilities across the Planning & Allocation function, in partnership with the VP of Planning & Allocation, ensuring modernization efforts are embedded into team workflows, decision-making, and operating cadence â not limited to individual execution. The role serves as a key partner to Merchandising, Allocation, Supply Chain, Marketing, Finance, and Technology teams. This position will report to the VP, Planning/Allocation.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive experience in inventory planning, merchandise planning, or supply chain analytics within retail.
Deep expertise in forecasting, inventory control, allocation, and replenishment.
Strong financial and analytical skills, including modeling and scenario analysis.
Proven experience leading process improvement and transformation initiatives.
Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional partners and senior leadership.
People leadership experience with a track record of developing high-performing teams.
Experience with store-level localization strategies, including assortment differentiation, demand variability, and inventory optimization by store cluster, region, or customer profile.

Responsibilities

Own the centralized merchandise control function, including allocation and replenishment strategies across stores and digital channels.
Design inventory strategies that support merchandising and marketing plans while balancing service levels, margin, and working capital.
Establish and maintain inventory guidelines in coordination with the merchandise group.
Provide high-level locational guidance to the Allocation team to ensure optimal in-stock position by store and channel.
Ensure inventory levels support the business based on trend, forecast, and plan.
Forecast sales, receipt flow, inventory, and margin projections to maximize sales and profitability while minimizing risk.
Develop and establish annual and seasonal financial budgets by department, rolling up to company targets.
Provide financial expertise and decision support to Buyers, including sales opportunities, gross margin liabilities, and marketing risks.
Lead scenario modeling and risk/opportunity analysis related to demand volatility, supply constraints, and cost pressures.
Evaluate and analyze program effectiveness and make recommendations to improve inventory planning and merchandising processes.
Design and implement scalable, standardized planning processes that reduce manual effort and improve decision quality.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives across forecasting, allocation, replenishment, and in-season management.
Establish clear planning cadences, governance, and KPI frameworks.
Lead the development and use of advanced analytical and financial models for demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and scenario planning.
Own the roadmap for AI adoption across the Planning & Allocation organization, partnering with the VP of Planning & Allocation to drive functional transformation
Ensure AI-enabled tools, models, and automation are standardized, adopted, and sustained across teams â moving beyond pilot use cases to embedded operating processes.
Drive adoption of AI and automation to enhance forecasting accuracy, exception management, and replenishment decisioning.
Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership.
Partner with Technology and Analytics teams to influence planning system enhancements.
Serve as Team Leader for cross-functional initiatives, providing clear direction while managing multiple seasons simultaneously.
Direct and develop inventory planning teams and internal support functions in execution of strategic initiatives.
Partner with Marketing, Merchandising, and Supply Chain to align inventory plans with promotional and strategic priorities.
Act as a thought leader within the merchandising organization, driving alignment between strategy and execution.

Benefits

Executive Access: Work directly with brand CEOs and senior leadership, solving real business problems and earning mentorship from top operators.
AI-First Skill Building: Get hands-on with the most advanced AI tools in the market. From automation to prompt engineering, youâll build a modern tech stack that sets you apart in any industry.
Accelerated Career Path: High performers are quickly entrusted with greater responsibility, new challenges, and leadership opportunities across our portfolio of brands.
Competitive benefits:Paid time off policies, 401(k)/RRSP match, medical/dental/vision and a variety of supplemental policies, and employee discounts at our portfolio companies.

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