Director, Planning

REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.)•Seattle, WA

20h

About The Position

This job contributes to REI’s success by providing leadership and multi-year strategic direction to the planning team to achieve membership, activity, and financial goals and drive the core business and transformation agenda. The Director of Planning develops near and long-term strategic plans and inventory strategies in partnership with the Divisional Merchandising Manager. Reporting to the Divisional Vice President of Planning, this leader has direct supervision over Planning Managers and a team of 15+. This leader works closely with the Divisional Merchandise Manager to set direction and priorities for the division of responsibility that support REI’s membership, customer, and activity goals. Collaborates with supply chain, Co-op brand, stores, digital, marketing and finance to understand cross divisional business needs. Models and acts in accordance with REI’s guiding values and mission.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, supply chain, analytics, mathematics; or equivalent.
8-10 years of Merchandising Planning experience including management, assortment planning, financial planning, item planning, location planning, inventory management (forecasting, replenishment and allocation) and analysis.
10+ years of progressive merchandise planning experience, spanning pre-season and in season financial planning, forecasting, inventory management, allocation/replenishment, assortment, item, and location planning.
Proven leadership across multi-channel, large scale retail environments, with end-to-end understanding of merchandising, supply chain, and financial planning interdependencies.
Experience influencing or owning enterprise or divisional financial plans, reconciling bottom-up plans with top-down corporate targets.
Expert Knowledge of retail, merchandising and end-to-end supply chain process in a multi-channel retail environment.
Proven experience operating at scale with material revenue and margin impact (hundreds of millions to billion dollars), making decisions that balance risk, inventory productivity, and longterm growth.
Expertise guiding teams through change, system evolution, or operating model transformation, particularly within planning or inventory disciplines.
Experience leading and developing multi-year strategic direction for merchandising planning and inventory management processes, change management and business readiness.
Demonstrated advanced fluency in sales, margin, turn, inventory flow, and profitability drivers, using data to anticipate risk and opportunity.
Builds capacity of individuals and teams through effective employee development, involvement, communication, and supervision efforts.
Creates a strong, mutually supportive work spirit and culture where people can do their best.
Establishes trust and inspires others.
Makes effective organization and people decisions in a manner consistent with REI's values and ethics.
Holds self and team accountable to deliver on agreed commitments.
Champions the organization and advocates solutions in the overall Company's best interest.
Uses business knowledge, innovative thinking, and sound judgment in the solution of problems or the pursuit of business opportunities.
Consolidates information from various sources including feedback from others to reach sound decisions.
Considers the ultimate impact of decisions and actions on internal and external customers.
Fosters change in company direction.
Effectively plans and executes changes.

Nice To Haves

Experience with supply chain management and inventory management systems.
Demonstrated success in leading efforts to maximize space productivity.
Merchandising system working knowledge and experience: with SAP, Oracle, or other ERP system preferred.
Advanced knowledge of cost accounting.

Responsibilities

As a member of the Leadership Forum, develops a deep understanding of, effectively communicates and broadly supports execution of company strategies and priorities.
Translates company strategies into actionable divisional plans and executes successful delivery.
Identifies and communicates key responsibilities and practices to ensure the organization promotes a successful attitude, confidence in leadership, and teamwork to achieve business results.
Works cross divisionally to drive execution of specific divisional and company strategies, initiatives, and projects.
Supports the implementation of company programs, procedures, methods and practices to promote REI key messages.
Challenges and inspires employees to achieve superior business results.
Ensures employees adhere to legal and operational compliance requirements.
Oversees training and development of employees directly and indirectly managed and makes effective staffing decisions.
Conducts and ensures the completion of performance reviews for planning and inventory management team.
Provides coaching, direction and leadership support to employees to achieve department, company and customer results.
Establishes and maintains visibility within the department.
Monitors operational statistics, reports trends, variances and issues, and takes appropriate action.
Develops and executes pre-season and long-term strategic plans aligned with company’s overall goals.
Leads all merchandise planning activities within division, providing strategic guidance to Planning managers and teams during pre-season planning definition and in-season adjustments.
Directs divisional financial planning process ensuring bottom-up plans reconcile with company top-down direction and supports enterprise and assortment strategies.
Leads monthly and seasonal plan reviews, identifying variances and recommending course corrections
Reviews and approves major investment requests, ensuring alignment with divisional strategy and financial guardrails as part of the OTB
Ensures the right tradeoffs are made between short -term profitability and long -term growth
Leverage expert knowledge to establish, implement and maintain best practices methodologies for merchandise planning (pre-season & in-season financial, assortment, item, location and space), forecasting and inventory management.
Provide leadership across all planning and inventory management functions concerning analysis, generation of actionable insight, promoting a data first mind set and test and learn approach.
Stays current on industry best practices in merchandising planning and inventory management processes.
Aggressively drives current and future processes and systems utilization within areas of responsibility.
Facilitate clear communication between product management, stores, supply chain, digital, marketing, Co-op brand merchandise planning and inventory management teams.