Manager, Brand Planning, GS

Gap Inc.•NY 55 Thomas St, NY

About The Position

The Brand Planning lead is an essential contributor to the end-to-end management of the Gap/Gap Outlet business, working at the intersection of investment strategy, product strategy, and customer experience. In close partnership with inventory management, merchandising, site merchandising, company planning, and commercial planning, the role facilitates key business processes and works closely with the brand inventory management lead to support data-based decision-making in weekly business management, monthly open-to-buy forecasting, and key inventory investment milestones. The position provides significant exposure to leadership across the Gap/Gap Outlet organization and delivers a brand-wide perspective and recommendations on business performance, risks, and opportunities. During the season, the role reviews business results, identifies actions to optimize KPIs, supports commercial plan strategy, guides the monthly open-to-buy process, coordinates forecast inputs and reconciliations, and prepares for monthly forecast discussions with brand leadership. It analyzes results and outlooks, identifies emerging risks and opportunities, and recommends actions to achieve financial and operational targets. The role also provides forward-looking assessments of performance for leadership decision-making. Before the season, the role guides development of quarterly financial targets by division and department, ensuring plans reflect recent trends, long-range priorities, and budget parameters. It provides insights on buy plan position, identifies investment risks and opportunities, communicates buy plan rolls and budget variances, and partners with inventory management and merchandising leadership on investment milestones. It also participates in subject matter expert groups and transformation work to improve planning processes and tools.

Requirements

Strong commercial acumen and ability to assess business performance, identify emerging trends, and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
Ability to proactively evaluate risks and opportunities, develop scenario-based action plans, and influence cross-functional partners to achieve desired business outcomes.
Enterprise mindset and forward-looking perspective on market, customer, and business trends, balancing short-term performance needs with long-term growth objectives.
Strong financial acumen and retail math skillset.
Ability to communicate clearly across functions and collaborate effectively with a variety of cross-functional partners.
Extensive knowledge of key planning responsibilities and ability to connect them.

Responsibilities

Review business results with the brand inventory management lead and divisional merchandise planning teams, identifying actions to optimize KPIs.
Partner with merchandise planning, commercial planning, and pricing to validate commercial plan strategy, review promotional hindsight, and guide future strategy.
Guide the monthly open-to-buy process by providing timelines and forecasting guidance, reviewing forecast rolls for risks and opportunities against the finance forecast and budget, and publishing monthly receipt reconciliation data.
Coordinate with company planning partners on key forecast inputs, including receipts and markdown conversion, and understand variances between top-down and bottom-up forecasts.
Partner with the brand inventory management lead to prepare for monthly forecast discussions with brand leadership.
Analyze business results and trend outlooks, identify emerging risks and opportunities, and recommend actions to achieve financial and operational targets.
Provide forward-looking assessments of business performance, including key drivers, risks, opportunities, and mitigation plans for leadership decision-making.
Guide development of quarterly financial targets by division and department, reflecting recent business trends, long-range plan priorities, and budget parameters.
Provide insights into buy plan position throughout the planning cycle and identify risks and opportunities in the investment profile.
Communicate buy plan rolls and variances to budget targets with company planning, and partner with inventory management and merchandising leadership to prepare for investment milestones.
Participate in subject matter expert groups and transformation work across planning functions to support continuous improvement in processes and tools.