Sales Planning and Operations Assistant Manager

Maison Francis Kurkdjian•New York, NY

About The Position

The Operations & Planning Assistant Manager is a key business partner at the intersection of Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain. The role turns commercial strategy into disciplined execution by leading forecasting, allocation, and operational planning for new launches and non-sellable items. It proactively manages risks and opportunities to maximize sell-in, improve inventory productivity, and support profitable growth. Through cross-functional alignment and decision support, the position delivers insights, processes, and executional rigor to accelerate commercial performance and strengthen business planning. The role works under the general direction of the Business Development Manager, collaborating on planning and problem-solving with a focus on strategic alignment, performance management, and continuous improvement. It seeks guidance on complex issues or deviations from strategic plans and has no supervisory responsibilities.

Requirements

Experience in sales operations, demand planning, supply chain, commercial planning, or a related function in a wholesale environment.
Proven ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced, matrix environment.
Experience with forecasting, allocation, reporting, and performance analysis.
Strong analytical skills and ability to translate data into business recommendations.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and drive execution across teams.
Process-oriented mindset focused on continuous improvement.
Very strong proficiency in Excel.
Proactive, hands-on, and solution-oriented approach.
Collaborative approach and ability to influence across functions.
Comfort working across strategic planning and operational execution.
Resilience and agility, with the ability to perform under pressure.

Nice To Haves

Retail experience.
Exposure to S&OP or integrated business planning processes.
Experience with ERP systems; AX is preferred.
Experience with Power BI and reporting tools.

Responsibilities

Support Key Account Managers and Account Executives with day-to-day commercial operations and resolution of operational issues.
Partner with Order Management to set priorities, coordinate actions, and resolve sellable and non-sellable order issues.
Lead and streamline non-sellable item workflows, coordinating between Sales and Marketing.
Identify and implement process improvements across commercial operations.
Partner with Forecast & Demand Planning to reflect current business trends, market dynamics, and commercial assumptions in forecasts and demand plans.
Lead sales forecasting for novelties and non-sellable items with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain.
Support sell-in forecasting and budget cycles with reliable commercial inputs and aligned assumptions.
Monitor forecast performance, highlight risks and opportunities, and recommend corrective actions.
Build and manage novelty product allocation plans to secure sales coverage and maximize launch performance.
Lead assortment strategy discussions across the distribution network, balancing commercial opportunity with inventory constraints.
Work with Sales Analysts and Key Account Managers to identify sell-in opportunities and maintain optimal inventory levels across channels and customers.
Monitor ageing and depreciated inventory, identify risks, and propose actions to reduce exposure and unlock commercial opportunities.
Support stock allocation decisions based on business priorities, launch plans, and customer needs.
Track sell-in performance against targets and identify trends, gaps, outliers, and areas requiring intervention.
Conduct post-launch and post-mortem analysis of novelty performance to capture learnings and improve future planning.
Translate sell-in and operational data into actionable insights for Sales leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
Develop and maintain reporting for decision-making, performance reviews, and business planning.
Use data to challenge assumptions, support recommendations, and drive continuous improvement.
Partner with Sales leadership, Finance, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Order Management to align priorities and execution plans.
Support and facilitate S&OP processes, integrating commercial plans into broader business planning cycles.
Translate business priorities into operational actions and follow-through, and build stakeholder relationships that support alignment, transparency, and timely decisions.