Senior Director, Inventory and Merchandise Planning

Wantable • Milwaukee, WI

31d • Hybrid

About The Position

As the Senior Director of Merchandise Planning, you will own Wantable’s end-to-end planning strategy, forecasting methodology, and inventory optimization—but you’ll also push the discipline into the future, driving automation, rapid experimentation, and next-generation decision systems. Curiosity, hands-on innovation, and a willingness to rethink everything are more important than a traditional resume. This is a high-ownership role with direct impact on growth, profitability, and customer experience. You will work in a fast-moving, low-bureaucracy environment where independent decision-making is expected and where your build-what-you-need mindset is highly valued.

Requirements

• Deep experience in merchandise planning, inventory management, or financial planning paired with a genuine passion for AI innovation.
• Strong analytical and financial skills; comfortable designing and evaluating AI-enhanced models.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex OTB plans, margin performance, and inventory strategy in dynamic, high-growth environments.
• Hands-on familiarity with AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini), BI platforms (Tableau, Looker), and modern data workflows.
• A builder mindset—comfortable creating your own planning tools, KPIs, automations, and models when existing solutions are inadequate.
• A bias toward action, independent decision-making, and low-bureaucracy execution.
• A love for fashion, product, and the art + science of retail.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with ML forecasting frameworks or LLM workflow automation.
• Experience leading teams through rapid tooling transitions or tech-driven process reinvention.
• Comfort collaborating with data engineers and data scientists.

Responsibilities

• Build the next generation of Wantable’s forecasting and planning system using AI, ML-powered demand models, LLM-based decision tools, and automated workflows.
• Prototype and test unconventional planning approaches such as agent-based simulations, predictive replenishment triggers, automated OTB updates, LLM-assisted scenario planning, and more.
• Design AI-driven tools that increase forecasting accuracy, compression speed, and planner productivity.
• Identify manual or repetitive planning tasks and aggressively replace them with automation or AI copilots.
• Lead and own all merchandise planning, allocation, and inventory management strategies to maximize revenue and margin.
• Build and maintain financial and unit-level forecasts using AI-enhanced modeling to align merchandising, product development, and operations.
• Oversee seasonal and long-range OTB plans and deploy predictive algorithms to balance growth with inventory productivity.
• Drive in-season agility using real-time data and automated alerts for reorders, markdowns, and product flow adjustments.
• Partner with Merchandising and Product Development to support Wantable’s expanding private brands using AI-powered sell-through forecasting and attribute-level demand modeling.
• Develop and coach a planning team that embraces experimentation, autonomy, and data-driven decision-making.
• Promote a culture of curiosity—where planners feel empowered to build tools, run rapid tests, and challenge legacy processes.
• Ensure the team is skilled in AI copilots, prompt engineering fundamentals, analytics tools, and automated reporting systems.
• Oversee creation of AI-optimized dashboards, predictive analytics, and self-updating reporting tools.
• Collaborate closely with Data Science and Engineering to deploy new algorithms and ensure model performance is measurable and stable.
• Use AI-assisted analysis to uncover new opportunities to improve margins, reduce inventory waste, and accelerate product flow.

Benefits

• Wantable team members enjoy a 50% discount on food, coffee, and drinks in our HQ's beautiful Wantable Cafe.
• We offer flexible schedules, paid parental leave (mothers AND fathers), and a private room for nursing mothers.
• Even more exciting: paid vacation and seven paid holidays per year, plus a 50% discount on all merchandise. You’ll be eligible for the discount on your first day.
• we have ample parking, we offer medical (traditional and high deductible), dental, and vision insurance, as well as a 401K (both pre-tax and Roth options).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees