Senior Manager, Demand Planning

Set Active•Beverly Hills, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

SET Active is a fast-growing women's athleisure brand delivering elevated essentials designed for movement, comfort, and everyday life. Known for our community-driven drops and disciplined DTC model, we operate across DTC, Wholesale, and Retail channels. As we continue to scale, we're seeking a strategic and highly analytical leader to own planning, buying, and inventory strategy across the business. The Director of Planning & Buying is a critical leadership role responsible for driving sales, margin, and inventory performance across all channels. This role owns end-to-end planning-from demand forecasting through inventory management and performance reporting-ensuring alignment between product strategy, financial goals, and customer demand. This individual blends analytical rigor serving as the connective tissue between Merchandising, Production, Marketing, Finance, and Operations. Senior Manager of Demand Planning is accountable for forecasting accuracy, inventory efficiency, articulating variances vs forecast, and produce actionable insights that inform strategic decision-making.

Requirements

5-8+ years of experience in merchandise planning, buying, or financial planning within apparel, activewear, or DTC-first consumer brands.
Proven experience owning forecasts, buy plans, and inventory strategy at a leadership level.
Strong understanding of retail math, margin structures, and inventory optimization.
Highly analytical with the ability to translate data into clear business recommendations.
Advanced Excel/Sheets skills; experience with Shopify, 3PL systems, and planning tools preferred.
Strong cross-functional communicator with executive presence.

Responsibilities

Sales Forecasting & Financial Planning
Own and maintain daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal sales forecasts across DTC, Wholesale, and Retail.
Continuously reforecast based on real-time sales performance, inventory levels, and demand signals.
Forecast buys against line plans to ensure topline, margin, and inventory turn targets are met. · Establish and manage drop calendars, launch dates, and delivery timing in alignment with marketing and operational readiness.
Lead monthly reviews of actual vs forecast variances, highlighting risksand opportunities, and changes in trajectory.
Provide updated forecast and buys to cross functional partners on a weekly basis
Inventory Management & Optimization
Own inventory health across the business, ensuring optimal in-stock positions and efficient turnover.
Analyze inventory monthly to identify overstock, aging, and underperforming SKUs; recommend corrective actions.
Manage inventory reorder strategies for core, seasonal and limited drop styles to optimize cash flow and meet sales demand.
Develop and maintain markdown and promotional strategies in partnership with Marketing and Merchandising.
Provide "What to Push" inventory recommendations to support revenue and sell-through. · Strategize and allocate inventory for initiatives such as SET Surprise and other special programs.
Data, Analytics & Reporting
Own daily, weekly, and monthly sales and inventory reporting.
Produce monthly planning and performance decks with clear variance insights on sales, margin, inventory turn, and product performance.
Analyze performance by drop, category, channel, and SKU to inform future buys and line plans.
Send end-of-month and beginning-of-period reporting for COGs and sales in partnership with Finance and Accounting.
Identify trends, risks, and opportunities through deep data analysis and communicate actionable recommendations.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Communication
Serve as a strategic partner to Merchandising, Marketing, Production, Finance, and Operations.
Align promotional and markdown strategies with inventory positions and real-time performance.
Ensure buy plans and inventory strategies reflect current sales velocity and forecasted demand.
Own and maintain the SET Internal Calendar, ensuring visibility and alignment across teams.
Act as a trusted advisor to leadership, connecting planning insights to business strategy.
Strategic Impact
Use data-driven insights to maximize margin dollars and improve inventory efficiency.
Protect cash flow by managing inventory turn, sale demand, and having the right inventory mix to meet demand..
Continuously improve planning processes, tools, and forecasting accuracy as the business scales.