Sr. Allocation Analyst

Designer Brands Inc.•Columbus, OH

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

At Designer Brands, inventory is more than product on a shelf. It's about ensuring customers can find the styles they love when and where they want them. As a Senior Allocation Analyst, you'll play a key role in making that happen. In this role, you'll blend data, strategy, and partnership to help maximize inventory performance across assigned categories. You'll use insights to inform allocation decisions, identify opportunities, and influence strategies that support customer demand and business goals. Working closely with Merchandise, Planning, and Store Planning teams, you'll help create inventory solutions that drive results while improving processes and ways of working. You'll also serve as a trusted resource for the allocation team, sharing expertise, supporting development, and helping elevate best practices across the organization.

Requirements

3+ years of experience in allocation, planning, analytics, or retail inventory management.
Advanced analytical and retail math skills, with the ability to transform complex data into meaningful insights and recommendations.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
Strong business acumen, including an understanding of product lifecycle management, assortment strategy, and inventory flow.
Ability to balance strategic thinking with effective execution.
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make informed decisions in a dynamic environment.
Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail and accuracy.
Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
Ability to present ideas and recommendations effectively to cross-functional partners and leaders.
Experience working collaboratively across teams to achieve shared goals.

Nice To Haves

Experience with retail allocation systems is preferred.
Experience with retail allocation systems such as Blue Yonder/JDA, Oracle, or similar platforms.

Responsibilities

Own and optimize allocation strategies for assigned categories, aligning inventory decisions with assortment strategies, store capacity, customer demand, and financial objectives.
Analyze performance at the store and item level to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
Recommend and implement actions that improve in-stock levels, inventory productivity, and overall business performance.
Monitor inventory flow and make adjustments to support changing business needs.
Collaborate with Merchandising, Planning, and Store Planning partners to align allocation strategies with broader business initiatives.
Contribute insights that help shape assortment decisions and inventory placement strategies.
Communicate recommendations clearly and effectively to cross-functional teams and leadership.
Develop and maintain reporting and analytical tools that support informed decision-making.
Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for business partners.
Use data to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and operational efficiency.
Lead and support initiatives that enhance allocation processes, system functionality, automation, and scalability.
Identify opportunities to simplify workflows and improve consistency across allocation practices.
Help drive adoption of tools and best practices that improve team effectiveness.
Serve as a resource and mentor for Allocators, sharing knowledge, coaching on best practices, and supporting professional development.
Foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the team.