Vice President / Head of Wholesale Planning

LT APPAREL•New York, NY

9h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President / Head of Wholesale Planning is responsible for leading the company's wholesale planning strategy, driving profitable growth through best-in-class merchandise planning, inventory management, demand forecasting, and financial planning. This executive partners closely with Sales, Merchandising, Design, Sourcing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations to ensure the organization delivers the right product, in the right quantities, at the right time. This leader builds planning capabilities, improves forecasting accuracy, optimizes inventory investments, and develops scalable planning processes that support both existing business and future growth. The role is highly analytical while serving as a strategic business partner to senior leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, Merchandising, or related field
12+ years of progressive planning experience within wholesale apparel, footwear, or consumer products
7+ years leading high-performing planning teams
Experience supporting major wholesale retailers
Strong financial planning and inventory management expertise
Advanced analytical and forecasting skills
Experience with ERP, planning, and BI platforms
Expert proficiency in Excel and planning systems

Nice To Haves

MBA
Experience in licensed apparel
Children's apparel experience
Experience with omnichannel planning
Experience leading planning transformation initiatives

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the company's wholesale planning strategy aligned with financial and growth objectives.
Own seasonal financial plans including sales, inventory, margin, and receipt targets.
Lead long-range planning and annual operating plans for the wholesale business.
Build scalable planning capabilities to support continued company growth.
Serve as a key member of the Product and Commercial Leadership Team.
Lead planning across all brands and wholesale channels including: Sales forecasting, Inventory planning, Open-to-Buy (OTB), Receipt planning, Margin planning, SKU productivity, Category performance, Style productivity, Lifecycle planning.
Ensure inventory investments maximize profitability while maintaining appropriate customer service levels.
Improve forecast accuracy using historical data, market trends, POS information, and customer insights.
Develop scenario planning around demand shifts, tariffs, supply disruptions, and customer changes.
Lead monthly forecast reviews with executive leadership.
Establish standardized forecasting methodologies across brands.
Optimize inventory investments across all brands.
Reduce excess inventory and markdown exposure.
Improve inventory turns and productivity.
Partner with Supply Chain to balance service levels with working capital objectives.
Develop strategies for slow-moving and aging inventory.
Support Sales leadership by: Providing customer-level planning insights, Supporting major account planning, Building financial scenarios, Identifying growth opportunities, Evaluating assortment productivity, Participating in customer business reviews.
Develop executive reporting and dashboards including: Sales performance, Forecast accuracy, Inventory health, Fill rates, Customer demand, Margin performance, Inventory turns, Weeks of Supply, Open-to-Buy, Gross Margin Return on Inventory (GMROI).
Provide actionable recommendations based on data.
Drive continuous improvement across planning functions by: Standardizing planning processes, Implementing planning tools and technology, Improving data quality, Automating reporting, Simplifying planning workflows, Creating scalable operating rhythms.
Recruit, develop, and mentor a high-performing planning organization.
Build organizational capability through coaching and succession planning.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Establish clear performance expectations and development plans.