[Hiring] Manager, Inventory & Demand Planning @Zenni Optical

Role Description

The Manager, Inventory and Demand Planning drives optimal inventory planning and investment to support optimal sales performance and margin execution. This role blends strategic inventory financial and unit planning with operational demand forecasting to ensure inventory alignment with customer demand. This role is responsible for driving subcategory in stock position, guiding a team of planners, and maintaining strong governance over sales targets, gross margins, and inventory performance.

In addition to managing team operations, this role will actively serve as a key player by directly owning and managing designated product categories for end-to-end planning across assigned commodities (Frames vs. Lens) and subcategories. Furthermore, the Manager will help lead the deployment and continuous enhancement of new planning systems, incorporating AI, and reporting & analytics tools. This leader will scale our planning capabilities and elevate organizational forecasting precision.

The ideal candidate blends strategic financial oversight with tactical demand planning at an item-level—managing subcategory Open-to-Buy (OTB) budgets, leading high-priority "A" SKU strategy at the factory/location level and ensuring optimal system logic for secondary product tiers.

Responsibilities

• Financial & Strategic Planning (Monthly / Quarterly)
• Planning Execution & Governance: Review of monthly and quarterly sales, margin, and inventory reviews across subcategories, tracking performance against targets and resulting Open-to-Buy (OTB).
• Direct Category Ownership: Manage and own the end-to-end financial and demand planning for specific assigned subcategories alongside team management duties.
• Commodity & Subcategory Inventory & Open to Buy Strategy: Balance portfolio goals across primary commodities (Frames vs. Lens), optimizing gross margin and working capital.
• Inventory Allocation & Consolidation: Direct strategic stock reallocations, inventory consolidations, and safety stock adjustments across locations to prevent liabilities, stock outs, and maximize turnover.
• Team Supervision & Development: Manage and coach Merchandise Planners, establishing clear operational KPIs, workflows, and functional development plans.
• Demand Planning & Forecasting (Weekly / Operational)
• Systems & Analytics Deployment: Lead the integration, utilization, and ongoing refinement of planning software, algorithm tuning, analytical reporting tools, and AI capabilities across the team.
• Focus SKU Oversight: Direct hands-on planning and location/factory-level forecasting for core best-selling SKUs (50–100 items per planner), while maintaining and refining logic for B, C, and D SKUs.
• KPI & Risk Tracking: Lead weekly operational reviews of sales performance, forecast accuracy, out-of-stock (OOS) risks, and New Product Introduction (NPI) on-time deliveries.
• Lifecycle & Discontinuation Management: Oversee sell-through plans for discontinued items to ensure minimal liability to exit inventory and minimize write off risk.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven track record of working seamlessly with cross-functional teams (Product Category teams, Marketing, Procurement, Warehousing & Logistics) to align business strategies and execute unified plans.
• Work closely with the Procurement team to ensure that timely purchases are made fulfilling open to buy requirements.

Qualifications

• Analytical Leadership: Strong ability to synthesize large datasets, translate numbers into actionable strategies, and present clear solutions to management.
• Financial Acumen: Expertise in translating item-level demand into dollar projections, gross margins, and working capital requirements.
• Predictive Forecasting: Deep understanding of promotional lift, seasonal curves, sales velocity, and historical trend modeling.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to build strong partnerships across teams and integrate diverse input into a unified demand plan.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Technical Proficiency and AI adaptability: Advanced expertise in Microsoft Excel (financial modeling, complex formulas, pivot tables, data structuring), and adopting artificial intelligence into functional requirements.
• Enterprise Systems: Hands-on experience implementing, using, and managing teams within enterprise planning software (e.g., Anaplan, Blue Yonder, SAP APO/IBP, Oracle Retail).
• Experience: 4–6+ years of progressive experience in merchandise financial planning or demand planning, including direct category ownership and supervisory experience.

Benefits

• Annual Bonus Program
• Healthcare: 100% premiums covered for medical, dental, and vision for employees (50% for dependents)
• Basic Life and AD&D with option for additional voluntary coverage
• Short and long term disability coverage
• 401k with up to 4% match
• EAP and Spring Health that gives you and dependents access to free therapy and coaching
• Free access for you and your family to our digital wellness platform - Wellness Coach
• FTO (Flex Time Off) in addition to our Week of Zen - the time between Christmas and New Year’s to relax and recuperate
• Fully Paid Parental Leave - 16 weeks for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Family forming & fertility support and services through Maven
• Annual Zenni Gift Card - to use towards our products!