Director, Planning

About Us

Centric Brands is a leading lifestyle brand collective that designs, sources, markets and sells high quality products in multiple segments, including women’s, men’s and kid’s apparel, accessories, entertainment and beauty. Centric Brands is focused on our customers and our brands that will drive the company’s future growth. We are defined by innovation as we seize new opportunities and thrive in an environment informed by creativity and thinking that is both analytical and outside the box.

Centric Brands reflects a team built on respect, for others and for the hard work it takes to achieve our goals and build our bright future together.

The Director of Planning is a critical leadership role responsible for driving the end-to-end planning strategy for our replenishment and retail businesses. This position oversees financial planning, forecasting, inventory management, and in-season execution to ensure we deliver the right product, at the right time, in the right quantities—maximizing sales, profitability, and inventory productivity.

You will lead a high-performing team, partner closely with internal and external stakeholders, and champion continuous improvement and best-in-class planning practices that support Centric Brands’ long-term transformation and growth.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Strategy

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of planners; cultivate a high-performance, collaborative, and results-oriented culture.
• Develop multi-year replenishment and inventory strategies aligned with business objectives, financial targets, and customer insights.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to senior leadership, influencing long-term growth initiatives and operational enhancements.

Replenishment & Inventory Management

• Build and execute replenishment strategies that support demand, drive service levels, and optimize inventory turns.
• Oversee inventory positioning across channels, ensuring optimal stock availability while minimizing excess and obsolescence.
• Develop and enhance forecasting models leveraging historical trends, POS data, customer insights, and market conditions.

Financial & Business Planning

• Own top-down and bottom-up financial planning for the replenishment business, including sales, margin, receipts, and inventory.
• Identify risks and opportunities through ongoing analysis of sales trends, margin performance, and inventory KPIs; recommend actionable strategies to drive results.
• Support open-to-buy management and in-season financial reforecasts.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Sales, Merchandising, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, and external customer teams to ensure aligned business plans and seamless execution.
• Engage directly with key retail partners periodically to strengthen relationships, gather insights, and align on replenishment strategies.

Systems, Tools & Process Excellence

• Leverage advanced planning systems and analytics tools to improve forecasting accuracy, visibility, and planning efficiency.
• Partner with Technology and Supply Chain teams to support system enhancements, tool implementations, and process optimization.
• Champion standard operating procedures, best practices, and continuous improvement initiatives in planning and inventory management.

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred (Business, Merchandising, Finance, Supply Chain, or related field).
• 10+ years of progressive experience in retail, wholesale, or merchandising planning, with strong experience in replenishment and inventory management.
• Proven leadership experience managing and developing high-performing planning teams.
• Strong analytical skills and deep expertise in forecasting, financial analysis, and demand planning.
• Experience managing large, complex retail or wholesale accounts; experience with mass‑market and department store customers required (Amazon a strong plus).
• Demonstrated ability to lead through change, influence cross-functional partners, and drive adoption of new tools and processes.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, lookup formulas,…