Distribution Planner

About the Team

The Inventory Optimization team at Williams‑Sonoma Inc is looking for a key addition to play a critical role to help drive business decisions while providing actionable and strategic insights to leadership. The team works closely with internal cross‑functional business partners – Supply Chain, Inventory Management, Merchandising, eCommerce, Finance, IT and many others – to identify and implement strategies to reduce our inventory through identification and execution of new strategic initiatives, data analysis, reporting and forecasting.

We are looking for someone who is a true owner of their business and will contribute creative new ideas. We seek a candidate who loves using data to tell the story and a team player who goes above and beyond!

The Distribution Planner will support the Director of Inventory Optimization in managing projects related to DC capacity, SKU rationalization, and overall inventory optimization. Work includes monthly reporting/forecasting converting corporate OTB financial plans into DC capacity models, updating SKU rationalization models with rolling weekly data, and creating, communicating and monitoring multiple inventory optimization lists including DC Scrap, Chip & Dent transfers, excess inventory, and mismatched furniture components.

In addition to supporting improvements in reporting, tools & business processes, the Distribution Planner is expected to be instrumental in the execution of data analysis, the development of conclusions and the presentation of findings and recommendations.

• Play a key role in driving strategic projects and analyzing a variety of business problems while working with cross‑functional teams.
• Summarize and analyze large data sets that will enable multiple functional areas to hit key milestones and help business leaders make quality strategic business decisions related to reducing DC inventory.
• Identify reporting gaps that drive business improvement and develop automated reporting tools to drive actionable results.
• Analyze industry best practices and conduct competitive research to influence long‑term changes to business strategy.
• Quickly and efficiently run Ad‑Hoc analysis to support leadership decision making.

• We’re a successful, fast‑growing company with an entrepreneurial vibe
• A technologically and data‑driven business
• Competitive salaries and comprehensive health benefits
• We’re at the forefront of tech and retail, redefining technology for the next generation
• We’re passionate about our internal and external clients and live/breathe the client experience
• We get to be creative daily
• A smart, experienced leadership team that wants to do it right and is open to new ideas
• We believe in autonomy and reward taking initiative
• We have fun!

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Business, Supply Chain Management, Analytics or related field or 5 years in Retail, Supporting Retail Management
• 2–4 years’ experience in Business Strategy, Company Planning, Financial Analysis or Merchandising/Inventory Planning role
• Mastery in Excel, strong proficiency in SQL data mining preferred. Strong experience with Micro Strategy Developer/Architect and dashboard/dossier creation a strong plus
• We’re looking for someone who drives to deadlines, anticipates and addresses conflicts, negotiates well, and delivers great outcomes
• Energized by complex problems and find satisfaction in solving them through a mixture of curiosity, analysis and resourcefulness
• We’re looking for someone who jumps in, learns quickly, and improves the team’s performance
• Flexibility – open to change, doing what it takes to get the best outcomes, comfortable with ambiguity and change in a fast‑paced environment
• Good verbal and written communication skills for delivering non‑technical presentations that influence business partners and upper management
• Pride yourself on the quality of work and are a stickler for detail. Demonstrates self‑management and initiative

Founded in 1956, Williams‑Sonoma, Inc. is the premier specialty…