Senior Director of Merchandise Planning & Allocation
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- New York
- Work setup
- Onsite
- Seniority
- Senior
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- 10+ years
- Category
- Not specified
- Posted
Must have
- 10+ years of proven experience leading MP&A at a fast-growing, multi-category, multi-channel DTC brand
- Deep expertise in merchandise financial planning, demand forecasting, inventory optimization, allocation, and replenishment.
- Experience developing long-range merchandise strategies and evaluating product/category roadmaps.
- Strong financial and analytical acumen with the ability to translate complex data into clear business recommendations.
- Exceptional executive communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build consensus across senior stakeholders.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with a bias toward action and a willingness to operate hands-on when needed.
- Highly proactive, solutions-oriented, and comfortable operating in an evolving organization with limited precedent.
- Experience with ERP and/or demand planning systems; experience implementing or optimizing planning technology is a plus.
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Merchandising, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred.
Full description
About the Role
Lola Blankets is a fast-growing comfort and lifestyle brand on a mission to make the world a cozier place. We are seeking an entrepreneurial and highly strategic Senior Director of Merchandise Planning & Allocation (MP&A) to lead the company's inventory planning and allocation function through its next stage of growth.
This role will be responsible for translating business strategy, customer demand, and product plans into disciplined inventory and investment strategies across a growing, multi-category, multi-channel business. The Senior Director will partner closely with Merchandising to build seasonal line plans, shape pricing and margin architecture, evaluate long-range forecasts, and ensure inventory investments support both growth and profitability.
The ideal candidate brings deep MP&A expertise from a fast-growing DTC environment and is equally comfortable operating at the strategic level and diving into the details of the business. They will be a trusted thought partner to senior leadership, bringing a data-driven perspective while balancing customer demand, inventory productivity, cash investment, and operational realities.
This is a highly collaborative role that requires strong executive presence, the ability to influence, and a proactive, entrepreneurial approach to problem solving.
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Core Responsibilities
Merchandise Planning & Inventory Strategy
- Lead the Planning & Allocation function across Lola's growing multi-category, multi-channel business.
- Establish planning frameworks, processes, and financial targets that enable the business to scale with discipline.
- Partner with Merchandising to develop seasonal and annual line plans, including category, channel, product, and inventory investment strategies.
- Translate sales, margin, inventory, and customer objectives into actionable merchandise plans.
- Advise Merchandising and senior leadership on retail pricing, margin architecture, inventory investment, and assortment productivity.
- Establish and monitor key planning metrics, including sales, margin, inventory turns, weeks of supply, sell-through, and in-stock rates.
Forecasting & Long-Range Strategy
- Lead evaluation and refinement of demand forecasts across categories and channels.
- Develop long-range inventory and financial strategies that support product roadmaps, category expansion, and overall business growth.
- Partner with Merchandising to evaluate the inventory implications of new product launches, category extensions, and assortment changes.
- Identify demand risks and opportunities early and translate them into clear recommendations for leadership.