Manager - Planning

Position: Manager - Company Planning

About us


Talbots is a leading omni-channel specialty retailer of women's clothing, shoes and accessories. Established in 1947, we are known for modern classic style that's both timeless and timely, fine quality craftsmanship and gracious service. At Talbots relationships are the key to our business, we hire individuals who bring new ideas to the table, understand smart risk taking and can enhance an already thriving culture.

With a commitment to offer modern classic style for every body type, through a full range of sizes, inclusive to every woman in your life.

About the role

The Manager of Company Planning is responsible for driving enterprise-level financial and inventory planning strategies that support the company's sales, margin, and profitability objectives across channels. This role partners closely with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to develop, manage, and continuously refine sales, gross margin, inventory, and EBITDA forecasts.

The ideal candidate is a highly analytical and strategic business partner with strong omni-channel planning expertise, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to influence decision-making across the organization. This individual must thrive in a fast-paced environment, demonstrate sound business judgment, and effectively translate an array of data into actionable insights and recommendations.

The impact you can have

• Lead the development and management of company-level financial plans, including sales, gross margin, inventory, and EBITDA forecasts across channels.
• Maintain and update in-season weekly and daily forecasts based on business trends, performance drivers, and evolving company strategies.
• Drive OTB forecasting and inventory strategies to support financial goals, balancing risk and opportunity.
• Analyze business performance to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, providing actionable recommendations to leadership.
• Partner with Merch Planning teams to align top-down financial targets with bottom-up departmental plans.
• Develop and recommend markdown, liquidation, and inventory optimization strategies to maximize profitability and improve inventory productivity.
• Monitor KPI's and proactively identify opportunities to improve sales, margin, and operational efficiency.
• Serve as a strategic business partner across Merchandising, Finance, Marketing, Allocation, E-Commerce, Store Operations, and Supply Chain teams.
• Cross-functional collaboration to evaluate performance and drive strategic initiatives & enterprise priorities.
• Drive decision-making through data-driven insights, clear communication & thoughtful recommendations.
• Lead and contribute to cross-functional initiatives involving systems, tools, reporting enhancements, and process improvements.
• Partner with Business Process and Technology teams to identify reporting and analytical needs that improve planning effectiveness and business visibility.
• Prepare and deliver clear, concise, and impactful business presentations to senior leadership.
• Communicate financial risks, opportunities, and strategic recommendations with confidence and credibility.
• Build strong relationships across all levels of the organization through collaboration, responsiveness, business partnership; act as trusted advisor and planning subject matter expert .
• Support organizational change initiatives and help drive adoption of new tools, processes, and ways of working.

You'll bring to the role

• Bachelor's degree required;
  Business, Finance, Merchandising, Econ, or a related field preferred.
• 7-10+ years of retail planning, merchandise planning, financial planning, or related analytical business experience.
• Experience supporting omni-channel or multi-channel retail businesses preferred.
• Strong understanding of retail financial metrics, inventory management, forecasting, and planning processes.
• Experience working cross-functionally in a highly collaborative environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to synthesize complex data into meaningful business insights.
• Excellent presentation, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to different audiences, including senior leadership.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional partners and drive alignment without direct authority.
• Highly collaborative with strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated sense of ownership, accountability, and urgency.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel required.
• Experience with planning and ERP systems such as JDA, Oracle, SAP, or similar platforms preferred.
• Experience with reporting and business intelligence tools preferred.
• Demonstrated curiosity and adaptability toward emerging technologies such as AI.

Benefits

• You will be eligible to receive a merchandise discount at select Knit Well Group brands, subject to each brand's discount policies.
• Support for your individual development plus…