Associate Planning Mgr

Join to apply for the Associate Planning Mgr role at Starboard Group
.

Responsible for the financial forecasting, purchasing, and overall inventory management across a global supply chain for a subcategory or group of programs pertinent to the Planning Manager’s scope of business. Develops annual location sales and stock plans to then determine an annual receipt plan by program/brand which is re‑forecasted throughout the year during the monthly Open‑to‑Buy process. The Associate Planning Manager leads a team of 1‑4 distributors in the effective management of the supply chain through forecasting sales demand, maintaining optimal DC and ship inventory levels, managing purchases, and allocating products to the ships.

Works in collaboration with the Merchant partner on delivering category sales, gross margin, inventory turnover/weeks of supply, and profitability targets through alignment on the overall strategic vision, validation of assortment plan productivity and coordination on team projects/priorities.

• Strategic Priorities
  • Develop annual sales, stock and profit plans in collaboration with Merchandising, Cruise Line Retail and Finance.
  • Create monthly purchasing budget, in line with cash objectives, by program/brand for the year.
  • Measure/course correct for progress & performance.
  • Collaborate with Merchant on developing profitable assortment strategies:
    • Focus on the most productive programs for the specific cruise line/itinerary market and planning the appropriate mix of fashion vs core/replenish‑able product based on product/vendor, expected volume, cadence of product cycle, inventory/WOS targets, gross margin objectives.
    • Ensure strategies minimize markdown exposure/protect profit in fashion, itinerary‑specific product and/or new initiatives/tests.
  • Identify strategic opportunities to drive top‑line growth and/or to optimize profit.
• Financial Management
  • Monitor, maintain and forecast sales, receipts, margin during the monthly Open to Buy process.
  • Present business results and forecast during formal review with management.
  • Enlist support and alignment from Cruise Line Retail team on in‑season sales forecasts & stock plan targets to capitalize on opportunities and minimize risk.
  • Partner with Merchant in assortment development by providing guidance on breadth of assortment by cluster, timing and cadence of deliveries, pricing and markup, and mix of core vs fashion.
  • Collaborate with Merchant on currency of inventory analysis, markdowns/clearance of aged stocks and financial validation and execution of merchandising initiatives.
  • Identify opportunities and make recommendations to further expand/fund programs or initiatives performing well and propose solutions for those that are under‑performing.
• Global Supply Chain Management
  • Review with Distribution team operational sales and inventory targets, which drive replenishment and ordering, to ensure alignment with the top‑line ship, itinerary, and program/brand targets.
  • Analysis of sales trends to optimize inventory investments and drive sales.
  • Transition plans into a new assortment and/or new itinerary.
  • Exception‑based reporting to identify projected low on‑board stock levels, potential lost sales, low DC stock levels, overstocks, variance to fixture‑fill, etc.
  • Manage purchasing budget days to appropriately fund the most profitable items and issue purchases with lead‑times varying from 1 week to 6 months.
  • Ensure that top items are in‑stock across all locations, including the DC; communicate anticipated stock challenges to Merchandising and Cruise Line Retail.
  • Support new ships and new initiatives with proper stock investment and communicate status/timing to appropriate stakeholders.
  • Identify opportunities for process improvement and/or efficiencies:
    • Work with vendor partners to improve/maximize fill‑rates, timely shipping, and vendor compliance.
    • Collaborate with Logistics on inbound and outbound product flow for enhanced speed‑to‑market initiatives.
    • Identify and leverage cost efficiencies and support the company’s profit‑driving supply chain initiatives.
• Talent Management
  • Hire, train, develop, motivate and retain a highly talented team.
  • Lead and manage a team of…