Inventory Cycle Counters - NEEDED ASAP!!

Inventory Planner, Outlet

Apply here directly for immediate consideration: Inventory Planner - Outlet - Williams-Sonoma Inc. Customer Care Centers

Our brands are among the best known and most respected in the industry. We successfully market them through all three major channels - retail stores, catalogs, and the Internet.

The Inventory Planner, Outlet is responsible for the strategic planning and management of inventory across the Outlet business, including Outlet Stores and Outlet Online, for all Williams-Sonoma, Inc. brands. As a member of the Outlet Inventory team (Buying, Planning, and Distribution), this role owns the sales, margin, and inventory plan for the Outlet channel. It manages the flow of brand overstock transfers and customer returns (chip and dent) to deliver the right inventory to the right stores at the right time. The Merchandise Planner partners with Outlet Buyers, Distribution, DC/Supply Chain, brand Merchandising and Planning teams, and field leadership to maximize sales, protect margin, optimize inventory turn, and drive profitable growth. This position reports into the Outlet Inventory Manager and is responsible for meeting Outlet sales, MMU, inventory, and turn goals as outlined in the financial budget.

Financial Planning & Forecasting:

Own monthly Open to Buy forecasting of Outlet sales, MMU, receipts, and EOP inventory by brand and channel, and recommend near-term actions to achieve sales goals and budgeted inventory EOMs.

Partner with Buyers and Finance to build pre-season and annual Outlet plans that align with tops-down financial goals and the overall brand inventory strategy.

Plan and manage a favorable mix of allocated brand overstock vs. chip and dent inventory to deliver MMU dollar and rate goals.

Perform in-season forecasting and ad-hoc analysis to identify inventory-related risks and opportunities and estimate the impact of inventory shortages and gluts for field and brand leadership.

Inventory Flow & Management:

Plan and manage inventory flow across all brands, incorporating brand overstock transfers, customer returns, and brand store transfers into a single inventory plan to achieve annual turn goals.

Partner with Distribution to allocate large cube, clearance, and slow-moving (E/F) product to Outlet Stores to achieve model stock store density and alleviate DC capacity constraints.

Consistently review brand inventory positions to identify and facilitate opportunities to reallocate inventory from brand to Outlet to drive sales.

Scrutinize returns disposition logic across all DCs and develop creative strategies to add inventory to Outlet Online from sources throughout the network.

Support Outlet Online site and assortment strategies, including expanded offerings, filtering and sorting, and improved conditioning categorizations.

Recommend targeted promotions and progressive markdown cadence on aging inventory that maximize sales and margin and address inventory gluts.

Develop and execute disciplined liquidation strategies for store relocations and closures that minimize margin erosion and support the real estate repositioning plan.

Determine end-of-life disposition strategies for aged and non-saleable inventory.

Deliver comprehensive, actionable reporting on store and DC inventory position, pending transfers, seasonal ownership, allocation tracking, and category performance.

Utilize reporting and planning tools (Qliksense, Microstrategy, etc.) to inform inventory forecasts and follow a data → insight → action approach in every analysis.

Leverage historical data to identify key learnings around product, pricing, and inventory and apply learnings to future seasons.

Operate as one Outlet Inventory team across Buying, Planning, and Distribution: share information freely, align on priorities, and show up as a collaborative partner to the field and to each other.

Bring proactive, clear, and action-oriented communication to stores, DC/Supply Chain, Transportation, and brand partners, flagging risks and surfacing opportunities.

Support new-hire onboarding and provide training and mentorship to assistant planners.

Travel within country occasionally.

Data driven individual with a curious, entrepreneurial mindset.

• Bachelor's degree and/or equivalent professional experience required.
• Minimum three to five years of experience in Merchandise Planning or Inventory Management required; Proven ability to objectively interpret data and extract actionable insights that drive the business.
• Advanced Excel skills; experience with reporting and BI tools (e.g., Understanding of supply chain and distribution processes, including inventory allocation, transfers, and returns.
• Experience leading others in a project setting, mentoring, and complex problem solving preferred.
• Flexible and adaptive to changing priorities; Excel assessment will be required to complete before consideration.

Once you are here, you can look forward to a wide variety of benefits designed to help you grow, personally and professionally, to keep you healthy, to prepare you for the unexpected, to care for your family and to build a secure future. A generous discount on all Williams Sonoma Inc. brands through multiple shopping channels

Paid vacations, holidays and other time-off programs

Bonus eligibility

Health benefits, including health, dental and vision insurance; health and dependent care tax-free spending accounts; medical, family and bereavement leave; same-sex domestic partner benefits; short- and long-term disability programs; life and travel insurance; an employee assistance program

Tax-free commuter benefits

A wellness program that supports your physical, financial and emotional health

In-person and online learning opportunities through WSI University

Cross-brand and cross-function career opportunities

A business casual work environment

Company-sponsored community involvement

Various discounts on local businesses

This role requires being onsite in our office in The Colony, TX Monday through Thursday, and remote option on Friday.