Diesel has long been a leading pioneer in denim and casual fashion, known for moving outside and ahead of trends in its industry. While retaining always its DNA, in recent years Diesel has evolved into the world of premium casual wear, becoming a true alternative to the established luxury market. Diesel is a truly worldwide organization. It is present in more than 80 countries with 5,000 points of sale, including more than 400 company owned stores.

Purpose:

The Director, Planning & Allocating at Diesel will plan the strategies for assigned channels and categories that optimize sales, inventory, and profitability for the North America Market.  Responsible for inputting and maintaining plans in the relevant systems and applications. Develops and implements the detailed merchandise pre-season sales and inventory plans that support strategic brand, merchandising and financial goals for respective lines. Implements proposed stock strategy and highlights opportunities at the store collection level identifying the optimal level of stock required to deliver net sales. Responsible for ensuring optimal product availability, managing inventory effectively, and driving innovative solutions in forecasting and allocation to support the company's financial goals, enhance the operational efficiency, and improve overall inventory.  Responsible for distribution and management of inventory from initial allocation, replenishment, and end of season reconciliation.

Responsibilities:

• Operate as the financial lead for Merchandising and own the merchandise planning, inventory management, allocation and replenishment, financial planning forecasting, and financial analysis across all product categories. This includes key financial metrics, achievement of financial parameters, and leading the business to make profitable merchandise decisions.
• Develop and present seasonal merchandise plans with all financial metrics by line, by collection, including retail and unit sales, and intake.
• Maximize sales, margin, and turn through proper planning and execution of merchandise placement.
• Participate in developing process that build efficiencies and streamline work.
• Participate for respective lines in line review meeting with buying team.
• Ensure that the financial strategy pursued is consistent with the budget and profit parameters.
• Partner with Merchandising and Store teams to implement allocation strategy that maximizes productivity by store cluster.
• Implements in-season sales forecasts by collection/category as needed. Providing summary of variances to plan. 
• Implementation of updated forecasts into respective HQ planning systems in a timely basis to ensure global coordination as well as forecast working capital and margin opportunities.
• Accountable to manage the company’s inventory ownership positions within the financial parameters, that support the sales and forward forecast projections aligned with the effective utilization of cash flow.
• Analyze and communicate product category needs in total and on a regional level performance to Plan and LY and recommends actions or insights.
• Maintain risk assessment models, rolling OTB forecasts and strict merchandise financial plans that are used to determine buy levels and maintain profitability to budgets.
• Highlights inventory levels discrepancies regarding OTB guidelines.
• Re-forecast business in-season.  Participate in monthly OTB meetings – sales forecast, inventory, current and future season diagnosis, identify opportunity as well as risk.
• Manage monthly forecasting reviews – Deliver results to the Vice President and other key constituents.
• Drive allocation strategies, processes, and procedures to achieve the financial objectives of the company; update and improve as needed to accommodate increased complexities.
• Prepare hind-sights by classification and style against plan and last year.
• Participate in Quarterly hind-sights and participate meetings and line reviews.
• Provide updated weekly forecasts to merchandising team detailing category opportunities and risks, recommending actions to management to gain consensus on business.
• Develop current and historical business recaps at the gender/category/class level, which identify opportunities and risks and influence buys and assortment strategies.
• Establish, distribute, and track seasonal performance for assigned categories across monobrand, ecommerce and outlet channels.
• Identify and address merchandise opportunities in specific stores by analyzing sales and inventory performance as well as space productivity.
• Generate weekly trend reports by store and by product, identifying opportunities to maximize sales.
• Support the Operations and Visual Team in their pre-visit store analysis.
• Contribute to the development of Brand initiatives and ensure that all planning activities support annual goals.
• Hire, coach, and develop a quality team including, development planning, succession planning and regular performance reviews to address personal growth and development needed to foster a productive, focused team.
• Drive new business development from business case through implementation.
• Propose and deliver business recaps and financial strategies. Through the planning team, lead MPR (Merchandise Plan Review) for the company’s merchandise categories.
• Provide leadership and the necessary formal and informal training, including one-on-one development, needed to produce a team that contributes consistent financial growth to the business.
• Interact and collaborate with all areas of the company, including Merchandising, Stores, the Distribution Center, and Senior Management.
• Ensure in-stock position on core and key items.
• Develop and present information to executive teams.
• Recommend action and communicate issues that relate to Merchandising and may hinder Company’s ability to achieve our financial objectives.
• Operate as a supporter and change agent for new system processes and implementations.

Qualifications:

• 8+ years’ experience of full lifecycle merchandise analysis (forecast and in-season, through allocations) for a $20M+ net sales retail business – desirable but not required.
• Experience in financial analysis and complex data analysis.

• Demonstrated interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.

• Strong presentation skills and ability to speak effectively in front of large group.
• Demonstrated ability to present complex financial material in a concise, executive-level, and compelling manner.
• Demonstrated experience building constructive and credible relationships with a diverse group of business partners, across all levels of management; Successfully influences and negotiates to achieve buy-in through use of facts and analysis.
• Strong computer skills in Excel (macros, v-lookups, pivot tables, complex formulas, etc.)
• Analytic Skills:  Ability to think objectively and interpret meaningful themes from quantitative and qualitative data.
• Financial and Business Acumen:  Ability to evaluate and speak to financial and business indicators and translate data into actionable information to drive results; Expert in retail math and financial measurement concepts, and how to influence them.
• Experience in Branded store chain environment.

Salary range: $135-145k

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and be able to provide proof of employment eligibility upon request. Employment is contingent upon the successful verification of this authorization in compliance with federal immigration laws.

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