Merchandise Planning Senior Director
About the Role
Ring Concierge is a female-founded fine jewelry company specializing in custom engagement rings and fine jewelry. We're looking for a Merchandise Planning Senior Director to lead the financial strategy behind our merchandise business, turning customer demand, market trends, and business insights into inventory and assortment decisions that drive profitable growth.
The ideal candidate is analytical and strategic, thrives in ambiguity, and can influence senior leaders through data-driven recommendations.
Responsibilities
Financial Strategy
Own the investment strategy for Fine Jewelry and Bridal, balancing growth, profitability, inventory productivity, and customer experience
Partner closely with Merchandising to develop and execute annual and seasonal merchandise strategies aligned with company objectives
Develop annual financial plans, sales forecasts, inventory plans, and gross margin targets, re-forecasting throughout the year to capture sales trends
Own the Open-to-Buy process and recommend inventory investments across categories and channels
Build financial scenarios to support strategic business decisions and investment opportunities
Evaluate new product categories, launches, and assortment opportunities through financial modeling and business case development
Inventory & Assortment Optimization
Optimize stock levels, sell-through, inventory turns, and weeks of supply across all channels
Lead allocation strategy and store inventory planning
Identify opportunities to improve SKU productivity through lifecycle management and assortment optimization
Develop strategies to minimize aged inventory while protecting customer experience and profitability
Business Performance & Customer Insights
Analyze business performance, sales trends, and customer purchasing behavior to identify risks and opportunities
Monitor market trends, competitive landscape, and customer demand to inform planning decisions
Deliver regular executive reporting and present financial insights and recommendations to leadership in a concise, compelling manner
Cross-Functional Leadership
Partner with Product Development to inform launch quantities, lifecycle planning, and investment strategies
Collaborate with Marketing and Ecommerce to support promotional planning and demand forecasting
Align cross-functional teams to successfully execute seasonal launches and key business initiatives
Influence assortment architecture, pricing strategies, inventory investments, and launch decisions through data-driven insights
Process Improvement & Operational Excellence
Build scalable planning tools, reporting, and frameworks that improve forecasting accuracy and support company growth
Identify AI and automation opportunities that reduce manual work and drive operational efficiency across the planning function
Leadership
Mentor and develop planning talent while fostering a culture of accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement
Lead with an ownership mentality, proactively identifying opportunities to improve the business
About You
Strategic thinker with a strong commercial mindset and passion for retail, balancing big-picture thinking with attention to detail
Proven ability to translate data into actionable business strategies
Naturally curious with exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills
Comfortable making decisions in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
Highly collaborative with strong executive presence, able to influence cross-functional partners and senior leadership
Hands-on leader who enjoys both building strategy and executing against it
AI-forward, actively look for ways to apply new tools and technology to improve how the team plans and makes decisions
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Merchandising, Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field
12-15+ years of experience in Merchandise Planning or Inventory Planning within luxury retail, fashion, or consumer goods
Strong retail math and financial acumen, including forecasting, inventory productivity, margin planning, and assortment planning
Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, complex formulas, and financial modeling
Experience working with Shopify, NetSuite, or merchandise planning systems is a plus
Knowledge of the luxury fine jewelry market is preferred
Experience using AI tools to support forecasting, reporting, or process improvement is a plus
Details
Full-time role located in NYC, requiring 4 days per week in office
Office Hours: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, with the knowledge that we have a startup culture and your day may extend past listed office hours (with the possibility of weekends during busy season or sales)
Must be available to provide evening, weekend, and holiday coverage during peak periods, including major promotions, launches, and the holiday season
Health, Vision & Dental Insurance for full-time employees
Generous employee discounts on our fine jewelry
Paid time off, Summer Fridays, and an extra allowance of 3 days annually for religious observances
Compensation for the role will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications, skills, and experience. The estimated annual compensation for this role is $190,000+