Director, Merch Planning - Tommy Hilfiger

Be part of an iconic story.

TOMMY HILFIGER is one of the world’s most recognized global lifestyle brands, confidently welcoming and inspiring consumers since 1985. Originally established in New York City and infused with the vibrant spirit of Americana, to create the modern uniform of accessible luxury. The TOMMY HILFIGER brands consist of TOMMY HILFIGER and TOMMY JEANS, complemented by a range of licensed product categories that extend the brand lifestyle across generations, geographies, activities and occasions. Tommy Hilfiger’s global marketing approach and communications strategy taps into culture through the world of F.A.M.E.S.: the people, organizations and ideas boldly driving the future of Fashion, Art, Music, Entertainment and Sport. Major global campaigns, sponsorship platforms, and disruptive activations with world-class athletes, musicians and entertainers bring a constant source of energy and inspiration to the brand. Immerse yourself in TOMMY HILFIGER here! (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok)

About the Role:

The Director of Planning (Accessories ) develops, executes and communicates strategic merchandise financial plans that support the company’s financial, product, and marketing objectives; responsible for driving top line financial plans from a divisional level to a department/category level, strategically managing the business in order to maximize sales and margin, and optimizing inventory, develops and contributes to the development of Brand initiatives, and ensures that all planning activities support annual goals. 

What You'll Do:

Create strategic financial plans that support the company’s objectives and brand goals from a top down and bottom up perspective

• At a division/department/class level, develop sales, gross margin, and inventory plans that support the company’s profit objectives.  Collaborate with direct reports in planning and the merchandising team to ensure that financial objectives align with product opportunities

• Lead the planning and merchandising team, utilizing historical data and current trends, to capitalize on new opportunities, and identify risks. 

• Understand opportunities and risks from direct reports and communicate to key business partners including merchandising, finance, marketing, visual, and brand leaders

• Develop, train and lead planning team

• Partner closely with allocation team on a daily basis to ensure product strategies are executed to the store level

• Partner with the Production team on projections and buy passoffs

Weekly Business Management

• Meet with planners to understand weekly forecasts, category opportunities and risks, markdown recommendations, and reflowing of inventory. 

• Ensure that all decisions are based on historical data and/or current trends and collect information to create global action plans

• Present “action points” to senior management and gain consensus on business approach

• Manage seasonal liabilities, inventory by source, and delivery performance at a divisional level. 

• Guide planners to tactically manage liabilities and drive opportunities

• Partner with Allocation on allocation strategies daily

Buy Review Prep

• Meet with planning team to review historical performance at the category and key item level.  Understand and validate analysis by source, delivery, and category to merchants to understand prior performance and develop future goals

• Pre-season create divisional and departmental plans to support the development of the line

• Set sales, margin, flow, and IMU goals prior to the planning of each delivery.  Reconcile tops down and bottom up forecasts prior to the passing of receipts to the merchant organization

• Participate in buy review with merchants, planners, and allocators to ensure appropriate breadth and depth, and flawless execution.  Collaborate with lead merchants to ensure that plans support product goals

• Lead and facilitate buy finalization meeting with merchant.  Review pre-season plans that support new assortment.  Identify risks and opportunities relative to product, flow, and presentation

Managing and Developing Talent

• Create a dynamic team environment that encourages collaboration and creativity within the business unit and across brands