Wantable

Senior Director, Inventory and Merchandise Planning – AI, Automation Focused

Wantable

full-time

Posted on:

Location Type: Hybrid

Location: Milwaukee • California • Wisconsin • United States

Visit company website

Explore more

✨ AI Apply
Apply

Job Level

Senior

Tech Stack

Tableau

About the role

  • **What You’ll Do**
  • **Reinvent Planning Through AI & Automation**
  • - Architect the Future of Merchandising: Build a **self-correcting forecasting engine** that handles traditional OTB (Open-to-Buy) management and inventory targets using LLM-based decision tools and automated workflows to eliminate "busy work".
  • - The Planning Sandbox: Approach seasonal planning and demand modeling like an engineer; use your **"outside the box" thinking** to prototype agent-based simulations and predictive replenishment triggers that ensure we never miss a trend.
  • - High-Efficiency Planning Workflows: Identify manual or repetitive tasks within the planning cycle—from margin analysis to allocation—and aggressively replace them with high-efficiency automation or AI copilots.
  • - Applied Mathematics & Optimization: Design tools that don’t just "report" data but **use your analytical rigor to compress** decision cycles, evaluate complex margin models, and maximize the team’s productivity.
  • - Tool-Building for Planners: Act as a **hybrid creator** who develops custom planning tools and KPIs when off-the-shelf solutions aren't fast or smart enough for our growth.
  • **Own Inventory & Merchandise Planning**
  • - Lead and own all merchandise planning, allocation, and inventory management strategies to maximize revenue and margin.
  • - Build and maintain financial and unit-level forecasts using **AI-enhanced modeling** to align merchandising, product development, and operations.
  • - Oversee seasonal and long-range OTB plans and deploy **predictive algorithms** to balance growth with inventory productivity.
  • - Drive in-season agility using **real-time data and automated alerts** for reorders, markdowns, and product flow adjustments.
  • - Partner with Merchandising and Product Development to support Wantable’s expanding private brands using **AI-powered sell-through forecasting and attribute-level demand modeling**.
  • **Lead a High-Performing, AI-Fluent Team**
  • - Develop and coach a planning team that embraces experimentation, autonomy, and data-driven decision-making.
  • - Promote a culture of curiosity—where planners feel empowered to build tools, run rapid tests, and challenge legacy processes.
  • - Ensure the team is skilled in** AI copilots, prompt engineering fundamentals, analytics tools, and automated reporting systems.**
  • **Drive The Data Evolution**
  • - Oversee creation of AI-optimized dashboards, predictive analytics, and self-updating reporting tools.
  • - Collaborate closely with Data Science and Engineering to deploy new algorithms and ensure model performance is measurable and stable.
  • - Use AI-assisted analysis to uncover new opportunities to improve margins, reduce inventory waste, and accelerate product flow.

Requirements

  • **What We’re Looking For**
  • - **The Creator Mindset**: You are a builder at heart. Whether you have a background in Engineering, Mathematics, or Data Science, you have the "outside the box" thinking required to reinvent retail.
  • - **Retail Fluency**: You understand the fundamentals of merchandise planning and inventory strategy but view them through a technical lens.
  • - **Technical Literacy**: Hands-on experience with modern data workflows and AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) along with BI platforms like Tableau or Looker.
  • - **Analytical Rigor**: You love the math behind the business and are comfortable designing and evaluating complex, AI-enhanced models.
  • - **Bias for Action**: You thrive in low-bureaucracy environments where you make independent, data-driven decisions without needing layers of approval.
  • - **Passion for the Product**: A genuine love for fashion and the "art + science" of creating a customer experience people love.
  • **Nice to have**
  • - Experience with ML forecasting frameworks or LLM workflow automation.
  • - Experience leading teams through rapid tooling transitions or tech-driven process reinvention.
  • - Comfort collaborating with data engineers and data scientists.
Benefits
  • **Why Wantable?**
  • - Be part of a dynamic, fast-growing company that has innovation and creativity embedded in its DNA.
  • - A chance to shape our customers’ journey and leave a lasting impact on their self-confidence, one order at a time.
  • - Join a collaborative environment where your ideas matter, your efforts are rewarded and you can see results in real time.
  • We have a laid-back, casual environment in a state-of-the-art HQ in Walkers Point.
  • We offer flexible schedules, paid parental leave (mothers AND fathers), and a private room for nursing mothers.
  • Even more exciting: paid vacation and seven paid holidays per year, plus a 50% discount on all merchandise. You’ll be eligible for the discount on your first day.
  • Important, but maybe less thrilling: we have ample parking, we offer medical (traditional and high deductible), dental, and vision insurance, as well as a 401K (both pre-tax and Roth options).
Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools
self-correcting forecasting engineAI-enhanced modelingpredictive algorithmsagent-based simulationsautomated workflowsmargin analysisdata-driven decision-makingAI copilotsprompt engineeringpredictive analytics
Soft Skills
outside the box thinkingcreativitycuriosityindependent decision-makingcoachingteam leadershipexperimentationautonomycollaborationpassion for product