What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Director, Inventory and Merchandise Planning position at Lensa?
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Reports To: Chief Commercial Officer
Location: Milwaukee, WI (Hybrid) or Los Angeles, CA (Hybrid)
Employment Type: Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt
About Wantable
At Wantable, we’re redefining retail through personalization. Our membership-based model and proprietary technology empower us to curate products that help customers discover confidence and joy through style.
As a data-driven fashion company, we combine human intuition with algorithmic intelligence to deliver personalized assortments – balancing creativity, analytics, and operational precision.
We're seeking a Senior Director of Inventory & Merchandise Planning who is obsessed with using AI, automation, and unconventional tools to reinvent how planning is done in modern retail. This role is perfect for a builder who knows planning fundamentals but is most energized by breaking old processes, experimenting with new AI-powered workflows, and scaling smarter, self-learning systems.
About The Role
As the Senior Director of Merchandise Planning, you will own Wantable’s end-to-end planning strategy, forecasting methodology, and inventory optimization—but you’ll also push the discipline into the future, driving automation, rapid experimentation, and next-generation decision systems. Curiosity, hands-on innovation, and a willingness to rethink everything are more important than a traditional resume.
This is a high-ownership role with direct impact on growth, profitability, and customer experience. You will work in a fast-moving, low-bureaucracy environment where independent decision-making is expected and where your build-what-you-need mindset is highly valued.
What You’ll Do
Reinvent Planning Through AI & Automation
What We’re Looking For
Why Wantable?
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).
If you have questions about this posting, please contact support@lensa.com
Reports To: Chief Commercial Officer
Location: Milwaukee, WI (Hybrid) or Los Angeles, CA (Hybrid)
Employment Type: Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt
About Wantable
At Wantable, we’re redefining retail through personalization. Our membership-based model and proprietary technology empower us to curate products that help customers discover confidence and joy through style.
As a data-driven fashion company, we combine human intuition with algorithmic intelligence to deliver personalized assortments – balancing creativity, analytics, and operational precision.
We're seeking a Senior Director of Inventory & Merchandise Planning who is obsessed with using AI, automation, and unconventional tools to reinvent how planning is done in modern retail. This role is perfect for a builder who knows planning fundamentals but is most energized by breaking old processes, experimenting with new AI-powered workflows, and scaling smarter, self-learning systems.
About The Role
As the Senior Director of Merchandise Planning, you will own Wantable’s end-to-end planning strategy, forecasting methodology, and inventory optimization—but you’ll also push the discipline into the future, driving automation, rapid experimentation, and next-generation decision systems. Curiosity, hands-on innovation, and a willingness to rethink everything are more important than a traditional resume.
This is a high-ownership role with direct impact on growth, profitability, and customer experience. You will work in a fast-moving, low-bureaucracy environment where independent decision-making is expected and where your build-what-you-need mindset is highly valued.
What You’ll Do
Reinvent Planning Through AI & Automation
- Build the next generation of Wantable’s forecasting and planning system using AI, ML-powered demand models, LLM-based decision tools, and automated workflows.
- Prototype and test unconventional planning approaches such as agent-based simulations, predictive replenishment triggers, automated OTB updates, LLM-assisted scenario planning, and more.
- Design AI-driven tools that increase forecasting accuracy, compression speed, and planner productivity.
- Identify manual or repetitive planning tasks and aggressively replace them with automation or AI copilots.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
What We’re Looking For
- Deep experience in merchandise planning, inventory management, or financial planning paired with a genuine passion for AI innovation.
- Strong analytical and financial skills; comfortable designing and evaluating AI-enhanced models.
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex OTB plans, margin performance, and inventory strategy in dynamic, high-growth environments.
- Hands-on familiarity with AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini), BI platforms (Tableau, Looker), and modern data workflows.
- A builder mindset—comfortable creating your own planning tools, KPIs, automations, and models when existing solutions are inadequate.
- A bias toward action, independent decision-making, and low-bureaucracy execution.
- A love for fashion, product, and the art science of retail.
- 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.
- High ownership. You are trusted to make decisions that directly impact customers and financial performance.
- Hard-working and hands-on. We move fast, stay scrappy, and focus on impact.
- Independent thinkers. We value leaders who confidently make data-driven decisions without layers of approvals.
- Low bureaucracy. We avoid committees, long processes, and unnecessary steps.
- Love of fashion & product. We combine data with intuition to create experiences customers love.
- Results over pedigree. What you’ve built matters more than where you’ve been.
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 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).
If you have questions about this posting, please contact support@lensa.com