What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Planning & Buying position at SET ACTIVE?
About SET Active
SET Active is a fast-growing women's athleisure brand delivering elevated essentials designed for movement, comfort, and everyday life. Known for our community-driven drops and disciplined DTC model, we operate across DTC, Wholesale, and Retail channels. As we continue to scale, we're seeking a strategic and highly analytical leader to own planning, buying, and inventory strategy across the business.
Role Overview
The Director of Planning & Buying is responsible for driving sales, margin, and inventory performance across all channels. This role owns end-to-end planning-from line plans and demand forecasting through buy execution, inventory management, and performance reporting-ensuring alignment between product strategy, financial goals, and customer demand.
This individual blends analytical rigor with strong merchandising instincts and operational excellence, serving as the connective tissue between Merchandising, Production, Marketing, Finance, and Operations. The Director of Planning & Buying is accountable for forecasting accuracy, inventory efficiency, and actionable insights that inform strategic decision-making.
Key Responsibilities
Sales Forecasting & Financial Planning
SET Active is a fast-growing women's athleisure brand delivering elevated essentials designed for movement, comfort, and everyday life. Known for our community-driven drops and disciplined DTC model, we operate across DTC, Wholesale, and Retail channels. As we continue to scale, we're seeking a strategic and highly analytical leader to own planning, buying, and inventory strategy across the business.
Role Overview
The Director of Planning & Buying is responsible for driving sales, margin, and inventory performance across all channels. This role owns end-to-end planning-from line plans and demand forecasting through buy execution, inventory management, and performance reporting-ensuring alignment between product strategy, financial goals, and customer demand.
This individual blends analytical rigor with strong merchandising instincts and operational excellence, serving as the connective tissue between Merchandising, Production, Marketing, Finance, and Operations. The Director of Planning & Buying is accountable for forecasting accuracy, inventory efficiency, and actionable insights that inform strategic decision-making.
Key Responsibilities
Sales Forecasting & Financial Planning
- Own and maintain daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal sales forecasts across DTC, Wholesale, and Retail.
- Continuously reforecast based on real-time sales performance, inventory levels, and demand signals.
- Develop line plans in partnership with Merchandising, Product, and Production, translating creative vision into financially sound assortments.
- Forecast buys against line plans to ensure topline, margin, and inventory turn targets are met.
- Establish and manage drop calendars, launch dates, and delivery timing in alignment with marketing and operational readiness.
- Lead monthly forecast reviews, highlighting risks, opportunities, and changes in trajectory.
- Own buy strategies across core, seasonal, and limited-edition products to support growth while protecting cash flow.
- Partner with Production to ensure buys reflect sales velocity, margin targets, and lead times.
- Oversee SKU creation, barcode management, and pricing once costing is approved.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date PO and buy files, adjusting as line plans evolve.
- Ensure SKU, barcode, and vendor files are delivered accurately and on time as POs are submitted.
- Attend Development meetings to provide planning, pricing, and demand insights that influence product decisions.
- Own inventory health across the business, ensuring optimal in-stock positions and efficient turnover.
- Analyze inventory monthly to identify overstock, aging, and underperforming SKUs; recommend corrective actions.
- Manage reorder strategies for core and replenishment styles.
- Develop and maintain markdown and promotional strategies in partnership with Marketing and Merchandising.
- Provide "What to Push" inventory recommendations to support revenue and sell-through.
- Strategize and allocate inventory for initiatives such as SET Surprise and other special programs.
- Oversee inventory uploads and accuracy between 3PL systems and Shopify.
- Own daily, weekly, and monthly sales and inventory reporting.
- Produce monthly planning and performance decks with clear insights on sales, margin, inventory turn, and product performance.
- Analyze performance by drop, category, channel, and SKU to inform future buys and line plans.
- Send end-of-month and beginning-of-period reporting for COGs and sales in partnership with Finance.
- Identify trends, risks, and opportunities through deep data analysis and communicate actionable recommendations.
- Serve as a strategic partner across teams, aligning planning and inventory strategies.
- Maintain visibility of key calendars, launches, and initiatives.
- Act as a trusted advisor to leadership, connecting planning insights to business strategy.
- Maximize margin and inventory efficiency through data-driven recommendations.
- Continuously improve planning processes as the business scales.
- Use data-driven insights to maximize margin dollars and improve inventory efficiency.
- Protect cash flow by managing inventory risk, lead times, and buy depth.
- Continuously improve planning processes, tools, and forecasting accuracy as the business scales.
- Serve as the central link between strategy and execution, ensuring financial and operational goals are consistently aligned.
- 7-10 years of experience in merchandise planning, buying, or financial planning within apparel, activewear, or DTC-first consumer brands.
- Proven experience owning forecasts, buy plans, and inventory strategy at a leadership level.
- Strong understanding of retail math, margin structures, and inventory optimization.
- Highly analytical with the ability to translate data into clear business recommendations.
- Advanced Excel/Sheets skills; experience with Shopify, 3PL systems, and planning tools preferred.
- Strong cross-functional communicator with executive presence.