Director of Planning | Poppy & Peonies

Bloom is a full-service workplace design consultancy, proudly supporting Poppy & Peonies in their search for a Director of Brand & Social to join their dynamic team. As Talent Advisors, we serve as the bridge between our Bloom Partner and you throughout the recruitment process. At Bloom, we don’t rely on automated tools to sift through applications—every resume is carefully reviewed by a real person to ensure a fair and consistent interview process. If selected, you’ll join Poppy & Peonies directly as a valued member of their team. We’re excited to consider your application! Please note that applications will be accepted throughout the holiday season. Thank you for your patience and interest in this opportunity!

 

Hi, I’m Natalie Dusome, Founder and CEO of Poppy & Peonies, a fun and energetic brand that believes styles and function should co-exist. We’re passionate about creating practical pieces that help make life a little easier and lighten the load, literally. 

Building Poppy & Peonies has been a wild adventure. The journey began when my daughter Poppy was born and my accessories no longer worked with my new life as a mom, I needed bags with pockets and organization that looked cool and had functionality.  I couldn’t find it, so I decided to create it, and in 2015 Poppy & Peonies was born. 

We’ve come a long way in five years – from filling orders in my basement to appearing on Dragons’ Den, and now, expanding into new product categories and collaborating with some exciting influencers and brands. I’d be lying if I said it’s been nothing but smooth sailing, but thanks to our incredible community, we’ve never felt more loved and supported! 

We believe in our responsibility to care for our environment and we are passionate about preserving the health and welfare of our planet, and the animals that live on it. All of our bags are made from high-quality vegan leather, and our entire product line is vegan, cruelty-free, and PETA-approved. We ship our products plastic-free and we use a combination of recycled, compostable, and biodegradable materials to mitigate shipping waste, and we are constantly looking for new ways to make our products and supply chain more sustainable to reduce our carbon footprint.

About the Role

The Director of Planning will lead the integrated Demand Planning, Supply Planning, and Inventory Planning functions at Poppy & Peonies.

This role is responsible for translating commercial plans into actionable inventory and purchasing strategies, ensuring the right products are available in the right quantities, at the right locations, and at the right time.

Working closely with Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing, Finance, Sourcing, and Operations, the Director will establish a disciplined Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process that balances revenue growth, product availability, inventory productivity, and cash flow.

The ideal candidate combines strong analytical and financial acumen with hands-on planning experience in a fast-paced consumer products environment. They are comfortable working at both strategic and operational levels, building scalable processes while actively managing forecasts, inventory, and purchasing decisions.

The Opportunity

Demand Planning & Forecasting

• Own the end-to-end demand forecasting process across all product categories, sales channels, and markets.

• Develop and maintain rolling demand forecasts at the SKU, category, channel, and distribution center levels.

• Partner with Merchandising, Marketing, and eCommerce to incorporate product launches, promotional activities, seasonality, marketing investments, and business growth assumptions into forecasts.

• Lead forecast reviews, analyze actual performance against projections, identify demand trends, and continuously improve forecast accuracy.

• Develop forecasting methodologies for new product introductions, core replenishment products, and seasonal collections.

• Identify demand risks and opportunities early and recommend actions to optimize sales and inventory performance.

Supply Planning & Purchasing

• Translate demand forecasts into actionable supply and purchasing plans, considering inventory on hand, open purchase orders, production lead times, transportation lead times, and safety stock requirements.

• Own the inventory purchasing plan and recommend purchase order quantities, timing, and replenishment strategies.

• Partner with Global Sourcing and suppliers to align production capacity, lead times, and delivery schedules with business requirements.

• Support new product launches by ensuring purchase orders and inventory availability align with launch milestones.

• Proactively identify supply constraints, potential shortages, and excess inventory risks, developing mitigation plans in collaboration with cross-functional teams.

• Balance product availability with inventory investment and working capital objectives.

Inventory Planning & Optimization

• Develop and execute inventory strategies across multiple distribution centers in Canada and the US.

• Establish and manage inventory targets, safety stock policies, and SKU classifications based on demand patterns, product lifecycle, and business priorities.

• Monitor weeks of supply (WOS), inventory turns, stock availability, and aging inventory.

• Recommend inventory allocation and replenishment strategies across markets and distribution centers.

• Identify slow-moving and excess inventory and work with Merchandising and Marketing on appropriate actions.

• Optimize inventory positioning to improve service levels while minimizing carrying costs, transfers, and markdown exposure.

Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)

• Design, implement, and lead a structured monthly S&OP process, integrating commercial demand, supply capabilities, inventory investment, and financial objectives.

• Facilitate cross-functional planning discussions and drive alignment on a single, consensus-based operating plan.

• Partner with Finance to reconcile sales forecasts, inventory purchases, open-to-buy (OTB) plans, and financial targets.

• Provide leadership with clear visibility into demand and supply risks, inventory requirements, and key business trade-offs.

• Develop scenario planning capabilities to support business decisions related to growth, promotions, product launches, and supply disruptions.

• Establish clear planning cadences, accountability, and decision-making processes.

Product Launch & Lifecycle Planning

• Partner with Product Development, Merchandising, and Sourcing to support seasonal assortment planning and new product introductions.

• Develop initial demand forecasts and inventory buy recommendations for new collections based on historical performance, comparable products, and commercial assumptions.

• Align purchasing decisions with product development milestones, supplier lead times, and launch dates.

• Monitor launch performance and recommend inventory reallocation, replenishment, or exit strategies.

• Manage inventory planning throughout the product lifecycle, including introduction, growth, replenishment, and end-of-life.

Planning Systems, Analytics & Process Improvement

• Build scalable planning processes, reporting tools, and performance dashboards.

• Improve data quality, forecasting methodologies, and planning visibility across functions.

• Identify opportunities to automate manual planning activities and improve decision-making through systems and analytics.

• Develop standardized planning metrics, reporting cadences, and exception-management processes.

• Partner with Finance, Operations, and Technology to strengthen planning tools and data integration.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead, coach, and develop the Planning team, establishing clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and development plans.

• Build a collaborative, accountable, and data-driven planning culture.

• Serve as the primary planning partner to Merchandising, Marketing, Finance, Product Development, Global Sourcing, and Operations.

• Communicate complex planning information clearly and translate analysis into practical business recommendations.

• Drive cross-functional alignment and ensure timely decisions to support business priorities.

What You Bring to the Table

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, Operations, or a related field.

• 10+ years of progressive experience in demand planning, supply planning, inventory management, or integrated business planning.

• 5+ years of experience leading planning teams or functions.

• Demonstrated experience managing end-to-end planning in a consumer products, retail, fashion, accessories, or eCommerce environment.

• Strong understanding of demand forecasting, inventory optimization, replenishment planning, and open-to-buy management.

• Experience establishing or leading S&OP processes.

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