Specialist, Inventory Planning

At Chanel, we are focused on creating an inclusive culture that nurtures personal growth, contributing to collective progress. We believe the uniqueness of each individual increases the diversity, complementarity, and effectiveness of our teams. We strongly encourage your application, as we value the perspective, experience, and potential you could bring to CHANEL.

About the Job

CHANEL is looking for a Specialist, to join our Inventory Planning team in our Fragrance & Beauty (F&B) division in New York. Reporting to the Group Director of Owned Account & Inventory Planning, you will play a role in supporting inventory strategy, replenishment, and stock optimization strategy for our direct-to-consumer (Owned) accounts to meet sales & inventory plans, inventory turn and service level objectives. This role interfaces with multiple functions in our division and is a key partner for our Digital, Retail and Field teams. Our ideal candidate will have a minimum of 3 years of experience and a passion for inventory strategy and optimization.

What impact you can create at CHANEL:

Our ideal candidate is analytical, and numbers driven, with an ability to multi-task and synthesize data to drive the performance of our Owned business and meet our customer demands. Our ideal candidate will be able to:

Support the launch of a new replenishment toolManage multi-faceted and evolving retail distribution networkDigest and execute on large sets of data supporting a high sales and SKU volumeDrive stock optimization throughout Chanel retail and leased accounts

Key Responsibilities include:

1. Replenishment & Inventory Planning

Analyze sales trends and inventory levels across 1,200+ SKUs to allocate stock effectively across stores, ensuring proper stock levels and minimizing stockouts.Prepare, analyze, and present regular reports on inventory allocation and performance metrics (e.g., BOM/EOM, sell-through, WOS), highlighting key opportunities or risks for decision-making.Work closely with Boutique Directors to keep them informed about incoming merchandise and any inventory needs, ensuring stores are prepared for demand fluctuations.Partner with the Merchandising Planning team to align sales forecasts with inventory levels, ensuring stock availability is optimized to match expected demand.Continuously track stock levels and adjust product allocations based on real-time sales data, seasonality, and demand trends, ensuring an optimal stock-to-sales ratio.Update the Replenishment Tool to reflect seasonal demand shifts and market trends, ensuring product allocation is in sync with current needs.Oversee weekly replenishment for Owned accounts from the warehouse to various distribution points, including handling ongoing basic and non-sellable inventory categories.Assist with stock allocation and replenishment for new store openings and direct-to-consumer channels, analyzing performance data to refine strategies.

2. Inventory Optimization Strategies

Support the creation of allocation strategies that not only minimize stockouts but also enhance sales, ensuring each location has the right product at the right time.Maintain and analyze inventory hierarchy (Top, Medium, and Slow Movers) based on historical sales trends, proposing recommendations for accounts on how to manage each category more effectively.Manage inventory execution for new product launches, from pre-launch to post-launch, ensuring proper allocations and tracking performance post-launch for optimization.Conduct weekly analysis on replenishment efficiency, sell-through rates, and stock coverage, identifying gaps or risks like low stock coverage or potential sales losses.

3. Operational and Analytical Support

Support the creation of weekly replenishment files by exporting necessary data for Owned accounts, ensuring data accuracy for replenishment decision-making.Conduct weekly reviews of order cuts to ensure stock is rebooked correctly to dedicated accounts, maintaining stock flow and reducing bottlenecks.Collaborate with peers across teams (Sales, Digital, Planning and Marketing) to ensure alignment, share best practices, and maximize the efficiency of replenishment and allocation processes.Build strong relationships with key stakeholders to ensure alignment on inventory management goalsSupport the Group Director in cross-functional project execution and key meetings, ensuring in-depth business analysis is provided for decision-making

You are energized by…

Displaying agility by showing flexibility and cultivating a growth mindset through resiliency within a fast-paced environmentNavigating complexity and being able to work autonomouslyWorking with multiple accounts and large sets of data to tell an impactful story through the numbersWorking cross-functionally and cultivating impactful relationships with key stakeholders to drive the success in our Owned networkGuiding and developing team members by providing leadership, coaching and development

What you will bring to the team...

A high comfort level and experience with a high sales volume, large sets of data, a high SKU count with heavy seasonalityHighly analytical with an aptitude for interpreting and utilizing data to improve and propose strategic impactStrategic thinker/tactical executor with the ability to embrace change and foster new opportunities to grow and protect the businessMust be self-motivated and a self-starter, with a strong attention to detail and systems acumen.Fundamental knowledge of the Supply Chain including supply planning, forecasting models, inventory management, manufacturing, and distributionProficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint and have aptitude to learn technical applications quickly.Possess strong organizational and time management skillsLearning agility and ability to creatively problem-solve in a fast-paced environment; ability to balance multiple tasksExceptional interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to communicate effectively with personnel at all levels of the organization.

Position Logistics:

Minimum 3 years of experience, ideally within an Operations capacity (Inventory Planning, Allocation, Distribution, Supply Chain, etc.)Bachelor’s degree required, ideally in a Supply Chain/Merchandising/Planning fieldStrong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel and retail management software.Good communication and teamwork abilities.Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.Previous experience with Anaplan is a plusHybrid: Role requires a minimum of three days in-person office presence at the designated location/office

Compensation: 

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $61,200 through $95,000. Base salary is one component of the total compensation for this position. Other forms of variable pay [may/will] be offered for this position. Other components [may/will] include bonus potential, benefits, and/or perks. 

Benefits and Perks: 

Wellbeing resources include dedicated paid time off for wellbeing (Please select appropriate time off for your role: 2-week August Office Closure OR Wellbeing Days in Retail) and a Wellbeing fund  

Family and care giving benefits (inclusive of parental leave, fertility support, MilkStork, and Care.com Membership) 

Generous paid time off policies to include vacation, holiday, sick and volunteer days  

401K and other incentives  

Robust healthcare offerings; medical, dental, vision, MDLIVE (virtual care), One Medical, Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care & Dependent Care), Health Savings Account and Employee Assistance Program 

Life insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Health Advocate, International Business Travel Accident & Medical, and Commuter Transit & Parking 

Additional Information: 

Chanel is a private company whose values are grounded in creating the conditions for people to perform at their best and feel fulfilled and confident in their work. We offer a unique work environment where individuals are encouraged to better understand the brand, the business, and motivations, so that together we can unlock the possibilities of growth. This is reflected in: 

Diversity and Inclusion: 

At CHANEL, we are intentional in promoting Diversity & Inclusion. We foster respect, empathy and dignity for all.  We believe strongly that the diversity of our people across the full spectrum of human differences is essential to our organisation and the connections we have with each other and our clients.  

We offer Employee Resource Groups in the US that are voluntary, open to all, employee-led groups formed around a shared identity or lived experience, whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community aligned with the values and missions of the communities they support. 

Chanel Community: 

CHANEL Community empowers our employees to channel their passions, talents and sense of purpose to contribute to and learn from our communities. 

Employees are encouraged to take time off annually to volunteer through CHANEL Community. CHANEL also matches employee donations to select charitable organizations. 

Sustainability: 

CHANEL Mission 1.5° is our climate action plan. It is focused on transforming the business in line with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement on climate change to limit the average global mean temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. 

Employees are encouraged to contribute to our US Sustainability efforts at the corporate level and within the divisions, through organized taskforces and initiatives. 

Arts and Culture: 

We are committed to extending our legacy of cultural engagement. Global support includes the CHANEL Culture Fund, which supports a select group of leading art culture institutions across the globe, and the CHANEL Next Prize for the next generation of creative talent.  US support currently includes Annual sponsorship of the MoMA film program, Tribeca Film Festival programs and Through Her Lens, Support of the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women and Sponsorship of the BAAND Together Dance Festival at Lincoln Center. 

Fondation Chanel: 

Since 2011, Fondation CHANEL’s mission is for women and girls to be free to shape their own destiny.  Through multi-year partnerships with financial and technical support, Fondation CHANEL is committed to improving the safety and autonomy of women and adolescent girls around the world, impacting over a million women and girls in its first 10 years.     

For more information, please navigate to the Fondation Chanel website here   

Career and Leadership Development:  

We have dedicated in-house teams focused on supporting the onboarding of employees, developing leadership skills via custom programs like Imagine Chanel People, Heart of Leadership and group and individual coaching, and blended online and live classes offered on our Bloom platform and by skilled trainers, such as Shape Your Career, to develop career building skills. 

*Chanel, Inc. benefits and perks are dependent on eligibility and subject to modification by Chanel at any time.