Senior Manager, Planning - UA Kids

About Us

Centric Brands is a leading lifestyle brand collective that designs, sources, markets and sells high quality products in multiple segments, including women’s, men’s and kid’s apparel, accessories, entertainment and beauty. Centric Brands is focused on our customers and our brands that will drive the company’s future growth. We are defined by innovation as we seize new opportunities and thrive in an environment informed by creativity and thinking that is both analytical and outside the box. Centric Brands reflects a team built on respect, for others and for the hard work it takes to achieve our goals and build our bright future together.

Specific Responsibilities Would Include

The Senior Manager, Planning is responsible for leading financial, merchandise, inventory, and wholesale planning activities supporting the Under Armour business within Centric Brands. This role serves as a primary planning partner to the Under Armour account team, driving profitable growth through disciplined forecasting, inventory optimization, assortment planning, and actionable business insights.

Partnering closely with Sales, Production, Design, Sourcing, Demand Planning, and Account Management, the Senior Manager develops seasonal and long-range plans that align with both Centric Brands' financial objectives and the strategic priorities of the Under Armour business. The role requires a highly analytical and commercially minded leader who can influence cross-functional decision-making, identify opportunities and risks, and drive execution across a fast-paced licensed apparel environment.

This position plays a critical role in ensuring that inventory investments, product assortments, and financial forecasts support sustainable growth, operational excellence, and best-in-class execution for one of Centric Brands' most important strategic accounts.

Key Responsibilities

Account Planning & Business Partnership

• Serve as the lead planning partner supporting the Under Armour account within Centric Brands.

• Partner closely with Sales leadership and Account Executives to develop seasonal revenue, margin, and inventory strategies by customer and channel.

• Develop annual operating plans, seasonal forecasts, and monthly projections aligned with business objectives.

• Consolidate forecasts across wholesale accounts and identify emerging trends, risks, and opportunities.

• Participate in internal business reviews and account meetings, providing data-driven recommendations to support strategic decisions.

• Maintain ongoing assessments of risks and opportunities and recommend mitigation strategies to achieve financial targets.

Financial Planning & Forecasting

• Develop and manage seasonal sales, gross margin, and inventory plans by account, product category, and channel.

• Lead the monthly Latest Estimate (LE) process, delivering accurate forecasts and variance analyses against budget, prior year, and previous projections.

• Monitor performance against key financial metrics and proactively identify actions to improve results.

• Support annual budget development and long-range planning initiatives.

• Prepare executive-level reporting and presentations for divisional leadership.

Merchandise Planning & Assortment Strategy

• Collaborate with Design, Sales, Production, and Sourcing teams to develop seasonal line plans that support customer requirements and brand objectives.

• Analyze SKU productivity and recommend assortment strategies that maximize sales and profitability.

• Guide seasonal investment decisions using historical performance, trend analysis, and customer insights.

• Lead post-season hindsight reviews to identify opportunities, improve future assortments, and influence line architecture.

• Provide recommendations regarding product distribution, category investments, and lifecycle management.

Replenishment & Demand Planning

• Partner with Demand Planning, Sales, and customers to develop accurate replenishment forecasts and inventory strategies.

• Monitor promotional activity, sales trends, and customer demand patterns to anticipate inventory needs.

• Ensure inventory plans appropriately account for lead times, minimum order quantities, case pack requirements, and service expectations.

• Conduct ongoing SKU rationalization and long-tail analyses to improve productivity and reduce complexity.

• Develop transition plans for discontinued products and replacement strategies.

Inventory Planning & Supply Optimization

• Partner with Production and Sourcing teams to align inventory commitments with approved business plans.

• Participate in weekly purchase order release meetings to ensure production investments support forecasted demand and budget targets.

• Monitor inventory turns, weeks of supply, and aged inventory to optimize working capital and cash flow.

• Develop strategies to address excess inventory, including disposition and liquidation plans.

• Balance inbound and outbound inventory flows to support service level expectations across the business.

• Identify opportunities to leverage direct shipment programs to improve efficiency and reduce distribution costs.

Analytics & Reporting

• Analyze customer, door, category, and SKU productivity to identify opportunities to improve performance.

• Develop and maintain meaningful dashboards, scorecards, and reporting tools to support decision-making.

• Evaluate distribution opportunities and recommend adjustments to maximize productivity.

• Lead post-season analyses and communicate key findings and recommendations to cross-functional teams.

• Deliver concise, actionable insights that support both tactical execution and long-term strategic planning.

Process Improvement & Planning Excellence

• Champion continuous improvement initiatives that enhance planning accuracy, reporting effectiveness, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Leverage business intelligence tools and analytics platforms to improve visibility and decision-making.

• Identify opportunities to incorporate automation, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies into planning processes.

• Establish and promote best practices across planning activities supporting the Under Armour business.

• Serve as a subject matter expert and trusted advisor on planning and inventory management processes.

Our Best Fit Candidate Would Have

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

• 7–10 years of progressive experience in Merchandise Planning, Wholesale Planning, Financial Planning, or Inventory Management within the apparel, footwear, or consumer products industry.

• Experience supporting major wholesale accounts within a branded or licensed business environment.

• Strong understanding of wholesale planning concepts, including open-to-buy management, replenishment strategies, demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and gross margin management.

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including financial modeling and complex data analysis.

• Experience with ERP systems, planning applications, and business intelligence tools such as Sigma, Power BI, Tableau, or similar platforms.

• Proven ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and translate complex analyses into actionable recommendations.

• Excellent communication, presentation, organizational, and project management skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting licensed apparel businesses and national wholesale accounts.

• Experience working with athletic, performance, or children's apparel categories.

• Familiarity with Under Armour's product positioning and wholesale distribution model.

• Experience leading process improvement initiatives and implementing planning best practices.

• Knowledge of AI-enabled forecasting tools and advanced analytics applications.

In return, we provide an industry-competitive salary, along with a comprehensive benefits plan (medical, dental, vision) that includes a matching 401(k), Summer Fridays, generous PTO, merchandise discounts, excellent career development opportunities, and a work environment that reflects our industry leadership. Our social impact program, Centric Cares, focuses on volunteerism to make a difference in communities we live and work in and our D&I committee is shaping the future of diversity, equity and inclusion at Centric Brands though workshops, resources and inspiring conversation.

Salary Range: $140,000-150,000

At Centric Brands, we believe our people are our greatest asset, and we seek to structure competitive compensation offers to ensure that we are able to attract and retain the best talent. Our job postings include an annual base salary range at the time of employment. The stated base salary range represents our good faith estimate as to what candidates are likely to expect, and we tailor our offers within the range based on several factors, including the selected candidate's educational and professional experience, industry knowledge, location, technical and communication skills, and other factors that may prove relevant during the selection process. Base salary is a part of a total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, annual bonus and other Centric Brands sponsored benefit programs.

Be part of our growing community by getting involved with groups, teams and initiatives like Be Green, Be Giving, and Be Celebrated.

Centric Brands is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Please note that Centric Brands will only reach out to interview, make an offer of employment or conduct onboarding activities for candidates who have applied through our careers site. When interviewing for a position, the candidate experience will include live interaction, such as a video conference or telephone call, with a Recruiter and/or company employee(s). We will never ask for any money or payments from applicants at any point in the recruitment process. Be aware of suspicious recruitment activity. If you think you are a victim of an employment scam, you may contact your local law enforcement agency and/or visit the Federal Trade Commission website here: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams.

#LI-HR1

#LI-Hybrid