About the role
At Kotn, we’re reimagining the way everyday items are made and purchased, starting with your wardrobe. Our mission is to set a new standard for social impact and traceability.
Founded in February 2015 in Toronto by three best friends, Kotn has since been featured in over 80 publications including The New York Times, GQ, Vogue, Elle, and The Wall Street Journal.
We are seeking a Senior Planning Manager who combines strategic vision, adaptability, and comfort with ambiguity. The ideal candidate has strong business acumen, analytical expertise, and the ability to build scalable planning frameworks while balancing immediate business needs with long-term process improvements.
Knowledge of both e-commerce and retail planning is essential, and experience in high-growth environments is strongly preferred.
In this role, you will oversee the full planning cycle—including financial planning, OTB management, inventory optimization, retail allocation, and in-season trading decisions. You’ll partner with Merchandising, Finance, Retail, and E-Commerce teams to ensure Kotn delivers on sales and profitability, with the right product in the right place at the right time.
What you'll be working on:
Merchandise Financial Planning (60%)
- Lead execution of Kotn’s planning processes and maintain OTB discipline, while supporting leadership on long-range planning.
- Develop and manage financial plans (sales, margin, markdowns, receipts, inventory) across channels, divisions, and classes.
- Balance inventory productivity across e-commerce and retail channels with an omnichannel mindset, incorporating global market considerations.
- Oversee monthly forecasting and OTB process, ensuring disciplined budget control and purchase order management.
- Define inventory guardrails (turns, WOS, coverage, safety stock) for balanced inventory management.
- Use scenario planning to inform investment decisions, identify risks/opportunities, and set category-level performance targets.
- Partner with E-Commerce & Retail to plan promotions/events, tracking sales lift and profitability impact, and adjust strategies based on results.
- Establish end-of-life strategies (markdown cadence, transfers, consolidations) and track KPIs such as GMROI, forecast accuracy, and seasonal sell-through.
- Align financial plans, budgets, and receipts with Merchandising and Finance.
Inventory Management, Retail Allocation & Replenishment (25%)
- Lead inventory strategy and flow across all channels, overseeing allocation and replenishment activities.
- Develop market-specific strategies to manage inventory across regions and warehouses.
- Leverage sell-through, on-hand inventory, and demand forecasts to balance stock and manage in-season flow.
- Optimize presentation minimums, capacity, and size curves to drive productivity.
- Ensure a customer-centric allocation approach: the right product, in the right place, at the right time.
Data, Systems, and Team Management (15%)
- Lead, coach, and mentor a small team to strengthen planning discipline and build succession readiness.
- Manage reporting needs including recurring sales reports, ad-hoc analysis, and executive summaries, synthesizing data to drive timely actions.
- Build and optimize tools, dashboards, and planning systems to improve forecast accuracy, automate allocations, and reduce manual work.
- Partner cross-functionally to lead system implementations and process upgrades.
What You’ll Bring
- Multi-Channel Expertise: Proven background in apparel planning within both e-commerce and retail.
- Analytical Skills & Commercial Acumen: Ability to connect financial goals, product decisions, and inventory strategies to OTB management.
- Data Integrity: Strong commitment to accurate and consistent reporting and systems.
- Team Leadership: Experience guiding team members, fostering collaboration, and building planning discipline.
Qualifications
- 8–10 years of planning experience in retail or consumer businesses, with expertise in apparel and accessories.
- Strong track record of delivering sales, margin, and inventory productivity.
- Required knowledge of both e-commerce and retail planning; high-growth, multi-channel/DTC apparel experience strongly preferred.
- Expert in retail math: demand planning, OTB, markdown optimization, inventory productivity, and cash flow management.
- Proven ownership of allocation/replenishment design (size curves, presentation minimums, AR parameters, model stock).
- Experience in system/tool implementation (ERP, BI, planning software) with demonstrated optimization success.
- Builder mindset: ability to create simple tools and processes in low-system environments and scale them over time.
- Advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills; comfortable with BI/ERP data (e.g., Looker, Power BI, Shopify, NetSuite).
- Strong communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functionally.
Why Join Us
The Senior Planning Manager role is ideal for individuals who are passionate about retail, possess strong business acumen, and enjoy driving strategy through planning, allocation, and process excellence to support the growth of a diverse apparel brand.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Kotn Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered.
Accommodation
Kotn Inc. is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and ensuring equal access to employment opportunities. If you require accommodation during the application or interview process, please notify the hiring manager.
About the role
At Kotn, we’re reimagining the way everyday items are made and purchased, starting with your wardrobe. Our mission is to set a new standard for social impact and traceability.
Founded in February 2015 in Toronto by three best friends, Kotn has since been featured in over 80 publications including The New York Times, GQ, Vogue, Elle, and The Wall Street Journal.
We are seeking a Senior Planning Manager who combines strategic vision, adaptability, and comfort with ambiguity. The ideal candidate has strong business acumen, analytical expertise, and the ability to build scalable planning frameworks while balancing immediate business needs with long-term process improvements.
Knowledge of both e-commerce and retail planning is essential, and experience in high-growth environments is strongly preferred.
In this role, you will oversee the full planning cycle—including financial planning, OTB management, inventory optimization, retail allocation, and in-season trading decisions. You’ll partner with Merchandising, Finance, Retail, and E-Commerce teams to ensure Kotn delivers on sales and profitability, with the right product in the right place at the right time.
What you'll be working on:
Merchandise Financial Planning (60%)
- Lead execution of Kotn’s planning processes and maintain OTB discipline, while supporting leadership on long-range planning.
- Develop and manage financial plans (sales, margin, markdowns, receipts, inventory) across channels, divisions, and classes.
- Balance inventory productivity across e-commerce and retail channels with an omnichannel mindset, incorporating global market considerations.
- Oversee monthly forecasting and OTB process, ensuring disciplined budget control and purchase order management.
- Define inventory guardrails (turns, WOS, coverage, safety stock) for balanced inventory management.
- Use scenario planning to inform investment decisions, identify risks/opportunities, and set category-level performance targets.
- Partner with E-Commerce & Retail to plan promotions/events, tracking sales lift and profitability impact, and adjust strategies based on results.
- Establish end-of-life strategies (markdown cadence, transfers, consolidations) and track KPIs such as GMROI, forecast accuracy, and seasonal sell-through.
- Align financial plans, budgets, and receipts with Merchandising and Finance.
Inventory Management, Retail Allocation & Replenishment (25%)
- Lead inventory strategy and flow across all channels, overseeing allocation and replenishment activities.
- Develop market-specific strategies to manage inventory across regions and warehouses.
- Leverage sell-through, on-hand inventory, and demand forecasts to balance stock and manage in-season flow.
- Optimize presentation minimums, capacity, and size curves to drive productivity.
- Ensure a customer-centric allocation approach: the right product, in the right place, at the right time.
Data, Systems, and Team Management (15%)
- Lead, coach, and mentor a small team to strengthen planning discipline and build succession readiness.
- Manage reporting needs including recurring sales reports, ad-hoc analysis, and executive summaries, synthesizing data to drive timely actions.
- Build and optimize tools, dashboards, and planning systems to improve forecast accuracy, automate allocations, and reduce manual work.
- Partner cross-functionally to lead system implementations and process upgrades.
What You’ll Bring
- Multi-Channel Expertise: Proven background in apparel planning within both e-commerce and retail.
- Analytical Skills & Commercial Acumen: Ability to connect financial goals, product decisions, and inventory strategies to OTB management.
- Data Integrity: Strong commitment to accurate and consistent reporting and systems.
- Team Leadership: Experience guiding team members, fostering collaboration, and building planning discipline.
Qualifications
- 8–10 years of planning experience in retail or consumer businesses, with expertise in apparel and accessories.
- Strong track record of delivering sales, margin, and inventory productivity.
- Required knowledge of both e-commerce and retail planning; high-growth, multi-channel/DTC apparel experience strongly preferred.
- Expert in retail math: demand planning, OTB, markdown optimization, inventory productivity, and cash flow management.
- Proven ownership of allocation/replenishment design (size curves, presentation minimums, AR parameters, model stock).
- Experience in system/tool implementation (ERP, BI, planning software) with demonstrated optimization success.
- Builder mindset: ability to create simple tools and processes in low-system environments and scale them over time.
- Advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills; comfortable with BI/ERP data (e.g., Looker, Power BI, Shopify, NetSuite).
- Strong communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functionally.
Why Join Us
The Senior Planning Manager role is ideal for individuals who are passionate about retail, possess strong business acumen, and enjoy driving strategy through planning, allocation, and process excellence to support the growth of a diverse apparel brand.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Kotn Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered.
Accommodation
Kotn Inc. is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and ensuring equal access to employment opportunities. If you require accommodation during the application or interview process, please notify the hiring manager.