Director of Planning & Allocation

About Christy Sports:

At Christy Sports, we believe Outside is Better. It�s not just a motto, it�s a fact. It makes people happier, healthier, and more connected. That�s why we go out of our way to help people experience the mountain lifestyle by building authentic relationships, offering humble expertise, and sharing a genuine love for what we do. Driven by our unmatched passion for the outdoors, we are always advancing. In-store and online, within our industry, and with the communities we serve, we bring a spirit of innovation to every aspect of what we do. We were founded in Colorado in 1958, but we�ve been chasing adventure for much longer. Skiing and snowboarding aren�t just a job for us, it�s a lifestyle. No matter your level, we strive to give you the best experience possible and invite you to experience the joy of mountain life and sport with us.

Headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado, Christy Sports is one of the leading outdoor specialty retailers in the nation with more than 50 locations in Colorado, Utah, Washington, and Montana. In addition to offering a broad selection of retail merchandise in its stores and through multiple e-commerce sites, Christy Sports is a leading provider of Rental and Equipment Services. During the winter off-season, the Company operates highly professional outdoor businesses including Patio Furniture & Cycling to inspire further and enable Christy Sports guests� healthy lifestyles, and to leverage its operational infrastructure and passionate employee base.

Share the stoke for the Christy Sports Values.

We are welcoming - We meet people where they are without judgement. Whether they're seasoned veterans, first-timers, locals, or vacationers, they trust us to set them up for success with quality equipment and great service.

We are ambassadors of lifestyle - We love what makes the mountain lifestyle special: the people, the environment, and the communities. We want our guests to discover and love the mountain lifestyle as much as we do.

We are rooted in experience - By keeping the history of our roots alive, we maintain the quality service, authenticity, and expertise that our guests value and what made us special in the first place.

We are one team - We make our company a great place to work by collaborating, problem-solving, being accountable, and recognizing our accomplishments. We are each unique contributors to a greater whole.

We are always evolving - Our customer* expectations continue to evolve. To meet their needs, we must evolve to stay relevant. We embrace change and always look for the next evolution of what we can do. *Internal & External

About the role:

As the Director of planning and allocation, you own, develop, and implement the merchandise financial plan & planning process, and inventory and replenishment strategies with strong merchant, supply chain, store, and other cross-functional partnerships. You will support/drive the vision, strategy, and business results of all categories for all channels of business.

This role will be key in goal setting, managing category performance and analyzing all performance metrics including sales, gross margin, inventory turn, stock to sales ratios and in-stock levels. You will drive focus on achieving and maintaining healthy inventory levels including management of unproductive Inventory. You will also be instrumental in leading and developing a team who oversees planning and replenishment and delivers key performance metrics including financial and operational goals.

What you�ll do:

Team & Leadership

• Lead and coach team members as appropriate to support merchandise planning, replenishment, inventory management, and overall achievement of goals, key activities, and tasks
• Develop knowledge of the merchandise categories and incorporate this into the planning process.
• Leads planning meetings to review/discuss goals and expectations of the business
• Develop and foster relationships with cross functional stakeholders and senior leadership to ensure company goals and objectives are met

Strategy & Planning

• Work closely with Finance and Merchandising to develop both 3 year and annual demand and inventory plans/budgets
• Partner with Merchandising to develop, execute, and analyze bottom-up merchandise plans at class for all channels of business to meet the company goals; partnership with merchandising on goal-setting tasks
• Analyze product range assortment and productivity to recommend/influence revisions to merchandising team members as appropriate
• Collaborates with merchants, vendors, stores, eCommerce and supply chain to align business objectives and initiatives to drive replenishment strategies that maintain customer experience and productivity

Inventory Management & Allocation

• Proactively Devise strategic processes to optimize inventory levels to maximize sales, product sell-through and inventory turns for all replenishment while driving continuous improvement
• Create and maintain data reporting and systems to manage inventory and key metrics
• Develop and monitor key operational and financial metrics including Open to buy, inventory and sales goals, customer service levels and retail in stock metrics
• Develop, implement and communicate inventory flow strategies to ensure adequate investment that supports financial, merchandising and marketing
• Coordinate and develop solutions for non-routine situations; providing guidance to team members and responding to escalated issues related to order placement and validation
• Develop and manage an allocation across our suite of store profiles in fleet of 60+ stores

Processes & Tools

• Participate in and manage cross-functional initiatives to develop/enhance processes and systems to support replenishment activities, inventory productivity and flow
• Work closely with Supply Chain, Technology, Merchandising to develop excel tools and/or implement 3^rd party software for inventory management and store allocation
• Set in place and oversee the proper cadence to cross functionally define inventory plans, ongoing management and communication to key stakeholders
• Confidently leads weekly/monthly Open to Buy meetings and has a strong understanding of all metrics used in merchandise planning, replenishment and inventory management.
• Develop and implement key business and operational reporting that provides visibility to daily, monthly, and year-end results. Deliver reporting as needed during key periods.

Who you are:

• Business-focused Bachelor�s degree with a minimum of 8+ years of experience in retail merchandise planning and inventory/replenishment management
• Strong with Excel and comfortable with financial metrics (margins, turn, GMROI, etc)
• Led a team of merchandise planners and replenishment analysts before
• Proven forecasting skills and relationship management experiences
• Strong organizational skills including prioritizing, scheduling, time management, and meeting deadlines
• Strong analytical and retail math skills
• Ability to seamlessly work across functional and organizational boundaries, and reputation for influencing others and earning trust across various levels and organizations
• Track record delivering initiatives from conceptualization through completion of large-scale projects
• Effective and professional communication skills with the ability to present information clearly and concisely written and in daily interactions with vendors and coworkers
• Self-starting and resourceful work ethic and integrity
• Commitment to the highest level of customer service and satisfaction
• Loves to take what you see when you ride/ski and bring that back to work each week to help determine what resonates most with our customers
• Comfortable owning actions and deliverables and managing conflicting priorities
• Understand the nature of a dynamic, fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and be comfortable with ambiguity during times of transition
• Passion for snow

Other:
Work Location: Hybrid, Lakewood

Travel Percentage: 5-10% store visits to get to know store profiles are required.

The Perks and Benefits: ( * Benefits for Year-Round Full-Time Employees)

• Free Employee Ski Pass
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance*
• Employer Paid Basic Life Insurance and AD&D*
• Voluntary Life Insurance (Employee/Spouse/Child)*
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts*
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with Company Match
• Paid Time Off*
• Paid Sick Time (State applicable)
• Paid Parental Leave*
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability*
• Employee Discounts (ski, retail, outdoor industry)

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Christy Sports is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.

Budgeted range: $115,000 - $140,000 annually. Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience.

**Bonus eligible based upon company performance indicators

WORKING CONDITIONS

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. (Request help with heavy or awkward boxes/products). Specific vision abilities required by this job include Close vision, Distance vision, Peripheral vision, Depth perception and Ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs and ladders, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to walk.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.