VP, Inventory Management Greater Anaheim, CA Area
About the Company
Leading omni-channel retailer for casual lifestyle & beach wear brands
Industry
Retail
Type
Privately Held
Age
employees
10,001+
About the Role
Greater Anaheim, CA Area (Hybrid - Headquarter location)(Anaheim, California)
Compensation
USD $250,000-$300,000 (salary) per year
Co-created in Los Angeles, Pacsun exists at the intersection of fashion, music, art, and sport. We’re a lifestyle brand built with and for the next generation, bringing together the culture, creativity, and self-expression that define youth today.
Our curated assortment features some of the most relevant brands and styles in the world, including adidas, Brandy Melville, Fear of God Essentials, alongside Pacsun’s own labels and exclusive collaborations.
But Pacsun is more than what we sell. It’s the community we build. This is Pacsun. Built with culture. Powered by community.
About the Job:
Lead Pacsun's end-to-end inventory strategy across stores, ecommerce and marketplaces, from the financial plan to the receipt at the DC to the unit on the selling floor. Own merchandise planning, allocation and supply chain operations, so the company carries the right inventory in the right place to hit its sales, margin, turn and cash goals. Lead a multi-function organization of senior leaders, and use data, analytics and AI to make inventory decisions faster, smarter and more predictive.
A DAY IN THE LIFE, WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING:
INVENTORY STRATEGY & FINANCIAL PLANNING
- Set the company's inventory strategy and investment plan, balancing sales growth, gross margin, turn, GMROI and cash flow.
- Own the pre-season and in-season merchandise financial plans (sales, merchandise margin, markdowns, receipts, inventory and weeks on hand) across all channels, from total company to class level.
- Partner with the Chief Merchant, Merchandising and Finance leaders to set annual, seasonal and quarterly targets, and to build the 3-year long-range plan.
- Lead the open-to-buy (OTB) process. Balance core depth with chase and test-and-react buys to improve speed to market and inventory health.
- Set merchandise margin, markdown and mix goals across branded, private label, collaborations and new categories.
- Build tariff, landed cost and freight assumptions into margin and receipt plans, and run scenarios when conditions change.
ALLOCATION, REPLENISHMENT & INVENTORY PLACEMENT
- Lead allocation and replenishment strategy for stores, outlets and digital fulfillment, including store tiering, size and pack optimization, and initial allocation.
- Set inventory placement and protection rules across the DC, stores and ship-from-store (SFS), BOPIS and marketplace fulfillment.
- Drive store transfers, outlet flow and consolidation to keep inventory productive across the fleet.
- Own inventory exit strategy for aged and slow-moving goods, including markdown optimization, outlet, off-price and liquidation channels.
INVENTORY OPERATIONS & RECEIPT FLOW
- Own the receipt flow plan from PO through DC receipt, aligning vendor ship dates, ASNs and DC capacity with sales plans.
- Partner with Sourcing, Supply Chain, DC and Logistics on lead times, on-time delivery, late PO management and capacity planning, especially for peak.
- Oversee PO management and approvals, receipt forecasting and inventory reporting, so the business has one clear view of on-hand, on-order and in-transit inventory.
- Set standards for inventory accuracy, reconciliation and shrink, partnering with Finance, Loss Prevention and Store Operations.
OMNICHANNEL & IN-SEASON MANAGEMENT
- Lead weekly business reviews. Identify risks and opportunities by channel, category and item, and drive clear actions for the week, month, quarter and season.
- Understand each channel's demand drivers, margin profile and fulfillment model, and plan inventory to match.
- Partner with Stores and Ecommerce leaders on promotional and clearance strategy. Own the promotional calendar and the markdown budget.
LEADERSHIP & INFLUENCE
- Lead, develop and retain a multi-function organization of planning, allocation and inventory operations Directors, Managers and analysts. Build bench strength and succession plans for key roles.
- Present business performance, inventory strategy and recommendations to the executive team, and prepare inventory content for board-level materials.
- Act as a strategic thought partner to Merchandising, Finance, Marketing, Supply Chain and Store Operations leaders.
- Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, curiosity and continuous improvement.
SYSTEMS, AI & INNOVATION
- Own the inventory systems roadmap (planning, allocation and order management). Partner with BI and IT to select, implement and measure return on investment.
- Champion AI and advanced analytics across the inventory lifecycle: demand forecasting, allocation and replenishment, size and assortment, markdown optimization and scenario planning.
- Use generative AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot) hands-on to automate reporting, speed up analysis and surface insights. Model this curiosity for the team.
- Build AI and data literacy across the organization. Set data quality standards, and make sure AI-generated outputs are checked with sound business judgment.
- Stay current on emerging retail technology, social commerce and creator-driven demand trends.
What it takes to Join:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Mathematics, Economics, Supply Chain or a related field. MBA a plus.
- 15+ years of retail inventory experience across merchandise planning, allocation/replenishment and inventory or supply chain operations, including 7+ years leading multi-function teams at the Senior Director level or above. Specialty apparel and omnichannel experience strongly preferred.
- Proven track record of delivering sales, margin, turn and inventory goals across stores and digital channels.
- Deep expertise in financial planning, OTB, allocation, replenishment, inventory productivity and markdown management.
- Working knowledge of receipt flow, DC operations, vendor compliance, landed cost and tariffs.
- Experience with enterprise planning, allocation and order management systems (e.g., Oracle RPAS/MFP, Blue Yonder, o9, Anaplan, Manhattan) and BI tools (e.g., MicroStrategy, Power BI, Tableau). Advanced Excel skills.
- Demonstrated AI curiosity and fluency: hands-on experience with generative AI tools, and a track record of using analytics, automation or machine-learning forecasts to improve inventory outcomes.
- Ability to understand, question and explain model-driven recommendations, combining data with merchant instinct and business judgment.
- Strategic thinker who moves easily between the big picture and the details.
- Strong executive presence, with the ability to tell a clear story with data to the executive team and board.
- Change leader who thrives in a fast-paced, test-and-learn environment.
- Inspiring people leader with a passion for coaching and developing tale
Salary Range: ($250,000 - $300,000)
Pac Perks:
- Flexible work from home options
- HQ workforce of 60%+ people of color
- Dog friendly office environment
- Beverages and snacks provided daily
- Onsite gym, volleyball court, ping-pong tables, and a skate park available on campus
- $1,000 referral incentive program
- Generous associate discount of 30-50% off merchandise online and in-stores
- Competitive long term and short-term incentive program
- Immediate 100% vested 401K contributions and employer match
- Calm Premium access for all employees
- Employee perks throughout the year
Physical Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that are required by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- While performing the duties of this job, the associate is regularly required to talk or hear. The associate is frequently required to sit; stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; as well as reach with hands and arms.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
- Ability to work in open environment with fluctuating temperatures and standard lighting.
- Ability to work on computer and mobile phone for multiple hours; with frequent interruptions.
- Required to travel in elevator or stairwells to attend meetings and engage with associates on multiple floors throughout building.
- Hotel, Airplane, and Car Travel may be required.
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:
This is a full-time position. As a National Retailer, occasional evening and/or weekend work may be required during periods of high volume. This role operates in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment.
Other Considerations:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the associate for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Reasonable accommodations may be made to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the role.
Functions:
- Operations