About the job
Join us at Blue Nile, where we are on the lookout for a dynamic and analytical Senior Manager, Operations Planning & Analytics. This pivotal position is designed for a strategic thinker who excels in forecasting, inventory management, and business analytics. You will work at the crossroads of operations, finance, and merchandising, providing vital insights to senior leadership while advancing our planning capabilities in an increasingly digital environment.
In this influential role, you will manage high-level planning deliverables, lead a talented analytics team, spearhead digital transformation initiatives, and facilitate the integration of AI and machine learning into our planning operations.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Planning & Forecasting
- Drive Demand and Inventory Fulfillment Planning within the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) framework, synthesizing data-driven insights into cohesive strategies.
- Generate rolling forecasts (weekly, monthly, quarterly) employing advanced statistical methodologies and AI/ML models to achieve over 85% forecast accuracy.
- Design scenario planning frameworks to address supply chain disruptions with risk assessments and mitigation strategies.
- Collaborate with merchandising, finance, operations, manufacturing, and commercial teams to align business strategies with revenue and margin objectives.
- Implement inventory optimization strategies to balance service levels and working capital efficiency across our global distribution network.
- Oversee seasonal collection planning and limited edition releases tailored to luxury markets.
Advanced Analytics & Business Intelligence
- Convert complex data into executive-level insights, providing strategic recommendations to C-suite executives.
- Develop and maintain real-time dashboards that track KPIs related to sales performance, inventory health, forecast accuracy, and operational metrics.
- Utilize predictive analytics for demand sensing, customer behavior modeling, and trend identification.
- Conduct competitive intelligence analysis and monitor market trends to inform strategic planning.
- Collaborate with commercial teams to create pricing and promotional effectiveness models.
- Promote data governance standards and ensure data quality across planning systems.
Digital Transformation & Technology Leadership
- Drive the integration of AI/ML into planning processes by orchestrating collaborative workflows between human and AI systems.
- Lead technology selection and implementation projects for planning systems such as SAP IBP, Anaplan, o9, and JDA/Blue Yonder.
- Work alongside IT and Engineering teams to automate reporting and enhance data infrastructure (Snowflake, Tableau, Power BI).
- Champion the transition from manual Excel processes to integrated, cloud-based planning platforms.

