Head of Planning

At Timberland, we’re a force of nature.  We’re a team that steps outside, works hard together, and moves the world forward.  The brand is widely recognized as the arbiter of boot culture.  With a rich heritage of craftsmanship and an eye toward the future, Timberland has a decades-long commitment to make products responsibly, protect the outdoors, and build community. 

So, before we get to the job details, take a minute to learn a little more about us – our values and our culture.  If you can see yourself working side-by-side with a team of fun, adventure-loving people, Timberland just may be the place for you.  

To learn more about our values and our culture, visit Timberland Careers or www.timberland.com.

Head of Planning, Timberland Americas 

What will you do?

As part of Timberland Americas leadership team, you will lead the Americas Planning team and will be

responsible for setting and executing the end‑to‑end merchandise and inventory planning strategy across all channels. This role partners closely with Merchandising/Buying, Supply Chain, Finance, Sales, Retail and Digital to drive profitable growth, optimize inventory investment, and improve demand responsiveness in a complex omnichannel environment.

The Head of Planning leads a multi‑disciplinary organization spanning Demand & Supply Planning, Allocation, Channel Planning & Buying Support, Inventory Management, and Planning Analytics, ensuring a single, integrated view of demand, inventory, and financial outcomes across the enterprise.

What you will do:

Enterprise Planning & Strategy

• Own the end‑to‑end planning vision across footwear and apparel, aligning demand, supply, inventory, and financial plans with company growth objectives.

• Translate corporate and channel strategies into 5 year long range plans, annual and seasonal plans covering sales, margin, and inventory x channel and country within region.

• Establish a clear omnichannel planning framework that balances digital, wholesale, and brick‑and‑mortar needs while optimizing total enterprise outcomes.

• Lead scenario planning and risk mitigation for demand volatility, supply constraints, and channel shifts.

• undefined

Demand, Supply & Inventory Leadership

• Oversee demand forecasting and supply planning, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and alignment across channels.

• Set inventory targets and guardrails to support availability, service levels, and margin while minimizing excess and obsolescence.

• Drive inventory productivity through disciplined receipt flow, lifecycle management, and exit strategies.

• Partner with Supply Chain to align capacity, lead times, and deployment strategies.

Planning, Buying & Allocation

• Lead channel‑specific planning approaches for DTC/e‑commerce, wholesale, and retail, ensuring consistent financial rigor with channel‑appropriate execution.

• Oversee allocation strategy to ensure right product, right place, right time, leveraging store clusters, digital demand signals, and wholesale commitments.

• Oversee promotional cadence across DTC and ensure price parity in the marketplace.

• Partner with Merchandising and Buying to inform assortment architecture, depth, and flow decisions.

Analytics, Insights & Tools

• Own the planning analytics roadmap, ensuring clear KPIs, reporting, and insights that support both strategic and in‑season decisions.

• Elevate the use of data, advanced analytics, and planning systems to improve forecast accuracy, sco productivity, inventory turns, and margin outcomes.

• Drive continuous improvement of planning tools, processes, and ways of working.

Cross‑Functional Partnership

• Act as a key thought partner to Merchandising, Finance, Sales, Digital, and Operations leaders.

• Provide clear, concise insights and recommendations to executive leadership, enabling faster and better‑informed decisions.

• Align financial planning with execution, ensuring plans translate into operational outcomes.

People Leadership & Organizational Excellence

• Lead and develop high‑performing teams across Allocation, Demand & Supply Planning, Channel Planning/Buying Support, Inventory Management, and Analytics.

• Build strong succession plans and elevate functional capability through coaching, talent development, and organizational design.

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

What do you need to succeed?

We all have unique skills that we bring to work and celebrate every day.  For this role, there are foundational skills you’ll need to succeed and excel.  Additionally, while formal education in a related field is great to have, we are most interested in your 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in merchandise planning, buying, demand planning, or inventory management within footwear, apparel, or consumer retail.

The foundational skills you will need in this position are:

• Proven leadership experience managing multi‑channel, enterprise‑scale planning teams.

• Deep expertise in demand forecasting, inventory optimization, allocation, and financial planning.

• Strong understanding of digital, wholesale, and physical retail dynamics and trade‑offs.

• Highly analytical with the ability to translate data into clear commercial actions.

• Experienced influencer with the ability to partner effectively at the executive level.

• Advanced planning systems knowledge; strong financial and business acumen.

• Strategic, enterprise‑minded thinker with strong commercial judgment

• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and complexity

• Results‑oriented with a bias toward action

• Collaborative, transparent, and customer‑focused

• Passion for product, performance, and talent development

What do we offer you?

At Timberland, we know you expect as much from us as we do from you.  That is why we make a commitment to support and grow our people.  We offer extensive development and growth opportunities for your current and future positions, a competitive compensation package, and a strong benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and 401(k).

Our commitment extends beyond this and into your daily work life.  We strive to foster a diverse and inclusive culture based on respect, connection, and authenticity.  Our focus on DEI is at the foundation of who we are and what we do.  

To learn more about Timberland’s benefits package, follow this MyVFBenefits.com and click “Looking to Join VF.”  

To learn more about Timberland’s Diversity and Inclusion efforts, go to Timberland.com. 

Now WE have a question for YOU.

Are you in?

Hiring Range:

Incentive Potential: This position is eligible for additional compensation awards that may include an annual incentive plan, sales incentive, or commission potential. Specific details of the additional compensation eligibility for this position will be provided during the recruiting and interview process.

Long-Term Incentive Potential: This position is eligible to participate in a Long-Term Incentive Plan. Specific details of the plan will be provided during the recruiting and interview process.

Benefits at VF Corporation: You can review a general overview of each benefit program offered, including this year's medical plan rates on www.MyVFbenefits.com  and by clicking Looking to Join VF? Detailed information on your benefits will be provided during the hiring process.

Please note, our hiring ranges are determined and built from market pay data. In determining the specific compensation for this position, we comply with all local, state, and federal laws.

At VF, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. If you require accommodations during the application process, please contact us at [email protected]. VF will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals to the extent required by applicable law.

Pursuant to all applicable local Fair Chance Ordinance requirements, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, VF will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.