Vans: Head of Global Planning

Head Of Global Planning

Vans is the original brand rooted in the authentic lifestyle of skateboarding. We are driven by our mission to inspire and empower everyone to live "Off The Wall" embracing the youthful spirit of freedom, non-conformity, and relentless progression. Yesterday's "Off The Wall" moment is today's new normal, and at Vans, we believe in constantly outdoing ourselves. Together with our communities across the globe, our vision is to push culture forward because we believe that the pursuit of progression never ends. We are constantly inspired by the future generation of positive catalysts within our 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 people who think and live "Off the Wall," Vans just may be the place for you.

We are seeking a seasoned and strategic Head of Global Planning to create and scale our end-to-end merchandise planning processes across global markets. This high-impact role will be instrumental in driving sales, margin, and inventory optimization while aligning with the company's strategic goals and providing financial framework to our product organization. Global Planning will be a new capability organizationally, so this individual will not only lead establishment of this function, but will broadly educate the rest of the leadership team on how Planning will enables aspects of their function.

Reporting directly into the Global Brand President this leader keeps the brand on track to achieve financial objectives by aligning regional & global plans, and ensuring product availability meets demand. Key responsibilities include creating bottoms-up product level plans and top-down merchandise financial plan (MFP) maintaining forward-looking perspective on consumer demand, collaborating on capacity planning, and optimizing inventory.

Let's break down that day-in-the-life a bit more :

• Create long-term financial ambition / targets (e.g., sales, margin, inventory, assortment breadth, etc)
• Translate long-term financial ambition to create top-down merchandise financial plan (setting line target to drive revenue and margin) incorporating regions' inputs. Additionally, construe long-term financial ambition to create product level plans (style, color, attribute, etc).
• Support global merch on building line architecture & align on global line plan. Validate line plan against merchandise financial plan.
• Develop & consolidate demand forecasts (with regional planning, global merch, supply chain, & finance).
• Collaborate with supply chain and finance on resource allocation, raw material forecasting, margin, capacity planning.
• Analyze inventory across regions, recommending product introductions & exits to meet demand, with consumer perspective with sell-through.
• Seasonal roll-ups across regions, in partnership with global planning, to drive global visibility & drive adjustments for future seasons.
• Coach, develop, and build a best-in-class planning organization.
• Adapt global strategies to meet unique needs of individual markets, balancing global consistency and local relevance. Monitor market trend, competitor activity, and customer behavior to inform planning decisions.
• Utilize advanced analytics and market data to inform planning decisions and identify growth opportunities. Establish KPIs to monitor performance across sales, margin, and inventory levels. Continually refine forecasting models to improve accuracy and agility.
• Lead and mentor a global team of merchandise planning professionals, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. Build and scale processes to support growth across regions and product categories. Drive change management initiatives to implement new tools, technologies, and methodologies.
• Working closely with DT.

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 foundation 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 10+ years of experience and professional achievements in Merchandise Planning, Buying, or Financial Planning, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership position working with Global teams.

The foundation skills you will need in this position are :

There are also a few skills that are not required but preferred.

What do we offer you?

At Vans, 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 Vans' benefits package, follow this link and click "Looking to Join VF".

To learn more about Vans' Diversity and Inclusion efforts, go to

Now we have a question for you. Are you in?

Hiring Range : $190,080.00 USD - $237,600.00 USD annually

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 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 are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at VF will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities 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.