GENERAL FUNCTION
The Wolverine supply chain planning team optimizes product planning, inventory management, and factory planning across global brands and sourcing partners. The Planning & Optimization Analyst supports global supply chain planning, sourcing, and operations teams by transforming complex data into reliable reporting, dashboards, insights, and optimization models. This role is expected to independently manage data preparation, validation, analysis, and publication processes; maintain a strong control mindset; identify root causes behind variances or abnormal results; and use technical tools such as Power BI, Excel, SQL, Python, and automation methods to improve planning accuracy, process efficiency, and decision quality.
PRIMARY DUTIES
Responsible for analytical reporting, data transformation, and optimization modeling that improve inventory management and planning execution, while supporting the day-to-day planning playbook to drive consistent, accurate, repeatable, and auditable performance.
- Independently manage end-to-end data transformation from raw inputs through cleansing, validation, reconciliation, reporting, and publication.
- Build and maintain validation checks, sanity checks, and exception controls to ensure data integrity, traceability, and reliable reporting outputs.
- Develop financial, operational, inventory, and capacity models to optimize inventory flow, buy planning, factory loading, and planning decision-making.
- Create and enhance dashboards, Power BI reports, and KPI scorecards that measure performance across brands, regions, factories, and planning processes.
- Use SQL, Python, Excel, Power Query, Power Pivot, DAX, VBA, or other automation tools to streamline recurring reporting, reduce manual effort, and improve analytical scalability.
- Analyze variances, abnormal outputs, and unexpected results; perform root-cause analysis using source data, transaction records, and process knowledge before escalation.
- Translate analytical findings into clear business insights, recommended actions, and preventive process improvements for planning, sourcing, operations, and leadership stakeholders.
- Maintain, document, and evolve the global planning playbook, including process steps, business logic, data definitions, controls, and reporting standards.
- Lead or support planning tool master data management, ensuring accuracy, governance, and alignment with planning and reporting requirements.
- Demonstrate strong ownership and accountability by delivering accurate outputs on time, proactively communicating risks, and following through until issues are resolved.
- Apply feedback and lessons learned to continuously improve work quality, prevent repeat issues, and strengthen analytical capability across the planning process.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED
- Advanced analytical capability with strong attention to detail, data integrity, data reconciliation, and exception-management discipline.
- Strong proficiency in Excel, including advanced formulas, Power Query, Power Pivot, and data modeling; VBA, Power Automate or automation experience preferred.
- Hands-on experience with Power BI, including data modeling, DAX measures, dashboard design, refresh validation, and user-friendly visualization.
- Working knowledge of SQL for querying, joining, validating, and reconciling data across multiple sources; ability to understand relational data structures and dependencies.
- Python coding capability for data manipulation, automation, validation, and scalable analysis using common libraries such as pandas and openpyxl; experience with scripting repeatable workflows preferred.
- Ability to build automated controls, validation checks, and audit trails that make reporting outputs traceable from published results back to source data.
- Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, including root-cause analysis, business logic validation, and the ability to challenge unreasonable outputs.
- Ability to simplify complex topics, translate data into clear business insights, and communicate recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders.
- Strong ownership, accountability, and follow-through, with the ability to independently manage assigned deliverables from request intake through final publication.
- Collaborative team player with demonstrated integrity, openness to feedback, and commitment to continuous improvement.
- Experience with supply chain planning, inventory management, sourcing, product development, factory planning, or branded/fashion environment preferred.
- Prior experience supporting software rollouts, reporting enhancements, analytics tools, or process-improvement initiatives preferred.
- Bachelor's Degree in business, supply chain, analytics, engineering, data science, information systems, or related field required
WORKING CONDITIONS
Fast paced, entrepreneurial environment.
