Director of Allocation
DTLR, Inc., Hanover, MD, United States
The Director of Allocation is a senior leader responsible for architecting and governing enterprise allocation and distribution strategy across two distribution centers. This role ensures optimized inventory flow, store-level assortment precision, and disciplined execution aligned with financial and merchandise objectives.
Reporting into the SVP GMM, this role partners closely with Planning, VP/DMMs, Ecommerce and Store Operations to drive speed to floor, inventory productivity, and profitable growth.
Key Responsibilities Enterprise Allocation & Distribution Strategy
Lead enterprise allocation and distribution strategy across two DCs, ensuring optimal product flow and capacity alignment.
Govern inbound routing, flow prioritization, and allocation cadence to maximize speed to floor and inventory productivity.
Establish allocation guardrails that align with financial plans and merchandise strategy.
Store Assortment & Size Planning
Lead development of pre-season size curves and assortment architecture by store cluster for the DMM’s and Buyers.
Continuously analyze size selling performance and optimize size distribution to minimize markdown and lost sales.
Oversee store-level assortment execution to ensure alignment with brand strategy and local demand.
Inventory Optimization & Transfers
Direct inter-store transfer strategies to rebalance inventory, protect margin, and optimize sell-through.
Monitor store-level inventory health and proactively mitigate aging risk.
Partner with Planning to align allocation with OTB, inventory turn, and GMROI objectives.
Cross-Functional Partnership
Partner laterally with Director of Planning and VP/DMMs to align allocation execution with financial and merchandise strategies.
Collaborate with Ecommerce and Store Operations to support speed-to-floor initiatives, pre-pack optimization, and DC processing efficiencies.
Serve as the allocation lead in weekly business reviews and strategy sessions.
Performance & Analytics
Drive performance against Sales, GM%, GMROI, Inventory Turn, and in-stock targets.
Leverage data analytics to continuously refine allocation algorithms, store clustering, and replenishment methodologies.
Lead reporting and visibility across allocation performance metrics.
Leadership & Organizational Development
Build and lead a high-performing allocation organization.
Assess strengths and development needs of team members; establish succession planning.
Simplify and streamline allocation processes to improve agility and decision speed.
Act as a change agent in evolving retail and supply chain environments.
Education & Experience 8–10+ years of progressive allocation and inventory management experience, including direct leadership of multi-unit retail allocation teams.
Experience managing inventory flow across multi-DC environments strongly preferred.
Physical Requirements
Sit for more than 6 hours per shift
Use hands to finger, handle and feel
Reach with hands and arms
Talk and/or hear
Stand for up to 2 hours at a time periodically
Walk or move from one location to another
Occasionally may need to climb, balance, stoop, kneel or crouch
Lift and/or move up to 10 pounds regularly and up to 25 pounds occasionally
Punctuality and regular attendance consistent with the company’s policies are required for the position.
Average work week is 40 hours, which can vary depending on business need.
The work environment for this position is a moderately noisy office setting.
General Information The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified. DTLR, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
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Reporting into the SVP GMM, this role partners closely with Planning, VP/DMMs, Ecommerce and Store Operations to drive speed to floor, inventory productivity, and profitable growth.
Key Responsibilities Enterprise Allocation & Distribution Strategy
Lead enterprise allocation and distribution strategy across two DCs, ensuring optimal product flow and capacity alignment.
Govern inbound routing, flow prioritization, and allocation cadence to maximize speed to floor and inventory productivity.
Establish allocation guardrails that align with financial plans and merchandise strategy.
Store Assortment & Size Planning
Lead development of pre-season size curves and assortment architecture by store cluster for the DMM’s and Buyers.
Continuously analyze size selling performance and optimize size distribution to minimize markdown and lost sales.
Oversee store-level assortment execution to ensure alignment with brand strategy and local demand.
Inventory Optimization & Transfers
Direct inter-store transfer strategies to rebalance inventory, protect margin, and optimize sell-through.
Monitor store-level inventory health and proactively mitigate aging risk.
Partner with Planning to align allocation with OTB, inventory turn, and GMROI objectives.
Cross-Functional Partnership
Partner laterally with Director of Planning and VP/DMMs to align allocation execution with financial and merchandise strategies.
Collaborate with Ecommerce and Store Operations to support speed-to-floor initiatives, pre-pack optimization, and DC processing efficiencies.
Serve as the allocation lead in weekly business reviews and strategy sessions.
Performance & Analytics
Drive performance against Sales, GM%, GMROI, Inventory Turn, and in-stock targets.
Leverage data analytics to continuously refine allocation algorithms, store clustering, and replenishment methodologies.
Lead reporting and visibility across allocation performance metrics.
Leadership & Organizational Development
Build and lead a high-performing allocation organization.
Assess strengths and development needs of team members; establish succession planning.
Simplify and streamline allocation processes to improve agility and decision speed.
Act as a change agent in evolving retail and supply chain environments.
Education & Experience 8–10+ years of progressive allocation and inventory management experience, including direct leadership of multi-unit retail allocation teams.
Experience managing inventory flow across multi-DC environments strongly preferred.
Physical Requirements
Sit for more than 6 hours per shift
Use hands to finger, handle and feel
Reach with hands and arms
Talk and/or hear
Stand for up to 2 hours at a time periodically
Walk or move from one location to another
Occasionally may need to climb, balance, stoop, kneel or crouch
Lift and/or move up to 10 pounds regularly and up to 25 pounds occasionally
Punctuality and regular attendance consistent with the company’s policies are required for the position.
Average work week is 40 hours, which can vary depending on business need.
The work environment for this position is a moderately noisy office setting.
General Information The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified. DTLR, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
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