Merchandise Planner

Adventure is our Culture. Join a team that celebrates a lifestyle as bold as the terrain we love. At Backcountry, we are rooted in adventure, recognition, and wellbeing on and off the mountain. We spotlight employee stories, celebrate milestones, and offer exclusive outdoor perks. Whether you are at HQ, in a retail store, or remote, you will be part of a team that thrives on energy, exploration, and connection.

About the Role

Backcountry is looking for a Merchandise Planner to own open-to-buy plans, demand forecasting, and inventory optimization across multiple product categories. As Merchandise Planner, you will partner closely with Merchandising teams to drive sales, margin, and inventory turn goals while delivering actionable insights to leadership. Within your first six months, you will own the planning cadence for your division(s), lead Open-to-Buy reviews with senior leadership, and establish yourself as the go-to analytical partner for your merchandising counterparts. This is a lean team. You will own a lot, move fast, and make decisions with full end-to-end responsibility.

Reports to: Planning Manager. Location: Cottonwood Heights, UT (Hybrid) or Remote.

Responsibilities

• Develop comprehensive merchandise plans aligned with company goals, sales targets, and market trends for multiple product categories
• Own and lead Open-to-Buy meetings and monthly reviews with senior leadership
• Forecast demand using historical data, market trends, and customer insights to drive inventory and replenishment strategies
• Monitor inventory levels, analyze sell-through rates, and recommend actions to optimize inventory turnover while minimizing stock-outs and overstock
• Conduct regular financial analysis of sales performance, margin trends, and product profitability, delivering actionable recommendations to management
• Manage the financial success of your division(s) by meeting sales, margin, and inventory turn targets
• Ensure structured reporting deliverables are accurate, efficient, and follow standardized best practices
• Identify opportunities beyond day-to-day operations to maximize sales potential and surface them with clear, data-driven recommendations

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of assortment, demand, or merchandise planning experience, including 2+ years in a retail ecommerce environment
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with exceptional aptitude for retail math
• High proficiency with Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, vlookups, or beyond) and strong aptitude to learn new technical applications quickly
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills—able to present complex information concisely to varied audiences
• Ability to build and maintain strong cross-functional relationships and influence critical stakeholders
• Flexible and adaptive to changing priorities; able to organize and prioritize workload under pressure
• Demonstrated daily use of AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, or similar) for real work—you iterate on prompts, evaluate outputs critically, and know when AI is the right tool vs. when it is not

Preferred Qualifications

• Softgoods (apparel) planning experience
• Experience planning a mixed-brand business
• Knowledge of demand planning, allocation, and forecasting systems (e.g., JDA, Oracle, SAP, Anaplan)

Benefits

• Paid time off policies
• 401(k) match
• Medical/dental/vision coverage
• Variety of supplemental policies
• Employee discounts across our portfolio of brands

Why Join Backcountry

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