Merchandise Planner

About the role

The Merchandise Planner is responsible for successful development and execution of top-down and bottom-up merchandise plans that support company objectives and goals. This includes pre-season planning and in-season Open-to-Buy management. They will monitor receipt flow and sales performance to provide analysis and action plans to optimize sales and inventory.

What You'll Do

• Create and manage OTB’s at the brand level and ensure that the merchandise targets will be met on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
• Communicate with the merchandising team the OTB plan and assess any inventory risks.
• Ensure the receipt plans are filled according to the write schedule.
• Participate in weekly/monthly in-season forecast and OTB meetings.
• Reforecast sales monthly and communicate results and critical issues to the manager.
• Develop an action plan to increase or decrease inventory as needed to reconcile the OTB.
• Provide seasonal plans by gender/brand/sub-class pre-season. Included are category, style, color, type and material. Ensure the purchases meet the plan.
• Drive sales by analyzing trends, forecasting sales and reviewing inventory position; identify risks and opportunities in sales and inventory; provide action plans on a weekly basis.
• Partner with merchandisers to actively manage the lifecycle and flow of inventory. Develop exit strategies and transition strategies for major product platforms; provide guidance on cancelations, markdown needs, and in-store inventory plans.
• Lead monthly OTB meetings with cross functional partners.

What You'll Bring

• Strong aptitude for numbers and clear understanding of retail math.
• Proficiency in using financial metrics and reports to measure the performance of the business.
• Experience in SKU level and category level planning, financial planning process and report/modeling building.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to compile and analyze large sets of data.
• Strong organizational skills – ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to communicate persuasively, influentially, and responsibly across a cross-functional team.
• Passionate about customer service.
• Driven to excel and succeed, taking full ownership of his or her success.
• Ability to travel 0-10% of time.

Requirements

• Minimum of 2 years of merchandise planning, inventory management, buying or finance in a retail environment- preferably Footwear.
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred or equivalent experience.
• Proficient in Excel (includes v-look ups and pivot tables).

Pay

The pay range for this role is $90,000-$110,000/yr USD.