Merchandise Planner

JOB OVERVIEW:  This position requires excellent analytical skills, retail or ecommerce business experience, and the ability to work well independently and with a team.  This role is diverse and dynamic. The Merchandise Planner works closely with the Merchandising Teams and is responsible for creating open-to-buy merchandise plans and managing appropriate inventory levels.  This includes but is not limited to analyzing sales data, forecasting demand, managing inventory levels, margin and pricing recommendations, and other in-depth business analytics.       ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:   Develop merchandise plans: Create comprehensive merchandise plans that align with company goals, sales targets, and market trends for multiple product categories  Manage Open-to-Buy meetings and monthly reviews with senior leadership  Forecast demand: Utilize historical data, market trends, and customer insights to accurately forecast sales, inventory needs, and replenishment strategies  Inventory management: Monitor inventory levels, analyze sell-through rates, and recommend appropriate actions to both increase and decrease on order quantities to optimize sales and inventory turnover while minimizing stock-outs and overstock situations  Financial analysis: Conduct regular analysis of sales performance, margin trends, and product profitability to identify opportunities and risks, and provide actionable recommendations to senior management  Manage the financial success of a division(s) by meeting sales, margin, and inventory turn goals  Ensure structured reporting deliverables are met, evaluating reports for accuracy, performance efficiency, and standardized best practices  Able to analyze business and find actionable data and present findings in a clear and concise manner  Exhibits initiative to look beyond the everyday business to look for opportunities to maximize sales potentials  Perform all other duties as assigned    QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & ABILITIES:   3 years Assortment/Demand/Merchandise planning experience preferred, including 2 years in a retail ecommerce environment.  Softgoods experience is a plus. Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience  Demonstrate strong analytical and problem solving skills: exceptional aptitude with numbers; retail math skills  Able to develop and maintain strong working relationships and communicate well with peers and cross-functional teams; identifies/influences critical stakeholders  Exceptional communication and presentation skills. Concisely presents complex information/recommendations in terms meaningful to various audiences Charismatic team player that exhibits excellent “team work” abilities Flexible and adaptive to changing priorities Able to perform under pressure, organize and prioritize workload to meet deadlines High level of proficiency with Microsoft Excel and strong aptitude to learn technical applications quickly Excellent written and verbal communication skills Knowledge of demand planning, allocation, and forecasting system is a plus Ability to advance to high levels of computer literacy; exposure to relevant planning, finance, analytical, data management systems Experience planning a mixed brand business is preferred