Merchandise Planner

Merchandise Planner

General

Summary:

The Merchandise Planner develops, executes and communicates strategic merchandise financial plans that support the company’s financial, product, and marketing objectives. Responsible for driving top-line financial plans for a book of business from a category to class/season level; strategically managing the business to maximize sales and margin and optimize inventory. The role also contributes to company initiatives and ensures all planning activities support annual goals.

• At a category/class/season level, develop sales, gross margin, and inventory plans that support the categories and company’s financial goals; align with merchants to ensure product assortment meets these financial goals.
• Use historical data, current trends and strategy to identify risk and opportunity to achieve financial goals.
• Create, maintain and communicate assumptions used in producing the plan architecture.

• Identify opportunities and risks relative to sales, margin, and inventory productivity; develop action plans to address issues and opportunities.
• Manage the markdown process and collaborate with cross-functional partners to ensure that markdowns fit within the financial plan; identify markdown risks and recommend strategies to limit liabilities.
• Develop ad-hoc projections that simulate different business decisions.

• Review forecasts with a focus on maximizing profit, optimizing inventory, and managing risk across divisions. Incorporate marketing, markdown, and inventory management plans to exploit business prospects.
• Review and meet with the merchant team to align on all financial revisions; work collaboratively with cross-functional partners to ensure alignment to monthly changes.
• Communicate clearly and effectively updates and action plans.

• Create pre-season category plans to support the development of the assortment.
• Review historical data at cluster, category and key item level to understand prior performance.
• Set sales, margin, flow, and IMU goals prior to the planning of each delivery; reconcile top-down and bottom-up forecasts before passing receipts to the merchant organization.
• Participate in buy review with merchants, planners and allocators to ensure appropriate breadth and depth and flawless execution; collaborate with lead merchants to ensure that plans support product goals.
• Lead and facilitate buy finalization meetings with merchant; review pre-season plans that support new assortment; identify risks and opportunities relative to product, flow, and presentation.
• Gain consensus on assortment and plans from management; manage the locking process for seasonal plans; forecast seasonal and source plans to validate key metrics.

• Partner with merchandising and other cross-functional teams to achieve financial goals through active management of the business.
• Be proactive in identifying risk and opportunities in a timely manner; develop action plans to limit risk and capitalize on opportunities. Other duties as assigned.

Office work environment, 40+ work hours per week.

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree from a four-year college or university preferred; advanced degree a plus.
• Experience: Four or more years of related experience in an analyst or planner role, including prior retail industry experience.
• Job Related
  
  Skills:
  
  Well-developed written and verbal communication skills including the ability to present complex material in an organized and compelling manner; ability to influence and negotiate at a variety of levels; strong problem-solving and decision-making skill set.
• Computer
  
  Skills:
  
  Well-versed in planning systems as well as advanced Microsoft Windows applications; strong knowledge of financial theory is required; experience with EP and Micro Strategy preferred.

Location:

Chesapeake, VA.