Merchandise Planning Manager

Responsibilities

• Develop seasonal financial plans by class, department, and channel, including sales, units, margin, and inventory.
• Build and maintain item‑level or class‑level forecasts based on historical performance, trends, and merchant strategy.
• Translate business strategy into monthly and weekly sales plans.
• Own inventory flow, weeks of supply, and receipt plans to support sales while minimizing markdown risk.
• Partner with Allocation/Replenishment to optimize initial buys and ongoing replenishment.
• Identify risks and opportunities related to overstock, shortages, or flow disruptions.
• Manage markdown in season and closeout/end‑of‑life processes.
• Produce style count and SKU productivity targets to govern the region's range selection activity, monitor performance against these targets, and make recommendations to the Merchant team to improve results.
• Partner with Merchants/Buyers to align assortments and buy quantities with financial goals.
• Work with Finance on forecasts, re‑projections, and inventory investments.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and Allocation to ensure receipts and store/channel flow align with demand.
• Analyze sell‑through, productivity, aged inventory, and margin drivers.
• Provide post‑mortem analysis to inform future seasons.
• Work cross‑functionally with other departments within the organization to optimize buy targets, SKU optimization, and time‑phased category planning.
• Monitor OTB flow for the current buying season and an extended 18‑month strategic open‑to‑buy plan for future product seasons.
• Manage in‑season inventory activities, forecasting to a roll‑forward projection and making adjustments based on the agreed‑upon top‑down plan.

• Experience in footwear retail merchandise planning, buying, demand, and supply planning.
• Knowledge of different business operating models and experience in key distribution channels – wholesale, retail, and digital.
• Strong analytical and verbal skills.
• Strong computer skills, including data warehouse/data mart query and report development tools, advanced Microsoft Excel (if statements, linking, pivot tables, etc.).
• Planning software experience (MID, Blue Yonder, NSB/STS/MMS, I2, Retek, Evant, SAP, etc.).

Actual compensation within a pay range will be based on factors including but not limited to a candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, performance, Clarks’ business needs, internal equity and any statutory obligations. The pay range for this role may be modified by Clarks at any time in the future.

We will not discriminate on the basis of sex, age, disability, marital status, color, race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or gender re‑assignment, complying with local legislative requirements.