Planner, Business, Merchandising

Location: New York

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* Job Title:

** Associate Planner & Allocator
** Primary Purpose**:
The Planner is responsible for driving sales, margin, and inventory productivity through strategic financial planning, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration. This role partners closely with Buying and Allocation to develop and execute plans that optimize business performance across channels.
** The successful individual will leverage their proficiency in store planning & allocation to...*
* · Analyze historical business trends on an on-going basis to understand business drivers, identify opportunities and risks, while partnering with key stakeholders to take action appropriately.
· Support hindsight and market preparation: set up planning files and partner with the Buying team on pre-season key strategies
· Participate in seasonal purchase budget process, partnering with manager to develop category and channel sales, margin and inventory plans aligning with business strategies.
· React to in-season business trends with timely recommendations (pricing, markdowns, flow adjustments)
· Support presentation of financial plans, forecasts, and recaps to leadership
· Monitor and manage aging inventory, recommending markdowns and promotional strategies
· Manage weekly product reporting package for cross functional team.
· Run ad-hoc analysis when needed to provide clear conclusions and actionable next steps.
** The accomplished individual will possess...*
* · Exceptional analytical/retail math skills; ability to analyze retail business at a macro/micro level
· Excellent time-management and organizational skills
· Strong listening, communication, and presentation skills
· Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and have aptitude to learn technical applications quickly
· Flexibility to multi-task and able to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
** An outstanding professional will have...*
* · Bachelor’s degree
· 2-5+ years of prior planning and/or financial analysis experience
** Our Competencies for All Employees    Courage**:
Doesn’t hold back anything that needs to be said; provides current, direct, complete, and “actionable” positive and corrective feedback to others; lets people know where they stand; faces up to people problems on any person or situation (not including direct reports) quickly and directly; is not afraid to take negative action when necessary.  
** Creativity**:
Comes up with a lot of new and unique ideas; easily makes connections among previously unrelated notions; tends to be seen as original and value-added in brainstorming settings.  
** Customer Focus**:
Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.  
** Dealing with Ambiguity**:
Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; isn’t upset when things are up in the air; doesn’t have to finish things before moving on; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.  
** Drive for Results**:
Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully; is constantly and consistently one of the top performers; very bottom-line oriented; steadfastly pushes self and others for results.  
** Interpersonal Savvy**:
Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably.  
** Learning on the Fly**:
Learns quickly when facing new problems; a relentless and versatile…