Merchandise Planner

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

To perform the job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Duties and responsibilities include the following, other duties may be assigned:

Confer with sales, marketing and customer service to forecast demand and create supply plans that ensure availability of products.

Collaborate with cross functional teams and make suggestions to improve overall business operations.

Provide analytics and insights optimizing sales, seasonal launches, customer strategy and profitability.

Mine and analyze data to inform future plans and financial success.

Revise plans based on actual results and future customer interest

Develop expertise in Company's demand planning software.

Analyze and manage inventories to optimize inventory turns, reduce waste, and best support customer service.

Monitor forecasts and sales to identify changes and adjust plan/forecast/inventory levels to effectively support business needs.

Manage activities related to strategic or tactical purchasing, inventory control, warehousing, and receiving.

Keen eye for detail and processes to support ongoing operational improvements.

Manage inventory targets (including safety stock levels) that are approved by management.

Monitor SKU levels and recommend SKU rationalization initiatives

Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or ability required.

Bachelor's degree (B.A.) from four-year College or university, preferably as a buyer, merchant, planner, or supply chain manager or three (3) to five (5) years of relevant experience or a combination of education and experience.

American Production & Inventory Control Society Membership, Certification Production Inventory Management (CPIM) preferred, Institute of Business Forecasting Membership.

Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, and procedure manuals.

Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of customers or associates of the organization.

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference. Ability to apply concepts such as percentages.

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.

Ability to interpret variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule forms.

Advanced experience with Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and Outlook.

Experience with forecasting software such as Demand Solutions.

Experience with footwear preferred.