Merchandise Planner

About us Ann Taylor embodies and celebrates the spirit, heritage, and confidence of American women leading the lives they love. Since its beginnings, Ann Taylor has been committed to providing women with everything they need to feel inspired and motivated as they navigate their multifaceted lives. Our effortlessly polished styles are thoughtfully designed to go anywhere—from the office to special occasions (and everywhere in between). Discover a culture centered on empowering employees, with access to industry leaders and tools you need to expand your skills and stretch your abilities. We’ll meet you at every milestone with opportunities and benefits to make life better in and outside of work (not to mention your closet). About The Role The Merchandise Planner plays a key role in the pro‑active management of the business to maximize sales, margin and inventory through strategic end‑to‑end optimization across all customer channels (direct consumer business), accountable for, by channel, pre‑season and in‑season. The Planner builds financial sales, gross margin and inventory plans for multiple departments in a given area. This work requires strong analytical and story‑telling skills, the ability to build close partnerships with other functions, and a focus on executing best‑in‑class customer experience while delivering/exceeding financial targets. The impact you can have Accountable for departmental success. Responsible for OTB re‑forecasting at a weekly level to reflect trends, alignment with company direction, and solutions for risks and opportunities. Through analysis, strategic thinking, and collaboration develop the financial classification plans/key items plans for sales, margin and inventory. Proactively identify issues and opportunities within product mix and use analytics and creative problem solving to drive profitable solutions. Actively recommend markdown and liquidation strategies to maximize store profitability. Collaborate with the merchant team to develop and communicate a comprehensive pre‑season strategy that aligns financial and product opportunities across multiple departments, inclusive of style/sku targets, in‑store dates, good/better/best framework, key attribute, and season code (time on offer). Participate in all aspects of line building process with Merchandising Lead or participate in department projects to improve systems or efficiencies. Ensure alignment of top/down and bottoms/up style/color plans with merchandising strategies and financial targets. Partner with the Inventory Planning team to maximize profitability through pre‑season store cluster analysis, initial allocation, DC management, and in‑season management. Drive profitability through leading and executing promotional and markdown strategies which align with divisional and brand financial goals. Analyze business weekly as it relates to last forecast and last year, identify trends and highlight selling that exceeds or falls short of expectation. Collaborate with other planners to drive consistency and best practices throughout the organization. You’ll bring to the role Minimum 3‑4 years of experience years of experience in planning which includes knowledge of buying and allocation. Retail experience preferred. Undergraduate degree in finance, economics, accounting, business or related field-- MBA a plus Excellent technical skills – MS Office (specifically Excel, Word) Stores and/or direct experience required. Customer‑centric focus with understanding of customer needs and ability to understand market trends. Ability to build strong relationships with a diverse group of cross‑functional partners and cascade the proper level of information to support decision making. Possesses a clear understanding of financial measurements; sales, weeks of supply, inventory turn, sales thru and how to impact them. Proven ability to interpret and synthesize data into intelligent business decisions. Strong organizational and time management skills; able to handle multiple priorities. Strong verbal and written communication skills Ability to work in fast‑paced, often‑changing environment Benefits You will be eligible to receive a merchandise discount at select KnitWell Group brands, subject to each brand’s discount policies. Support for your individual development plus opportunities for career mobility within our family of brands. A culture of giving back – local volunteer opportunities, annual donation and volunteer match to eligible nonprofit organizations, and philanthropic activities to support our communities. Medical, dental, vision insurance & 401(K). Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Time off – paid time off & holidays. The target salary range for this role is: $85,000 - $90,000 Any job offer will consider factors such your qualifications, relevant experience, and skills. Eligibility of certain benefits and associate programs are subject to employment type and role. Hybrid: This position works in a hybrid model, with 4 days per week worked in the Times Square Tower corporate office location in New York, NY. Applicants to this position must be authorized to work for any employer in the US without sponsorship. We are not providing sponsorship for this position. Location: Times Square Tower • ANN • New York, NY 10036 Position Type: Regular/Full time Equal Employment Opportunity The Company is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from diverse candidates. Hiring decisions are based upon a candidate's qualifications as they relate to the requirements of the position under consideration and are made without regard to sex (including pregnancy), race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, genetic information, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other category protected by applicable law. The Company is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for job applicants with disabilities. If you require an accommodation to perform the essential duties of the position you are seeking or to participate in the application process, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io. The Company will make reasonable accommodations for otherwise qualified applicants or employees, unless such accommodations would impose an undue hardship on the operations of the Company’s business. The Company will not revoke or alter a job offer based on an applicant’s request for reasonable accommodation. #J-18808-Ljbffr