Merchandise Planner

JOB TITLE: Merchandise Financial Planner DEPARTMENT: Planning REPORTS TO: Apparel Planning Manager FLSA STATUS: Non-Exempt EFFECTIVE DATE: 07/2026 PAY RANGE: $28.85 to $33.65 depending on experience LOCATION: In-office at the Lynnwood Home Office POSITION PURPOSE: At Zumiez we provide our Customer with cutting edge products across multiple categories, and everything we do revolves around the Customer, who is at the heart of our company. As a Merchandise Financial Planner, you will play a pivotal role in helping us achieve this mission. You will create financial plans and set key operational metrics that support the overall goals of the organization. You will collaborate with your buying partners by providing them guidance on Open-to-Buy budgets and optimized assortment plans. You will be a key contributor in finding ways to maximize the business while remaining fiscally responsible. You will engage in projects that will require you to leverage your deep sense of curiosity and analytical skillset to maximize the customer experience. JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: Support company and organizational initiatives and projects through individual contribution and collaboration with cross-functional partners. Generate insights and visibility that help to maximize business opportunities and decision making through informed and data-driven forecasting and modeling. Develop and manage seasonal financial plans at the department/category/vendor level. Ensure all key planning indicators are met and achieve department strategy. Reconcile the financial plans with assortment plans to ensure overall alignment between department strategies and financial targets. Review financial plans with Merchandising leadership. Own all aspects of assortment planning and maximization; includes assortment shell planning, key brand partner breadth and depth guidance, and store clustering. Collaborate with the buying team to execute to financial and assortment plans, making the appropriate course corrections as needed. Identify deviations from forecasted results and other variances and timely resolve or make recommendations for any issues. Review in-season metrics and track performance against plan, working with the appropriate teams to help achieve seasonal plans. Maintain the markdown budget and partnering with the buying team to help drive effective execution. Create post-season recaps to quantify actual results to plan and generate learnings and insights that will assist in future planning and execution. Ad hoc assignments and projects as required. JOB REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, retail merchandising, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred. 3-5 years of successful planning and/or buying experience. Self-starter, strong initiative, and a deep sense of curiosity. Resourceful problem-solver, ability to thrive in ambiguity. Strong data analysis skills and ability to use visualization tools such as Excel, SQL, and Power BI preferred. Effective verbal and written communication. Team player: you can collaborate well with others and bring out the best in your team. Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite. PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT: Ability to sit in stationary position in an office environment for extended periods of time and work on a PC without limitations. Ability to move in an office environment in order to access files and gather information. The person in this position frequently communicates with co-workers who have inquiries about product or their merchandise plans. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations. Health, vision, and dental insurance Basic life insurance and supplemental voluntary life insurance Disability insurance 401(k) plan Employee stock purchase plan Paid parental leave Vacation Employee Assistance Program Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) COMPENSATION FOR ROLE IN ADDITION TO BASE SALARY: Equity eligibility #J-18808-Ljbffr