Merchandise Planner (Jersey City)

The Merchandise Planner works in close collaboration with cross functional teams to deliver on business strategies by assisting in the development and ongoing management of category financial plans, business forecasting, and inventory demand plans.

This person is responsible for assembling & quantifying data reporting for the Wholesale business. This role requires a blend of retail acumen and technical execution, utilizing Python and automated workflows to process large, complex datasets across our wholesale network. We are looking for a proactive self-starter who excels in fluid, fast-paced environments and takes pride in designing scalable planning frameworks from the ground up. Decisions made from this analysis will directly affect sales, margin, inventory, profit, and other metrics for all our wholesale partners. This individual will monitor key performance indicators, such as product performance (sell-thrus, turns and months of supply), sales, inventory and receipt goals by account.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Merchandise Planning & Open-to-Buy – 25%

• Assist in the preparation, refinement, and analysis of the Open-to-Buy (OTB) for each buy.
• Develop and maintain seasonal merchandise and inventory plans aligned with sales and business objectives.
• Monitor inventory commitments and recommend adjustments based on business performance, trends, and changing market conditions.
• Partner with Buyers and Merchandising leadership to ensure inventory investments support overall company strategy.

Merchandise Analytics & KPI Reporting – 25%

• Analyze receipts, inventory levels, sales performance, and merchandise productivity.
• Design and deploy Python scripts to automate complex data ingestion workflows, transforming disparate, raw retailer feeds into structured, actionable reporting.
• Monitor key merchandising KPIs, including sell-through, months of supply, inventory turn, sales by line, price ranges, margin, and other relevant performance indicators.
• Maintain recurring reporting and dashboards to provide the team with clear visibility into business performance.
• No Identify trends, opportunities, and areas of concern and translate data into actionable insights.
• Provide ongoing analysis to maximize sales, profitability, inventory productivity, and turn objectives.

Financial Planning & Forecasting – 20%

• Develop and present quarterly merchandise financial plans based on sales projections, historical performance, market trends, and business objectives.
• Forecast and re-forecast sales, margin, and inventory at the department and class level.
• Adjust forecasts based on changes in trends, purchasing strategy, receipts, inventory levels, and overall business climate.
• Identify risks and opportunities within financial plans and provide recommendations to improve business performance.

Market & Competitive Analysis – 15%

• Conduct statistical and trend analysis of competitors across the resale and luxury retail markets.
• Monitor market trends, consumer behavior, pricing, assortment, and competitive activity.
• Present competitive insights and recommendations to Buyers and Merchandising leadership.
• Use market intelligence to help inform purchasing decisions and develop new assortment strategies.

Merchandising Strategy & Recommendations – 15%

• Analyze seasonal performance to identify significant sales drivers, underperforming categories, and non-starters.
• Make data-driven recommendations regarding markdowns, promotions, category reallocation, assortment changes, and merchandising structure.
• Identify opportunities to improve inventory productivity and profitability.
• Partner cross-functionally with Buying, Merchandising, Retail, and other teams to implement recommendations and optimize business results.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Merchandising, Economics, Mathematics, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in merchandise planning, buying, retail analytics, financial planning, or a related analytical role.
• Strong understanding of retail and merchandising principles, including sales, inventory, margin, sell-through, OTB, and inventory turn.
• Highly analytical with the ability to interpret complex data and translate findings into clear business recommendations.
• Advanced Excel & Technical Modeling: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including financial modeling, nested logic, dynamic arrays, and working with large datasets.
• Data Automation & Scripting: Proficiency with Python (e.g., pandas) or equivalent data manipulation tools to build automated scripts, clean raw partner datasets, and eliminate manual processes.
• Adaptability & Ownership: Entrepreneurial, high-ownership mindset with a proven ability to operate comfortably with minimal structure, take initiative, and build operational reporting frameworks independently
• Strong presentation skills with the ability to communicate analytical findings to both analytical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and effectively manage multiple priorities.
• Strong business acumen and a demonstrated ability to connect data and analysis to commercial outcomes.
• Experience in luxury, fashion, resale, or specialty retail is strongly preferred