Associate Planner

A well-known beauty brand is currently looking for a Freelance Associate Merchandise Planner to join their team on a 1-year contract. This hybrid opportunity is based in San Francisco, CA and requires 3 days onsite per week. Key Responsibilities Develop pre-season brand budget plans in partnership with Merchandising, Inventory, and Vendor tea Create launch strategies for new brands, including projected sales, inventory needs, SKU planning, and order flow set Own monthly Open-to-Buy (OTB) forecasts, including sales, gross margin, receipts, inventory projections, and financial adjustmen Reconcile OTB forecasts with Replenishment and Demand Planning projections and present updates in monthly cross-functional meetin Partner with Demand Planning to align forecasts and support inventory strategies that meet business goa Support and guide Merchandise Planning Assistants in prioritizing key launches, newness, and critical inventory nee Analyze sales performance, inventory productivity, promotions, key initiatives, and seasonal newness performan Conduct hindsight reporting and make recommendations to improve future performan Develop liquidation strategies for excess inventory, overstock, and exiting brands or collectio Communicate regularly with vendors on sales performance, inventory levels, launches, and outstanding issu Evaluate assortment productivity and recommend products to expand, discontinue, or further devel Qualifications 4+ years of merchandise planning, inventory planning, allocation, or retail planning experie Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, Merchandising, or a related field prefer Advanced Excel skills requi Experience managing Open-to-Buy (OTB) processes, inventory forecasting, and financial plann Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn data into actionable business recommendati Excellent communication, presentation, and cross-functional partnership ski Highly organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorit iesComfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environm entExperience in beauty, retail, consumer products, apparel, or e-commerce environments prefer #J-18808-Ljbffr 24 Seven Talent