Associate Planner, (Contract)

Carter's; Toronto; On-site; CAD 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player in children's apparel is seeking a detail-oriented Merchandise Planner to join their dynamic Planning team. In this role, you will develop and execute financial plans, manage in-season strategies, and provide insightful reporting and analysis. This position offers the chance to collaborate with cross-functional teams and contribute to key financial objectives. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and have a passion for retail analytics and customer experience, this opportunity is perfect for you. Join a company that values innovation, inclusion, and professional growth, and make a meaningful impact on the lives of families with young children.

Benefits

Career Development Programs

Mentorship Opportunities

Flexible Work Environment

Qualifications

• 2+ years in a corporate retail environment required.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute merchandise financial plans aligned to targets.
• Manage weekly sell thru files and provide adhoc business reports.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Organizational Skills

Retail Financial Acumen

Multi-Tasking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft PowerPoint

Job description

Serving the needs of all families with young children, Carter’s Inc. is the largest North American apparel retailer exclusively for babies and young children, encompassing Carter’s, OshKosh B’gosh, Skip*Hop and Little Planet brands. Meaningful work, constant learning, genuine people, and a community guided by core values that promote inclusion and innovation is in everything we do. There are many reasons to build your career at Carter's.

HOW YOU’LL MAKE AN IMPACT:
The Carter’s Planning team is responsible for developing short and mid-range merchandise strategies, OTB quantification and financial plans and working cross-functionally with our Category Management teams to achieve key financial objectives for CRI.

This role reports to the Director of Planning Manager and supports the Planning team with relevant data to drive the business, provides critical administrative functions, and collaborates with cross-functional partners to ensure the key strategies are executed. We are looking for a candidate who possesses strong organizational skills, is energized by multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment, is curious about business trends and analytics and has a passion for product, planning, customer experience, and delivering results.

Responsibilities:

45%: Merchandise Financial Planning

• Develop and execute merchandise financial plans by product classification aligned to financial targets to establish annual budgets and open-to-buy in partnership with their leader.
• Align assortment strategies (pricing, buy quantities, store assortments) to achieve financial plans in collaboration with the Category Manager or Category Specialist.
• Establish inventory flow plans with the Category Manager or Category Specialist to optimize inventory plans.
• Validate the promotional marketing plan aligns to the monthly financial plan alongside the Category Manager or Category Specialist.

40%: In-Season Management

• On a monthly/as needed basis and in conjunction with your leader, execute re-forecast of comprehensive financial plans and execute re-forecast of sales, margin, and inventory based on trend to identify risks/opportunities compared to plan.
• Develop and execute markdown strategies to achieve the unit sales plan while maximizing margin in partnership with your leader and Category Managers or Category Specialist.
• Provide strong in-season forecasts and develop corrective in-season actions where required in coordination with your leader and Category Managers or Category Specialist.
• Conduct post-season analysis and draft monthly hind-sights and strategies for next season with the Category Managers or Category Specialist.

15%: Reporting and Analysis

• Manage weekly sell thru files to track results.
• Provide adhoc business reports and analysis as required.
• Utilize company-approved tools and processes to support planning and measurement of the business.

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU IF:
Must have:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 2+ years in a corporate retail environment required (purchase order management, price change management, seasonal preparation, report analysis, manage a product category, special project leader, site merchandising).
• General understanding of a retail product assortment, breadth and depth, promotional pricing and entrance/exit strategies.

Preferred skills and experience:

• Analytical Skills, Basic Retail Financial Acumen/Math.
• Self-Starter, Strong Communication Skills, Flexible, Collaborative.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Highly Organized, Ability to Multi-Task, Detail-Oriented, Deadline-Oriented.
• Ability to manage large amounts of data and multiple projects.

OUR TEAM MEMBERS:

• Lead Courageously: Have a strong sense of personal values that align with our Company values.
• Collaborates Broadly: Build cooperation, trust, and thrive in a consensus driven environment.
• Customer Focus: Proactively seek opportunities to leverage data and fact-based insights to serve customers and/or internal clients.
• Drive Growth: Set aggressive goals and implement plans precisely.
• Cultivates Innovation: Respectfully challenge the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality and explore new ways to achieve desired outcomes.

MAKE A CAREER AT CARTER’S:
Career Development: Success starts from within, and we have several paths from which you can choose to enhance your career evolution. From Carter’s University to Toastmasters to mentorship programs and more, we encourage you to utilize these tools to elevate your professional prowess.

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. The duties described may be changed or reassigned at the discretion of management, and the employee may be required to perform duties that are not listed in the job description.

Carter’s | OshKosh is an equal opportunity employer and encourages all interested and qualified candidates to apply. Should you require any type of accommodation, please do not hesitate to contact us.