Lead - Retail Merchandising Planner

On; Sunderland; On-site; USD 99,000 - 124,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global premium sportswear brand is seeking a Retail Merchandising Planner to support product strategy and sales forecasting. The successful candidate will have over 6 years of experience in merchandise planning, with strong analytical skills and a collaborative mindset. You will play a crucial role in shaping effective product strategies and managing inventory levels, ensuring alignment with financial targets and seasonal strategies.

Benefits

Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits

Paid Time Off

401k Program

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in Merchandise Planning, Retail Planning, or related fields.
• Proven experience in managing sales forecasts and financial alignment.
• Strong numerical skills and experience working cross-functionally.

Responsibilities

• Lead forecasting and budget planning for stores and categories.
• Shape product strategies and manage inventory efficiently.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and conduct detailed sales analysis.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Communication

Forecasting

Education

6+ years in Merchandise Planning

Tools

Excel

Job description

As one of our Retail Merchandising Planners, you will be supporting the product strategy, sales analysis, and forecasts to ensure the right product at the right time and in the right quantities in each store.By analyzing the sales and the demand of each store and category, you will be able to create effective product strategies for different types of stores. You will create assortment selections, support in sales planning and help build the retail Merchandising team, which means that you will be part of the most exciting projects of store openings in AMER.By analyzing sales and demand across stores, regions, and categories, you will help shape effective product strategies tailored to different store formats. You'll be responsible for creating assortments, supporting sales planning, and playing a key role in building the retail merchandising function from the ground up-including contributing to some of the most exciting store openings across the Americas.

Your Mission

• Lead bottom-up forecasting and budget planning across stores, categories, and warehouses, ensuring alignment with seasonal strategies and financial targets
• Shape the Regional Retail product strategy and assortments down to the color level, adhering to global guidelines while integrating region and store-specific needs
• Manage demand forecasting and open-to-buy (OTB) planning to ensure financial alignment and inventory efficiency
• Conduct detailed sales analysis by style, color, and size to continuously refine forecasts and enhance future buying decisions
• Support end-of-season hindsight analyses to identify learnings and inform future strategies
• Monitor sales pacing against forecasts and budgets, recommending proactive in-season actions to drive revenue and mitigate risk
• Drive regular in-season trading reviews down to color/size level from a strategic and operational pov, identifying actions to meet brand targets
• Support the planning and execution of product launches and mid-season assortment shifts, adapting to store-specific constraints and opportunities
• Collaborate closely with Allocators and leverage replenishment tools to maintain optimal inventory levels that reflect both assortment strategy and evolving demand
• Partner with regional and cross-functional teams to develop sales recaps and performance insights for key business meetings, helping to inform strategic next steps
• Deliver ad hoc analysis to support VM campaigns, new store openings, product launches, and special projects.

Your Story

• You have 6+ years of experience in Merchandise Planning, Retail Planning or a similar role preferably in the fashion, outdoor or sports industry
• You have a proven track record of managing Open-to-Buy (OTB), sales forecasts, and in-season trading
• You have a strong numerical and analytical skillsset, with the ability to interpret data and translate insights into actionable strategies, with a good level of Excel Knowledge
• You have experience working cross-functionally with Allocation, Visual Merchandising, Finance, and Regional teams
• You have excellent communication and presentation skills
• You have an entrepreneurial growth mindset, eager to challenge the status quo with an appetite for relentless improvement and comfortable working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
• You are a team player who thrives in a collaborative, high-performance environment

Meet The Team

The Retail Merchandising team is supporting On, as one of the most exciting and fastest-growing global Premium sportswear brand, with our own retail stores operations and expansion. You will work closely not only with other members of the Retail Merch teams but also with various departments such as Global Merchandising, Visual Merchandising, Retail Operations, Demand Planning, and many others.

What We Offer

On is a place that is centered around growth and progress. We offer an environment designed to give people the tools to develop holistically - to stay active, to learn, explore and innovate. Our distinctive approach combines a supportive, team-oriented atmosphere, with access to personal self-care for both physical and mental well-being, so each person is led by purpose.Typical cash compensation range for this position inclusive of base + bonus: $99,000-$124,000. Individual compensation packages are based on various factors unique to each candidate including experience, industry knowledge, qualifications, skill set, and location.At On we understand cash compensation is just one piece of your total rewards package. In addition to cash compensation, On offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision benefits, along with a industry leading PTO package, and competitive 401k program. Additional perks and benefits include: 11 paid US holidays, corporate office closure between Christmas and New Year, and a plethora of product perks!On is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a work environment that is fair and inclusive, where all decisions related to recruitment, advancement, and retention are free of discrimination. We are requesting that you provide sensitive demographic information such as gender identity and race/ethnicity to help us ensure that we are creating equitable and fair experiences for all potential future team members. You are not required to provide this demographic information and this information will in no way impact your eligibility for hire.