Global Merchandising Operations Lead

Apple, Inc.; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 156,000 - 234,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical & dental coverage

401(k) retirement benefits

Employee stock purchase plan

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Apple Inc. in Cupertino, California, is seeking a seasoned Merchandising Planning leader to bridge operational excellence with planning rigor across retail channels.

You will oversee end-to-end lifecycle for third-party products in the Apple Retail Store and Online Store, partnering with global teams to optimize performance and profitability. The role drives bottom-up and top-down planning, defines metrics, and leads a team of 3, while shaping investment strategies and inventory decisions.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in merchandise planning, inventory management, and/or retail operations with depth in inventory planning.
• Strong retail math skills and understanding of forecasting (sell-through, in-stock rates, margin management).
• Advanced proficiency in Excel (complex functions, large data manipulation); comfortable with Keynote, Pages, Numbers.
• Proven ability to translate complex financial and quantitative data into clear, actionable stories for senior leaders.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills across global regions, teams, and cultures.
• Experience defining success criteria and building comprehensive strategic plans.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Merchants to develop consumer and category productivity targets (assortment architecture).
• Build and present bottom-up sales and inventory plans; reconcile with top-down financial plans.
• Work with allocation partners to ensure in-season allocation, replenishment, and receipt flow.
• Help manage in-season profitability to achieve seasonal targets.
• Conduct quantitative analysis to increase assortment profitability and identify new opportunities.
• Perform post-season analysis to inform next season.
• Develop top-down investment strategies focusing on monetizing key themes.
• Manage and develop a team of 3, fostering an inclusive, high-performance culture.
• Define metrics, set goals, and report progress to senior leadership.
• Serve as liaison between 3PP Product Merchandising and cross-functional teams.
• Identify risks and opportunities for capacity management via bottoms-up plans.
• Participate in seasonal checkpoints with regional/global teams.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Inventory management

Retail operations

Retail math

Excel

Data storytelling

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Keynote

Pages

Numbers

Job description

Apple Inc. in Cupertino, California, is seeking a seasoned Merchandising Planning leader to bridge operational excellence with planning rigor across retail channels.

You will oversee end-to-end lifecycle for third-party products in the Apple Retail Store and Online Store, partnering with global teams to optimize performance and profitability. The role drives bottom-up and top-down planning, defines metrics, and leads a team of 3, while shaping investment strategies and inventory decisions.