International Merchandise Planner

Skechers U.S.A., Inc.; Manhattan Beach, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Skechers U.S.A., Inc. in Manhattan Beach, CA is seeking a Merchandise Planner to drive sales by studying the business, monitoring inventory and sales performance, and developing in-season forecasts.

You will maintain OTB, deliver monthly and seasonal plans, reforecast regularly, and partner with Allocations and Buyers to optimize stock levels and ensure plans are met.

This role requires strong retail math, Excel expertise, and the ability to communicate across teams to achieve financial targets.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years merchandise planning/buying in retail (footwear/fashion preferred)
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred or equivalent experience
• Strong analytical and numerical skills; experience with retail math and financial metrics

Responsibilities

• Manage the OTB sales and inventory at the category level and ensure targets are met monthly, quarterly, and annually.
• Communicate OTB plan updates and receipt plans to merchandising team.
• Ensure receipt plans are filled according to the write schedule; participate in weekly/monthly in-season forecast and OTB meetings.
• Reforecast sales bi-monthly and communicate results and critical issues to the manager.
• Develop an action plan to increase or decrease inventory as needed to reconcile the OTB.
• Review sales performance, identifying risks and opportunities in sales and inventory and provide action plans on a weekly basis.
• Partner with Allocations to agree optimal store stock levels for your brands
• Drive sales by analysing trends, forecasting, and providing quarterly and seasonal plans in advance of buying season.
• Partner with Buyers to actively manage the lifecycle and flow of inventory.
• Develop exit strategies and transition strategies for major product platforms; provide guidance on cancelations, markdown needs, and in-store inventory plans and models.
• On a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis, report on the sales and inventory results vs expectations.
• Partner with Buying team to review pre distribution 30 days after orders are placed.
• Review orders with in-store date 30 days out to identify any changes required. Prioritize key styles/categories for delivery, ensuring pre-allocations meet store and cluster targets.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Retail analytics

Excel advanced

Forecasting

OTB management

Cross-functional collab

Education

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience

Job description

WHO WE ARE

Headquartered in Southern California, Skechers—the Comfort Technology Company®—has spent over 30 years helping men, women, and kids everywhere look and feel good. Comfort innovation is at the core of everything we do, driving the development of stylish, high-quality products at a great value. From our diverse footwear collections to our expanding range of apparel and accessories, Skechers is a complete lifestyle brand.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Merchandise Planner drives sales through a consistent focus on studying the business, monitoring inventory and sales performance. This will entail providing analysis and action plans to optimize sales and inventory. Critical functions include tracking performance of existing products and assisting in the determination of next steps; developing in-season forecasts and future merchandise plans; maintaining OTB; and ensuring the merchandise financial targets are met (e.g. revenue, units, AUR, margin).

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Manage the OTB sales and inventory at the category level and ensure that the merchandise targets will be met on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
• Communicate to the merchandising team the OTB plan updates and receipt plans.
• Ensure the receipt plans are filled according to the write schedule. Participate in weekly/monthly in-season forecast and OTB meetings.
• Reforecast sales bi-monthly and communicate results and critical issues to the manager.
• Develop an action plan to increase or decrease inventory as needed to reconcile the OTB.
• Review sales performance, identifying risks and opportunities in sales and inventory and provide action plans on a weekly basis.
• Partner with Allocations to agree optimal store stock levels for your brands
• Drive sales by analysing trends, forecasting, and providing quarterly and seasonal plans in advance of buying season. Included are gender, categories, style, colour, type and material. Ensure the purchases meet the plan.
• Partner with Buyers to actively manage the lifecycle and flow of inventory.
• Develop exit strategies and transition strategies for major product platforms; provide guidance on cancelations, markdown needs, and in-store inventory plans and models.
• On a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis, report on the sales and inventory results vs expectations.
• Partner with Buying team to review pre distribution 30 days after orders are placed.
• Review orders with in-store date 30 days out to identify any changes required. Prioritize key styles/categories for delivery, ensuring pre-allocations meet store and cluster targets.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• Strong aptitude with numbers and clear understanding of retail math.
• Proficiency in using financial metrics and reports to measure the performance of the business.
• Understand how decisions impact financial results.
• Experience in SKU level and category level planning, financial planning process
• report/modeling building.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to compile and analyse large sets of data.
• Strong organizational skills —ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to communicate persuasively, influentially, and responsibly across a cross functional team.
• Excels in team environments and in building/developing strong interpersonal relationships, while maintaining an individual determination to accomplish goals.
• Passionate about customer service.
• Self-motivated and driven to excel and succeed
• Able to problem solve and manage time effectively
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Advanced computer skills, particularly in Excel
• Ability to travel

REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum 3-5 years Merchandise Planning, Buying experience in retail (preferably within Footwear/Fashion)
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred or equivalent experience.

The pay range for this role is $90,000-$110,000/yr USD.

ABOUT Skechers

Skechers, a global Fortune 500® company, developsand markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel, and accessories. Serving over 180 countries and territories, Skechers connects customers to products through department and specialty stores, e-commerce and digital stores, and through our more than 5,300 Skechers retail locations.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Skechers is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful work environment. Skechers provides equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment without regard race, color, religion, gender, gender identification and expression, national origin, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, military status, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic established by local, state or federal law.

Reasonable Accommodation

Applicants for employment who require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job should request appropriate accommodation by emailing [e-mail]. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each job responsibility satisfactorily. The skills, abilities and physical demands described are representative of those duties that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities, who are otherwise qualified for the job position, to perform the essential functions.