Lead, Business Planner

Nike Inc; Beaverton (OR); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Nike Inc. is seeking a Lead Business Planner for Department Stores to forecast demand, plan supply, and drive financial performance for the IPT.

You will partner with Merchandising, Planning, Supply Chain, Marketing and accounts to translate data into actionable plans that protect revenue and optimize inventory across channels. The role requires 5+ years in merchandise or retail planning, strong Excel and data storytelling skills, and the ability to influence cross‑functional teams in a

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in merchandise planning, business planning, merchandising, sales, or retail buying.
• Able to analyze large amounts of data and articulate insights.
• Strong written and verbal communication, analytical skills, and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of Retail metrics including Retail Sales, ST%, WOS, Inventory, Revenue and Margin.
• Experience with merchandise and forecasting management systems.
• Advanced capabilities in Excel.

Responsibilities

• Forecast consumer demand and plan supply for Department Stores.
• Set top-down plans for Gross-to-Net and Stock & Sales across multiple franchises.
• Reconcile forecasts and present results to leadership.
• Lead seasonal financial account meetings with accounts open to buys.
• Elevate in-season risks and drive inventory productivity levers.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Data analysis

Financial acumen

Communication

Forecasting

Cross-functional collaboration

Retail metrics

Market analysis

Industry knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field

Tools

Forecasting systems

Excel

Job description

LEAD BUSINESS PLANNER, SALES PLANNING – DEPARTMENT STORES
PORTLAND, OR, USA

Elevating Nike’spartnership with Department Store wholesale partners will be rewarding, challenging, and most definitely not be just a job. You'll be an ambassador of the Nike brand - everything we stand for: passion for sport, an instinct to innovate, and relentless commitment to serving athletes.

Nike’s Planning team partners with diverse teams across the company — and around the world — to bring our mission of elevating human potential to life. Nike Planning drives profitable, sustainable growth and inventory productivity for Nike and our partners. As a team, we are building a smarter, more connected, and automated value chain.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We’re looking for a Lead Business Planner on our Department Stores Integrated Portfolio Team (IPT).

In this position, you'll play a meaningful role in serving athletes by working with Department Store accounts to ensure Nike products are accessible at the right time, place, and supply levels. You will achieve this by engaging with various internal & external partners to understand opportunities, influence outcomes, and resolve differences while delivering against revenue & inventory targets.

You move at the pace of the consumer and are energized by the opportunities surrounding the connection of physical and digital commerce. You have an “anything’s possible” attitude and can translate insights into action by applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills. You effectively communicate complex data to a variety of audiences. You possess a deep understanding of the marketplace, product, data-supported inventory planning, and can recognize new growth opportunities. You are a great collaborator who proactively builds positive relationships spanning various functions and levels of leadership. Using your strong financial and commercial acuity, you show good judgment in making decisions and recommendations. You have experience closing the gap between strategy and execution and you are passionate about creating the future of integrated wholesale/retail planning through systems and tools.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

You will serve as a merchandise financial planning lead to Nike’s Department Store team, working cross-functionally to forecast consumer demand, plan optimal supply, and meet financial expectations. You will set tops-down plans for key business dimensions across both Gross-to-Net and Stock & Sales that balance consumer demand, partner strategies, and align with the Sport architecture.Your plans will inform franchise/style planning, financial forecasts, and end-to-end inventory forecasts.You’ll reconcile forecasts, recap business results, and clearly depict decision impacts with cross-functional and leadership teams. You will also lead and conduct internal/external seasonal financial account meetings to align with accounts open to buys and provide overall context to seasonal plans.

In response to demand signals, you will elevate in-season risks/help needed to achieve performance targets, including product chase, order cancels and applying other inventory productivity levers. Additionally, you will collaborate with peers to ensure consistency of information, share standard methodologies, and drive system implementation.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

You’ll report to the Planning Director for the Department Stores planning team. Internally, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional partners in Planning, Merchandising, Marketing, Operations, Sales/Partner, and other functional teams as needed. Externally, you will partner with Merchandising/Buying, Planning, Supply Chain, Marketing, and other account partners.

WHAT YOU BRING

• 5+ years' experience in merchandise planning, business planning, merchandising, sales, or retail buying
• Curious and self-motivated, able to analyze large amounts of data and articulate the message behind it
• Outstanding written/verbal communication, analytical capabilities, and attention to detail
• Ability to collate and understand relevant market data that integrates and informs the plan; assessing risk and solvingproblems to deliver business results
• Strong command of Retail metrics including Retail Sales, ST%, WOS, Inventories (marketplace + DC), Revenue and Margin with the ability to manipulate data for efficient outcome
• In-depth knowledge of consumers, competitors, and retail trends; knowledge of sports apparel and footwear market preferred.
• Retail math fluency; ability to interpret financial sales data to make business decisions and recommendations
• Experience with merchandise and forecasting management systems.
• Advanced capabilities in Excel
• Bachelor’s degree Business or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience, and training.

We offer a number of accommodations to complete our interview process including screen readers, sign language interpreters, accessible and single location for in-person interviews, closed captioning, and other reasonable modifications as needed. If you discover, as you navigate our application process, that you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please complete the Candidate Accommodation Request Form.