Merchandise Planner

Aquent; Beaverton (OR); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent in Beaverton, OR is seeking a Merchandiser Planner to shape product strategies and drive profitability through precise forecasting and inventory optimization.

You will develop seasonal stock plans, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and provide actionable analytics to support pricing and lifecycle management across fashion and basic styles.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field.
• 3–5 years of professional merchandise planning experience in retail.
• High-intermediate to advanced Excel proficiency.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to organize information from diverse sources.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to share actionable insights.
• Strong stakeholder relationships across teams.
• Comfort with planning systems and willingness to learn new software.

Responsibilities

• Develop stock and sales plans that guide seasonal merchandising.
• Collaborate with merchandising and business units to align financial plans with product opportunities.
• Analyze weekly, monthly, and quarterly performance against financial plans.
• Forecast monthly for basic and fashion styles and manage open‑to‑buy targets.
• Present plans and forecasts to stakeholders in key meetings.
• Report on business health and communicate forecasts and actions weekly.
• Support product forecasting and pricing through data reporting tools.
• Monitor price positioning and adjust in line with strategy.
• Maintain essential reporting tools for the planning team.
• Report forecast variances weekly.
• Manage product lifecycles across seasons, including aging inventory.
• Share best practices and ensure information consistency across teams.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Forecasting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business

Tools

Excel

SQL

Snowflake

Tableau

PowerBI

Job description

We are seeking a highly analytical and strategic Merchandiser Planner professional to join a vital team, where you will play a pivotal role in shaping product strategies and ensuring financial success. This is an exciting opportunity to directly influence the profitability and consumer offering of a leading global brand. You will be instrumental in developing comprehensive plans that align financial goals with product opportunities, ensuring that strategic vision translates into tangible market success. Your expertise will drive key decisions, optimize inventory, and ultimately enhance the consumer experience.

What You’ll Do

As a key member of the planning team, you will establish clear stock and sales plans that tell a compelling story for each season, guiding merchandising teams to create profitable and consumer‑centric product lines. This role offers the opportunity to collaborate closely with cross‑functional partners, providing critical insights that influence business outcomes and contribute significantly to overall financial and inventory objectives.

• Develop and communicate comprehensive strategies by collaborating with merchandising and business units, aligning future financial plans with product opportunities.
• Create detailed pre‑season style plans that support the overarching business goals.
• Analyze business performance against financial plans and forecast in‑season sales and inventories on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis.
• Develop monthly forecasts for both basic and fashion styles, devising strategies to achieve departmental financial targets and manage open‑to‑buy forecasts.
• Present financial plans, forecasts, and strategic initiatives in key meetings to various stakeholders.
• Proactively report on business health, facilitating informed decisions, and communicate financial results, forecasts, and action plans to managers and cross‑functional teams weekly.
• Support product forecasting and pricing processes by managing reporting tools, analyzing complex data, and providing actionable insights.
• Monitor price positioning across the marketplace and product portfolio, recommending adjustments in line with overall pricing strategy.
• Construct and maintain essential reporting tools for the planning team.
• Report on forecast variances on a weekly basis.
• Actively manage product lifecycles across seasons, including close‑out processes and aging inventory.
• Collaborate with peers to ensure consistency of information, share best practices, and enhance systems knowledge.

What You’ll Bring

We are looking for a self‑starter with excellent communication skills and a proven ability to thrive in a fast‑paced retail environment. Your analytical mindset and collaborative spirit will be key to success in this role.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field.
• 3‑5 years of professional experience in merchandise planning within a retail environment.
• High‑intermediate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Demonstrated ability to independently drive toward clear outcomes, even when the path is not immediately defined.
• Strong analytical skills with a natural tendency to organize information from diverse sources and shape clean, repeatable processes.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to curate and share actionable insights from multiple data points.
• A talent for building strong relationships across various teams.
• Comfort with planning systems and an affinity for learning new software.

Nice‑to‑Have Qualifications

• Proven track record in retail planning, merchandising, inventory management, or related operational disciplines.
• Intermediate data manipulation and visualization skills (e.g., SQL, Snowflake, Tableau, PowerBI).
• Experience communicating complex financial information to executive and various non‑technical audiences.
• A strong interest in apparel and consumer products.
• Robust experience in adjacent areas of the retail business.