Merchandise Planner

24 Seven Talent; Beaverton (OR); Hybrid; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

24 Seven Talent is seeking a Merchandise Planner to support assortment planning, sales forecasting, inventory management, and financial planning for a retail business. The role will partner closely with merchandising buyers and cross-functional teams to develop strategies that support sales, profitability, and inventory goals.

The ideal candidate has 3–5 years of retail planning experience, strong analytical skills, advanced Excel capabilities, and the ability to communicate insights and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business or a related field.
• 3–5 years of merchandise planning or retail planning.
• Advanced Excel skills and strong analytical abilities.
• Experience with planning systems; ability to learn new software quickly.
• Strong communication and organization.
• Retail experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop seasonal merchandise and assortment plans that align with financial goals, inventory needs, and consumer demand.
• Analyze sales, inventory, and financial performance against established plans.
• Forecast sales and inventory on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis.
• Develop monthly forecasts for core and fashion merchandise.
• Manage open-to-buy forecasts and recommend strategies to achieve department financial targets.
• Support product forecasting and pricing processes by maintaining reporting tools, analyzing data, and providing actionable insights.
• Monitor weekly forecast variances and communicate findings to relevant stakeholders.
• Build and maintain reporting tools to support planning team processes and decision-making.
• Monitor pricing and product positioning across the marketplace and recommend adjustments as needed.
• Support monthly and seasonal inventory management activities.
• Manage product lifecycles, including seasonal closeout processes and aging inventory.
• Present financial plans, forecasts, business results, and action plans to managers and cross-functional partners.
• Collaborate with merchandising, planning, and business teams to ensure alignment and consistency of reporting.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Analytical skills

Data interpretation

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in business

Tools

SQL

Snowflake

Tableau

Power BI

Job description

Pay Rate: $37/hour

Location: Hybrid — onsite Monday–Thursday and remote Fridays

Schedule: Standard business hours

Travel: None

Contract Type: Leave coverage

Position Overview

We are seeking a Merchandise Planner to support assortment planning, sales forecasting, inventory management, and financial planning for a retail business. This role will partner closely with merchandising buyers and cross-functional teams to develop strategies that support sales, profitability, and inventory goals.

The ideal candidate has 3–5 years of retail planning experience, strong analytical skills, advanced Excel capabilities, and the ability to communicate insights and recommendations effectively.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop seasonal merchandise and assortment plans that align with financial goals, inventory needs, and consumer demand.
• Analyze sales, inventory, and financial performance against established plans.
• Forecast sales and inventory on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis.
• Develop monthly forecasts for core and fashion merchandise.
• Manage open-to-buy forecasts and recommend strategies to achieve department financial targets.
• Support product forecasting and pricing processes by maintaining reporting tools, analyzing data, and providing actionable insights.
• Monitor weekly forecast variances and communicate findings to relevant stakeholders.
• Build and maintain reporting tools to support planning team processes and decision-making.
• Monitor pricing and product positioning across the marketplace and recommend adjustments as needed.
• Support monthly and seasonal inventory management activities.
• Manage product lifecycles, including seasonal closeout processes and aging inventory.
• Present financial plans, forecasts, business results, and action plans to managers and cross-functional partners.
• Collaborate with merchandising, planning, and business teams to ensure alignment and consistency of reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3–5 years of relevant merchandise planning, retail planning, inventory management, or related experience.
• Previous experience in a retail environment is strongly preferred.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, ideally at an advanced or high-intermediate level.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and develop actionable recommendations.
• Experience working with planning systems and the ability to learn new software quickly.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present insights to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent organization skills and the ability to manage information from multiple sources.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and drive projects toward clear outcomes in ambiguous situations.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to collaborate across teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in apparel, merchandising, retail planning, or inventory management.
• Experience with SQL, Snowflake, Tableau, or Power BI.
• Experience presenting financial information and recommendations to leadership.