Merchandise Planner

24 Seven Talent; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

24 Seven Talent is seeking a Merchandise Planner to develop and execute merchandise plans that support business goals. The role oversees pre-season and in-season open-to-buy management, monitoring sales performance, inventory flow, and trends to provide actionable insights.

The candidate will create and manage open-to-buy plans, analyze forecast accuracy, and partner with cross-functional teams to optimize receipts and inventory. Strong Excel skills and 2+ years in retail planning are required.

Qualifications

• Strong analytical skills and retail math understanding.
• Experience with forecasting, budgeting, and reporting.
• Ability to analyze large data sets and build insights.
• Experience building reports and business analysis tools.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration.
• Proficiency in Excel with lookups and pivot tables.
• Minimum 2 years in merchandise planning or related retail roles.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Create and manage open-to-buy plans to support business goals.
• Monitor inventory performance, sales trends, and forecast accuracy.
• Analyze business results and recommend actions to address risks and opportunities.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to support receipt planning and inventory flow.
• Develop seasonal plans across product categories and key classifications.
• Provide guidance around markdowns, inventory strategy, and overall planning decisions.
• Review performance regularly and adjust plans as needed

Skills

Analytical skills

Retail math

Forecasting

Excel

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Inventory planning

Data interpretation

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Excel

Job description

About the Role: The Merchandise Planner is responsible for developing and executing merchandise plans that support overall business goals. This includes both pre-season planning and in-season open-to-buy management. The role focuses on monitoring sales performance, inventory flow, and key business trends to provide insights and recommendations that help optimize inventory and drive results.

Responsibilities

• Create and manage open-to-buy plans to support business goals
• Monitor inventory performance, sales trends, and forecast accuracy
• Analyze business results and recommend actions to address risks and opportunities
• Partner with cross-functional teams to support receipt planning and inventory flow
• Develop seasonal plans across product categories and key classifications
• Provide guidance around markdowns, inventory strategy, and overall planning decisions
• Review performance regularly and adjust plans as needed

Qualification

• Strong analytical skills and understanding of retail math
• Experience with financial metrics, inventory planning, and forecasting
• Ability to compile, analyze, and interpret large sets of data
• Experience building reports, models, and business analysis tools
• Strong communication and organizational skills
• Comfort working cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency in Excel, including formulas, lookups, and pivot table
• At least 2 years of relevant experience in merchandise planning, inventory management, buying, or finance within a retail environment
• Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent experience