Strategic Merchandise Planner - Inventory & Forecasting

Emploive; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Backcountry is seeking a Merchandise Planner to own open-to-buy plans, demand forecasting, and inventory optimization across multiple product categories. You will partner with Merchandising teams to drive sales, margin, and inventory turn goals while delivering actionable insights to leadership.

Within your first six months, you will own the planning cadence for your division(s), lead Open-to-Buy reviews with senior leadership, and establish yourself as the go‑to analytical partner for your

Qualifications

• 3+ years in assortment, demand, or merchandise planning, incl. 2+ years in retail ecommerce.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience is required.
• Strong retail math and analytical/problem-solving ability.
• Advanced Excel skills with pivot tables and lookups; quick to learn new tools.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills for diverse audiences.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and manage cross-functional relationships.
• Adaptive to changing priorities and fast-paced environments.
• Daily use of AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT) for analysis and decision making.

Responsibilities

• Develop merchandise plans aligned with goals, targets, and market trends across multiple categories.
• Lead Open-to-Buy meetings and monthly reviews with senior leadership.
• Forecast demand using historical data and market insights to drive inventory and replenishment strategies.
• Monitor inventory, sell-through, and optimize turnover while minimizing stock-outs/overstock.
• Conduct regular financial analysis of sales, margins, and product profitability; provide actionable recommendations to management.
• Own the financial success of divisions by meeting sales, margin, and inventory targets.
• Ensure reporting deliverables are accurate and standardized.
• Identify opportunities to maximize sales with data-driven recommendations.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Retail ecommerce experience

Analytical skills

Excel proficiency

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

JDA

Oracle

SAP

Anaplan

Job description

Backcountry is seeking a Merchandise Planner to own open-to-buy plans, demand forecasting, and inventory optimization across multiple product categories. You will partner with Merchandising teams to drive sales, margin, and inventory turn goals while delivering actionable insights to leadership.

Within your first six months, you will own the planning cadence for your division(s), lead Open-to-Buy reviews with senior leadership, and establish yourself as the go‑to analytical partner for your