Merchandise Planner

Are you a data-driven strategist passionate about optimizing product flow and maximizing profitability in a dynamic retail environment? Aquent is partnering with a leading global retailer known for its iconic brand and extensive reach across digital and physical channels. This is an exceptional opportunity to make a significant impact by ensuring the right products are available to customers worldwide, directly influencing sales and operational efficiency.

About the Opportunity

We are seeking a talented Merchandise Planner to drive growth across both digital and store channels within an international retail landscape. In this pivotal role, you will be instrumental in shaping sales and profitability through expert planning, precise forecasting, and strategic inventory management. You will collaborate closely with merchandising, digital, and supply chain teams, ensuring seamless product availability and contributing directly to the company's global success and customer satisfaction.

What You'll Do

• Develop and manage comprehensive sales and inventory plans for digital and/or store channels, driving strategic growth.
• Conduct in-depth business performance analysis to identify emerging trends, potential risks, and lucrative opportunities.
• Formulate effective assortment strategies and tiering recommendations to maximize sales and market penetration.
• Support critical product launches, refine assortment planning, and contribute to pricing and markdown strategies.
• Provide actionable insights for monthly and seasonal planning processes, guiding key business decisions.
• Ensure the accuracy of product data, launch timelines, and assortment attributes across all relevant systems.
• Oversee and optimize inventory levels across distribution centers and various sales channels.
• Monitor inbound receipts and proactively adjust plans to maintain optimal stock levels and prevent disruptions.
• Strategically manage inventory flow to minimize markdowns and maximize sell-through rates.
• Collaborate with allocation, forecasting, and logistics teams to develop robust stock balancing and deployment strategies.
• Generate volume projections and inventory insights to support comprehensive operational planning.
• Foster strong partnerships with merchandising, digital, and supply chain teams to align on overarching business goals.
• Effectively communicate complex insights and recommendations to stakeholders at all organizational levels.
• Provide essential ad hoc analysis and reporting to support various organizational needs.

What You'll Bring

Required Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in merchandise planning, inventory planning, demand forecasting, or retail analytics.
• Exceptional analytical skills with a proven ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable business recommendations.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, lookups, and data modeling.
• Demonstrated experience managing sales forecasts, inventory levels, and making in-season adjustments.
• Solid understanding of key retail KPIs such such as sell-through, weeks of supply, inventory turns, and margin.
• Proven ability to effectively manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, essential for cross-functional teamwork.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in eCommerce or omnichannel retail environments.
• Familiarity with business intelligence tools (e.g., MicroStrategy, Tableau, Power BI, or similar).
• Background in apparel, fashion, or broader consumer retail.
• Exposure to international markets or global business operations.
• Experience with allocation, deployment, or supply chain planning.

Why Join Our Team

• Seize the opportunity to directly influence global retail performance through data-driven decisions.
• Thrive in a collaborative, cross-functional environment where your contributions have a significant business impact.
• Engage in a fast-paced role offering extensive exposure to end-to-end product and inventory strategy.
• Discover ample room for career growth within planning, analytics, and broader retail operations.

About Aquent Talent:

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world's biggest brands.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. We also offer free online training through Aquent Gymnasium. More information on our awesome benefits!

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We're about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.