Senior Merchandise Planner

• Drives and owns ollaborating in the development of brand, division and category level pre-season, item-level sales and margin plans that align with Duluth's financial goals and open-to-buy targets


• Leads monthly OTB financial plans at division and category level by season, month and week. This includes the tops down and bottoms up reconciliation of brand, category and subcategory to ensure brands and categories ladder up to total coporate financial targets.


• Proactively monitors and tracks changes to sales and OTB levels and reports on the risk / impact to merchandising strategies and key KPIs / provides solutions to get categories and brands back on track to hit key KPIs.


• Strong financial acumen with ability to analyzes and identify selling trends, taking action to maximize selling potential and minimize risk to sales, inventory and profitability.


• Oversees monthly forecast review cadence by reforecasting in season and aligning with merchant and inventory partners on sales, margin, markdowns, receipts, and inventory related actions.


• Owns preparation and presentation for key business reporting meetings such as weekly sales meetings, early commit meetings and business reviews. This includes the ability to clearly articulate the why behind the numbers and key actions to hit seasonal KPIs.


• Proactively seeks out subject matter experts to continue to learn and grow and takes action on feedback.


• Acts as a champion of change management and process improvement through implements new tools, ideas and ways of thinking to create team efficiencies.


• Leads in-season product appearances based on inventory availability and needs - which includes promotional recommendations and markdown strategy and execution. Owns communication of risk and opportunities.


• Analyze historical and current trends to identify risks or opportunities and drives strategies with cross-functional leaders to increase sales and achieve business and financial objectives.


• Assumes responsibility for planning data accuracy and proactively troubleshoots with partners to reconcile when necessary.


• Partners with merchandising and inventory on color and size mix % and uses historical selling analysis to help determine appropriate mix.


• Ability to build strong relationships by providing solutions, solving problems and acting with a sense of urgency.


• Define new process / SOPs and facilitates trainings and round backs to ensure the team is successful and new tools were properly implemented across all planning teams.


• Lead, recommend, train and implement process changes for the planning team.


• Embraces, leads and promotes new tools, systems and processes that ladder to corporate growth initiatives.


• Team leader that develops direct reports through fostering collaborative, candid and constructive relationships.


• Proactively provides cross functional partners with ad hoc reports and business recommendations based on data driven findings and facts.


• Hire, mentor, and develop direct reports through clear / actionable goals. Able to identify direct report skill gaps and communication and facilitate training needs.


• Ability to identify and develop internal and external talent.

• 4 Year Degree and/or minimum 5 years of inventory management and/or inventory planning/forecasting experience
  
  
  • Equivalent work experience would be considered
  
  
  
  


• 7+ years Merchandise Planning experience including 3+ years of experience leading teams and developing direct reports in a planning role


• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage strategy and execution for multiple business areas with a high degree of complexity and change


• Experience transitioning from legacy systems and processes to best-in-class merchandise planning practices


• Demonstrated success leading teams to significant profitable growth stories through analysis, vision, partnership, cross-functional leadership, execution and measurement


• Extensive experience in combination of enterprise planning, financial, forecasting, analytical, data management, demand systems including JDA/Blue Yonder.


• Advanced capabilities in Excel, Microsoft Office Suite and BI software such as Microstrategy, Essbase, PowerBI or equivalent


• Exceptional influence, negotiating and collaboration skills


• Excellent communicator, both written and verbal with emphasis on communicating retail financial concepts and metrics


• Strong financial, business and relational acumen


• Strong organization, process management and workload prioritization skills for self and others


• Ability to concisely summarize complex issues and lead cross-functional solutioning


• Managing for Results - Produces sustainable results consistently. Holds team accountable. Recognizes and resolves complex problems. Understands underlying issues and addresses root causes. Measures, analyzes quantitative information, and presents it effectively. Seeks input from others. Makes timely decisions.