Merchandise Planner 2

**Job Title: Merchandise Planner 2 (Senior Assortment Planner) Location: On-site Beaverton OR | Work from Home on Fridays Duration: 12 Months Contract** Job Summary We are seeking a Merchandise Planner 2 (Senior Assortment Planner) to drive end-to-end merchandise planning strategies. This role partners closely with Merchandising and Enterprise Business Planning teams to deliver consumer-centric assortments grounded in profitability, productivity, and financial targets. The ideal candidate will manage planning from seasonal strategy through in-season optimization , leveraging data, retail math, and cross-functional collaboration. Key Responsibilities Develop seasonal buy plans and monthly forecasts (sales, margin, inventory at style-color level) Own and manage Open-to-Buy (OTB) planning and bottoms-up forecasting Drive in-season optimization through weekly business analysis and forecasting Present financial plans in seasonal and monthly OTB meetings Partner cross-functionally with Merchandising, Planning, Allocation, and Marketing teams Analyze weekly business performance and provide actionable insights (risks & opportunities) Lead inventory planning and management using data and analytics tools Support product lifecycle planning and execution Required Qualifications (Must-Have) Bachelor’s Degree (preferred) 2–4 years of experience in merchandise planning / retail planning Strong Excel skills (advanced level preferred – pivot tables, VLOOKUP, data analysis) Solid understanding of retail math & Open-to-Buy (OTB) management Experience working in a cross-functional / matrix environment General understanding of retail operations Preferred / Nice-to-Have Skills Experience presenting to senior leadership Background in financial planning or financial management Strong stakeholder management and communication skills Experience influencing cross-functional teams Soft Skills Ability to work in ambiguous and fast-paced environments Strong collaboration and communication skills Flexible and adaptable mindset Ability to drive meaningful cross-functional conversations Team & Environment Direct team size: 6–7 members Extensive collaboration with Sport Planning Merchandising Allocation Planning Marketing / Brand Teams