Associate Planner

Express•Columbus, OH

12h

About The Position

The Associate Planner, in partnership with the Merchant/Planner / Sr. Planner is responsible for developing and translating department pre-season category strategies into executable merchandise and item plans. Provides financial strategies for sales, inventory, markdowns, and margin at a tops down and bottoms up level. Responsible for reconciling the financial and assortment plans and proactively making adjustments based on risks and opportunities.

Requirements

3-5 years of planning or equivalent experience
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
Proven analytical skills and financial acumen
Retail math expertise to drive business
Advanced Knowledge of Excel & Planning Systems
Organized and attentive to detail
Resourceful and solution oriented
Demonstrated leadership skills
Ability to work well in team environment
Able to communicate to all levels with a clear, concise point of view

Responsibilities

Provide pre-season choice count and inventory recommendations that support department strategies
Build class and choice level plans for all planning metrics which support the topside financial plans and the aligned upon choice counts
Determine depth, breath and flow strategy of all inventory by location/channel, with the intention of maximizing sales and sell-through prior to markdown
Be the financial and business expert through knowledge of current and future trends in the business/industry and be able to create innovative and efficient solutions to business opportunities and risks
Mine and analyze data to create customer centric recommendations and strategies
Lead plan review discussions to ensure that the company’s financial objectives are being met
Use consumer insights and data combined with structured tests to identify and maximize growth opportunities.
Consistently generate insights that lead to team actions to improve business metrics; influencing pricing, promotions, product assortment in real time
Identify process opportunities to create efficiencies in the business and be a key partner to the planning team to implement changes in a timely manner
Demonstrate strong leadership skills and initiative to work independently and in cross functional teams
Must have excellent written and oral communication skills to all levels of the organization; demonstrate communication and presentation skills, especially to corporate Senior Management
Ability to be flexible, multi-task, and prioritize under tight deadlines