Lead Merchandising Planner

Harley-Davidson•Milwaukee, WI

1d•$104,100 - $155,900•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Merchandising Planner is a high-impact, strategic planning role responsible for driving category performance and enterprise planning discipline across Motor Clothes & Licensing. The role operates with a P&L mindset, translating long-range strategy into actionable category, financial, and inventory plans that drive sustainable growth, margin expansion, and inventory health. As a key integrator across Product, Commercial, and Operations, this role ensures alignment between strategy, demand, and execution.

Requirements

Proven experience in category or portfolio planning, including SKU productivity and assortment management
Experience supporting long-range and annual planning processes, translating strategy into actionable financial and inventory plans
Strong understanding of retail P&L drivers, with the ability to connect planning decisions (Buys, pricing, SKU count) into measurable financial outcomes (revenue, margin, inventory productivity)
Advanced analytical capability, including Excel and BI/reporting tools with the ability to synthesize complex data sets into clear, actionable insights
Demonstrated ability to operate cross-functionally and influence decisions without direct authority in complex environments
Strong communication and leadership skills with ability to challenge assumptions, drive alignment and make decisions through ambiguous environments
Results-oriented mindset with a track record of owning business outcomes and delivering measurable performance improvements

Nice To Haves

Experience partnering closely with Commercial/Sales organizations on market planning and target setting
Exposure to open-to-buy processes, inventory management strategies and supply/demand balancing
Demonstrated capabilities in product lifecycle management or assortment architecture optimization

Responsibilities

Support development of 3–5 year category and channel strategies aligned to enterprise and motorcycle growth objectives
Translate strategic targets into category-level revenue, margin, and portfolio plans (SKU count, productivity, lifecycle)
Ensure product portfolios are sized appropriately to meet financial targets
Partner with Commercial teams to establish data-driven targets by region and category
Lead top-down and bottom-up reconciliation process to ensure aligned, realistic growth targets
Challenge assumptions to avoid under-targeting and ensure credible plans
Define SKU productivity targets and assortment architecture
Implement lifecycle management strategies (core vs seasonal, refresh cadence, exit criteria)
Monitor performance (sales, margins, inventory, and sell-through) to drive real-time decisions on buys, cancellations, and reallocations
Partner with Supply Chain to align inventory flow with demand signals
Evaluate replenishment forecasts and strategy against MOQ constraints to ensure inventory turn targets
Serve as a key integrator across Merchandising, Commercial, Finance, Design, and Supply Chain
Drive alignment between product strategy, market demand and operational execution
Lead collaborative planning sessions (MBR, Open to Buy, etc.) focused on clear decisions and accountability
Promote P&L mindset and reinforce KPI driven performance management and planning discipline
Drive continuous improvements of planning processes, tools and reporting