Merchandise Planner

Huk Gear•Charleston, SC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Merchandise Planner, you’ll own the story behind our inventory—connecting numbers, trends, and real-world demand to make sure the right product lands in the right place at the right time. You’ll drive planning across our DTC business (ecommerce and retail), building demand forecasts, managing inventory flow, and partnering across teams to keep the business moving forward. This role is equal parts strategy and execution. You’ll zoom out to see the full picture, then dive into the details that make it all work.

Requirements

3+ years of apparel (or another high sku category) merchandise planning experience involving sales and inventory planning, sales forecasting, and OTB
Must have experience in demand planning and using a demand planning tool
4-year college degree or equivalent work experience
Outstanding critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
A deep understanding of how to use data to drive decisions.
Demonstrated experience gathering and manipulating data to answer questions and solve problems.
Advanced Excel skills including the ability to work with large data sets.
Strong organizational and time management skills; able to effectively manage multiple priorities.
Ability to collaborate effectively with and manage execution across multiple teams.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Comfort with ambiguity and passion/excitement for building new tools and processes.

Responsibilities

Build and manage demand forecasts using historical data, trend analysis, and in-season performance
Develop seasonal buy plans that align with revenue, margin, and inventory targets
Continuously refine forecasts based on business trends, product performance, and market shifts
Document, validate, and evolve key forecasting assumptions, incorporating inputs from cross-functional partners
Own inventory levels across assigned categories, balancing availability, turnover, and profitability
Ensure core and evergreen styles remain in stock through proactive planning and forecasting
Identify risks of excess or shortage early and take action to course correct
Manage and maintain open-to-buy for assigned categories
Evaluate performance against plan and recommend adjustments to maximize inventory productivity
Partner with Finance to ensure alignment with financial targets and budgets
Analyze sales, inventory, and ecommerce performance data to uncover actionable insights
Translate complex data into clear recommendations that drive business decisions
Leverage advanced Excel skills to manipulate data, build models, and support decision-making
Oversee purchase order timing and ensure alignment with production schedules
Monitor production order due dates to ensure POs are submitted accurately and on time
Track inbound shipments and manage ETA accuracy to support launches and key business moments
Proactively recommend expedited shipping or adjustments when timing risks impact sales or launches
Coordinate allocation of incoming inventory across ecommerce and retail channels
Make recommendations on reorders, transfers, and markdown strategies
Support pricing and promotional decisions to optimize sell-through and margin
Manage inventory through all stages of the product lifecycle
Partner with Sales, Design, Marketing, Finance, and Operations to align on forecasts and strategies
Communicate risks, opportunities, and key assumptions clearly across teams
Align inventory plans with marketing campaigns, product launches, and key promotional events
Analyze weekly, monthly, and seasonal performance against plan
Adjust forecasts and strategies based on performance insights and changing business conditions
Identify variances and adjust forecasts and strategies accordingly
Assist in developing allocation strategies for retail locations
Ensure inventory is distributed effectively to support store-level performance
Monitor store performance and adjust allocation strategies as needed