The Merchandise Planner oversees the development and execution of the product plans from merchandise planning through the merchandise allocation stage. This individual should effectively exhibit JD Finish Line’s core values of Customer, People, Winning, Community, and Financial Responsibility in everything they do while performing the following main duties:

Manage the development of annual, seasonal, monthly and weekly merchandise plans in cost of goods and units
Manage weekly markdown forecasts by collaborating with buyers to agree on SKUs and price points
Develop and communicate comprehensive department financial and product strategies
Develop pre-season plans and recommend purchase/investment quantities and develop accurate receipt flow forecasts
Analyze historic performance and planned strategies to identify areas of opportunity or risk
Develop, maintain and update tools, reports, etc. to support the needs of the business
Manage product allocations to ensure right stock, right place, right quantities, right stores, right time
Actively participate in assortment development and review, providing data and analysis to support decision-making
Collaborate on best strategies to address product liabilities and develop action plans to liquidate in a timely and profitable manner such as cancels, RTVs, and markdown
Provide periodic reporting on business performance
Evaluate financial and business indicators and translate data into actionable information to drive results
Build constructive and effective relationships with a broad and diverse group of business partners
Identify and articulate the processes necessary to accomplish tasks efficiently and align resources effectively
Anticipate risks and identify contingency plans and processes to prevent disruptions when risks occur
Additional duties and projects as required

Required Education and/or Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail, or Finance from a four-year college or university; at least 3-5 years’ merchandise allocation experience and/or Financial/Product Planning experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Internal JD Finish Line experience strongly preferred.

Required Computer and/or Technical Skills

Should have basic knowledge and abilities with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint and intermediate abilities with Microsoft Excel.

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