Merchandise Planning Manager (Full-Time Temporary Position)

Who We Are

We are Wildfang. We had grown tired of asking: Are real pockets revolutionary? Is it too much to ask for a button-up without boob gap? Why is the fashion industry still clinging to outdated gender norms that serve no one? In answering these questions, Wildfang was born. We’re on a mission to rethink gender norms and how they show up in fashion. We embrace our masculine, our feminine, and our everything in between. You can shop with us online or swing by our stores in PDX and LA. Women founded, mission-driven.

Who You Are

Wildfang is searching for a Merchandise Planning Manager with a style that's all their own! If you can rock the financial runway and weave together the threads of forecasting and planning, we want you to be our fashion-forward number cruncher. Imagine yourself as the head designer, crafting intricate financial plans that will strut us towards success. You'll be our trendsetter, nailing those sales targets with the finesse of a runway model. But that's not all—prepare to be a markdown detective, effortlessly turning over inventory like a seasoned thrifter, while keeping the cash flow runway flowing. So, if you're ready to make merchandise planning the hottest accessory in town and walk the financial runway with confidence, join our Wildfang fashion family and let's create financial magic together!

In this highly dynamic and fast-paced environment, the Merchandise Planning Manager will develop, execute, and communicate strategic merchandise financial plans that support the company’s financial sales, product, inventory and marketing objectives. This individual will drive top line financial plans to a department/category level. This individual is a key partner to the Senior Merchandise Manager, Growth/Marketing team, and the Finance team among other cross-functional leads and will be a significant player in the company’s success.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ad-hoc reporting requests
• Partner with the Director of Wholesale to provide insight and support assortment planning, allocating OTB and adjusting as new wholesale partners are added for 2024.
• Lead the seasonal kick-off buy process and pre-season planning as it relates to product purchases. Ensure that the buy supports the financial budget.
• Strategically manage the in-season business in order to maximize sales, margin realization, and inventory (tops down and bottoms up).
• Analyze current life-cycle planning and provide insight on how to better understand this and use it in strategic planning decision-making.
• Daily/weekly/monthly reporting as well as seasonal recaps.
• If applicable, generate recommended replenishment quantities based on historical selling, growth targets, seasonal trends, category level merchandising strategies and inventory objectives.
• Provide analysis on Macro promotions and share with Growth & Finance wins/opportunities to refine future promotional activity.
• Set Q2 2024 OTB targets and manage the monthly OTB flow based upon product & growth needs/marketing tiers; inventory turn, etc.
• Provide buying counterparts with high-level order quantity, size curve selling and life cycle guidance that will drive purchasing decisions for all new products
• Support retail team through continuous process improvement related to assortment planning, pricing, promotions, replenishments and category planning.
• For all evergreen products, manage sku-level sales forecasts and create and communicate receipt goals that support in-stock and turn objectives.
• Support Senior Merchandise Manager to review recommendations surrounding replenishment, markdowns, and length of product life.

Position Requirements/Qualifications

• Proven track record of success in a planning role with a strong understanding of planning and merchandising disciplines including gross margin, inventory optimization, pricing & promotions, and sales and distribution
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience which provides required knowledge, skills and abilities
• Must have the ability to interact with all levels of management and be able to aggressively manage deadlines and goals.
• 8-10 years of direct experience in planning, ideally in a multi-channel retail business and with brands that are recognized as industry leaders, with 2+ years of management experience preferred
• Advanced Excel skills, including being able to seamlessly write & combine formulas like SUMIFS, SUMPRODUCT, INDEX, MATCH, LOOKUP formulas, as well as knowing how to debug and audit them. Pivot tables and charting skills are needed.
• Ability to objectively interpret historical sales and inventory data and to extract meaningful themes that advise future business strategies
• Strong attention to detail, a solid analytic skill base, and the ability to communicate complex quantitative analysis to the business in a clear, precise and actionable manner
• Basic understanding of Retail Math and uses and structure of traditional OTB

Benefits

• Health, vision, dental insurance
• Mission based company + Certified Climate Neutral
• Remote work
• Clothing discount