Merchandise & Inventory Planner

Department: Planning & Procurement

Reports To: Senior Planning Manager

Position Summary: The Inventory Planner supports buying and product planning across the product lifecycle, category management, trend forecasting, replenishment, and inventory performance improvement. This role analyzes consumer demand patterns, sales trends, stock levels, and SKU productivity to identify risks, opportunities, and recommended actions. Working closely with the Senior Planning Manager and cross-functional partners, this position translates product and financial insights into buying recommendations, inventory plans, and category-performance reporting. While inventory and product planning are the primary focus of this position. The role also maintains proficiency in core Assistant Planner processes to provide backup support when business needs require, while continuing to prioritize analytical planning, buying recommendations, and assortment performance. This cross-functional capability ensures business continuity, workload flexibility, and seamless support across the Planning team. The ideal candidate brings experience in buying, merchandise or product planning, demand planning, or inventory management and understands how product, sales, margin, and inventory decisions work together to drive profitable growth and strong customer service. Core Ownership Areas: Forecast maintenance Inventory analysis Monthly purchasing recommendations Safety stock management Re-order point management Backorder analysis Inventory reporting Inventory review meetings New item forecasting Out-of-stock reporting Inventory optimization projects Digital platform order review and inventory availability for Amazon and drop ship accounts Assist with product check-in

Education & Experience: Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent work experience may be considered. 1 to 3 years of experience in retail buying, demand planning, replenishment, inventory planning or related retail analysis preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Strong Excel skills required, including the ability to work with large data sets, formulas, pivot tables, lookups, and inventory reporting tools. Experience with Sage 100, Sage Inventory Advisor, ERP systems, or inventory management platforms is preferred. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret data and make actionable recommendations. Strong communication and organizational skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally with Planning, Sales, Product Development, Operations, and leadership. Ability to manage multiple priorities, organize work effectively, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment with changing business needs. Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams. Demonstrated ability to balance analytical inventory planning responsibilities with operational planning and purchasing support activities. Ability to learn and perform Assistant Planner responsibilities as needed to support team objectives and business continuity.

Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk, and hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or operate office equipment and computer systems. The employee may occasionally be required to stand, walk, reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, or lift and move materials weighing up to 25 pounds.

Work Location: In person (Mason, Ohio)