The Junior Merchandise Planner holds responsibility for assisting with the development and execution of the product plans from merchandise planning through the merchandise allocation stage. This role is a starting point on the planning team, inclusive of a development program in which the incumbent will learn all intricacies of planning with a senior level mentor and coach, with the ultimate goal of positioning this individual for upward growth in the Planning & Allocation department. This individual will effectively exhibit JD Finish Line’s core values of Customer, People, Winning, Community, and Financial Responsibility in everything they do by performing the following key duties:
- Assists with the development of annual, seasonal, monthly and weekly merchandise plans in cost of goods and units
- Executes weekly markdown forecasts by collaborating with buyers to agree on SKUs and price points
- Executes comprehensive department financial and product strategies
- Helps Planners 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
- Supports 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; 1-2 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 within Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite.
Core Competencies
- Communication Skills
- Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business information. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals/bets practices. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, vendors and employees.
- Decision Making and Problem Solving Skills
- Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables.
- Business and industry knowledge and acumen
- Business and educational aptitude to learn/acquire the knowledge needed to move into a Merchandise Planner role in 9-18 months
Physical Demands
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.
- Sit for more than 6 hours per shift
- Use hands to finger, handle and feel
- Reach with hands and arms
- Talk and/or hear
- Walk or move from one location to another
- Occasionally may need to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, or crouch
- Lift and/or move up to 10 pounds regularly and up to 50 pounds occasionally
- Punctuality and regular attendance consistent with the company’s policies are required for the position.
- Average work week is (40-50) hours, which can vary depending on business need.
- The work environment for this position is a moderately noisy office setting.
The company reserves the right to modify this job description with or without notice. Employees may be asked to perform additional duties outside of normal job scope on a temporary basis per company policy.