We are seeking a Lead Direct Assortment Planner to develop comprehensive end-to-end merchandise plans that align with business goals, profitability, and consumer-centric offerings. This role involves creating pre-season style-color plans in collaboration with cross-functional teams and driving in-season optimization through robust forecasting and strategic planning. The successful candidate will ensure the seasonal buy is aligned with retail sales, inventory, and market expectations, including door, flow, and size specificity.

Responsibilities:

• Seasonal and Monthly Planning:
  Develop seasonal merchandise plans and monthly forecasts, inclusive of sales, margins, and inventory at the style-color level using advanced analytics. Own bottom-up forecasts to inform manufacturing decisions and drive in-season optimization strategies.

• Buying and Inventory Management:
  Deliver seasonal buy plans aligned with retail sales, inventory, and market expectations. Partner with marketplace teams to manage product lifecycle, aging inventory, and closeout processes, maximizing consumer demand and marketplace objectives.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  Collaborate with stakeholders in Merch Planning, Merch Financial Planning, Consumer Merchandising, Marketplace Merchandising, and Finance to establish a rolling forecast grounded in sales, inventory, and margin metrics. Partner globally and regionally to optimize business health throughout the product lifecycle.

• Data-Driven Insights:
  Analyze business performance against forecasts, identify actionable insights, and report on variances weekly with associated action plans and risk/opportunity assessments.

• Responsive Offerings:
  Actively manage responsive offerings to meet consumer and marketplace demands, ensuring alignment with overarching business strategies.

Required Qualifications:

• Proven experience in assortment planning and an understanding of financial, product, and inventory planning.
• Expertise in leveraging statistical forecasting and data science to enhance decision-making pre- and in-season.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a demonstrated ability to develop plans that balance trade-offs and drive optimal outcomes.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and communicate effectively using data-driven insights.
• Critical thinking skills to evaluate style performance in the marketplace and quantify gaps to financial plans.
• Understanding of current consumer and marketplace trends.

The target hiring compensation range for this role is $45 to $50 hourly. Compensation is based on several factors including, but not limited to education, relevant work experience, relevant certifications, and location.

About Aquent Talent:

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world’s biggest brands.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. We also offer free online training through Aquent Gymnasium. More information on our awesome benefits! 

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We’re about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.