The North Face: Merchandise Planner, Outlet Retail

Join the North Face Family

The North Face was built on a love for the outdoors and the desire to enable all types of exploration, for all people, from their backyards to the Himalayas. Over the last 50 years we've lived by our “true north,” the belief that exploration has the power to change us, to challenge us and to help us see the world from new perspectives. To help ignite a global movement of outdoor exploration, love for the natural world and an unwavering commitment to protect it, we welcome and encourage new participants to the outdoors. We extend our reach through support of non-profit organizations, establishing programs that connect participants with close-to-home recreation opportunities, and creating a connection with young leaders, inspiring them to explore and conserve.

As we enter our sixth decade, we pledge to:

• Empower exploration and the thrill of the unknown for as many people as possible.
• Protect the places where we live, play, and operate.
• Evolve the way we make our products by improving our environmental performance and social responsibility in the supply chain.

Merchandise Planner

The North Face Merchandise Planner will play an integral role in driving the success of our business by developing and implementing merchandise OTB and in-season assortment plans that maximize sales, gross profit, inventory turns, and sku productivity for specific categories. You will manage the OTB and collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure that inventory levels are optimized and aligned with market demand. This is an exciting opportunity for an analytical thinker with a deep understanding of the retail industry and passion for building consumer-centric strategies.

Key KPI’s:

• Sales
• Gross Margin
• POS Markdown
• Permanent Markdown
• BOP and EOP Inventory
• Sell-Thru
• Inventory Turn
• OTB and Historical Variance
• Sku Productivity

Responsibilities

• Build pre-season financial plans inclusive of sales, gross margin, POS markdown rate, and inventory at a weekly, monthly and category level that tie to the companies’ budgeted sales, gross margin, and inventory days goals.
• Analyze sku productivity and make recommendations on assortment breadth, depth, flow and mix to drive profitability.
• Build and analyze seasonal category size curves, considering presentation and consumer expectation, whilst delivering improved sell thrus.
• Manage demand signal for seasonal/fashion buys to ensure Supply Planning partners purchase intended sizes and quantities.
• Maintain OTB- forecast sales, gross margin, POS markdown rate, and inventory turn by week/month at a department/class level. Communicate business performance and actions required to stay on target during weekly business reviews and monthly OTB meetings.
• Quantify in-season risks and opportunities at the department, class, and style color size level making recommendations to improve sales and sell thru including markdown, promotional and exit strategies, as well as assortment adds and transfers-in.
• Develop and communicate weekly promotional strategies that align with financial objectives.
• Responsible for in-season analysis, hind sighting, and weekly business reporting.
• Partner with visual merchandising and allocation analysts to ensure that monthly floor sets and style/collection distributions are aligned with assortment strategy.

Requirements

• Years of Related Professional Experience: 3+ years (Direct-to-Consumer preferred) 2+ years experience in Merchandise or Assortment Planning
• A formal education and subsequent undergraduate/graduate degrees are nice to have, but we are most interested in your total experience and professional achievements.
• Retail Fundamentals & Business Acumen: Open-to-Buy, Inventory Management, Sales/Inventory forecasting

• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
• Flexibility and Agility – quickly understand, assess & problem solve
• Effective verbal communication skills, including meeting facilitation and presentations
• Advanced use of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
• System savvy with the ability to learn new systems/tools quickly

What’s in it For You

We’re in the business of unleashing human potential, driven by the ideas, energy and commitment of our people. That’s why we offer comprehensive benefits that encourage mental, physical and financial well-being for all VF associates. When it comes to benefits, we’re the total package. Go to MyVFBenefits.com and click on “Looking to Join VF?” to learn more.

Our Parent Company, VF Corporation

VF is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies connecting people to the lifesty