Senior Retail Planner, Accessories & Merch

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Retail Planner, Accessories & Merch based in the United States.

This role offers the opportunity to shape the financial and inventory strategy for a fast-growing retail accessories business. You will own planning, forecasting, allocation, and merchandising decisions across a diverse, high-volume product portfolio. The position combines analytical expertise, commercial strategy, and cross-functional partnership to maximize sales and profitability. You will act as a strategic partner to buying teams, using data and customer insights to guide assortment decisions. This is a high-impact opportunity for a retail planning professional who thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment. You will influence product lifecycle strategies, optimize inventory performance, and help ensure customers have access to the right products at the right locations. The ideal candidate will bring strong retail expertise, financial discipline, and a passion for turning insights into action.

Accountabilities:: The Senior Retail Planner will own the financial, inventory, and allocation strategy for a broad accessories and merchandise category. This role will drive business performance through data-driven planning, forecasting, assortment optimization, and close collaboration with buying and retail teams.

Build and manage annual, seasonal, and monthly financial plans, including sales, margin, receipt, and inventory forecasts.

Develop open-to-buy strategies and ensure alignment between financial targets, merchandising priorities, and inventory investments.

Analyze trends, customer behavior, and performance data to identify growth opportunities and improve category profitability.

Partner with buyers to influence assortment planning, SKU introductions, product exits, vendor discussions, and lifecycle strategies.

Develop allocation strategies that ensure the right products reach the right locations based on demand signals, store profiles, and customer demographics.

Create store segmentation models and optimize replenishment processes to maintain strong in-stock levels while minimizing excess inventory.

Monitor inventory health, identify risks related to aging or slow-moving products, and recommend markdown or reallocation strategies.

Lead business reviews by translating complex reporting into clear recommendations for leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.

Conduct post-launch and promotional performance analysis to identify learnings and improve future planning decisions.

Support the development of scalable inventory management processes and operational improvements.

Requirements:

The ideal candidate is an experienced retail planning professional with strong analytical capabilities, financial expertise, and the ability to influence strategic decisions through data. They should be comfortable managing complex product categories, collaborating across teams, and operating in a dynamic retail environment.

5–8+ years of experience in retail planning, allocation, merchandise strategy, or a related field.

Experience managing high-SKU, high-velocity retail categories such as consumer products, convenience, accessories, or similar industries.

Advanced Excel skills and experience with retail planning, forecasting, or inventory management systems.

Strong understanding of retail financial concepts including open-to-buy, margin, inventory turns, sell-through, and forecasting.

Proven ability to use analytics and insights to influence buying decisions and business strategies.

Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with buyers, operations teams, and leadership.

Highly organized, self-directed, and capable of managing priorities independently in a fast-paced environment.

Strong problem-solving skills, sound judgment, and attention to detail when handling business-critical information.

Professionalism, integrity, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities.

Must meet applicable industry compliance requirements, including required background checks and regulatory approvals.

Must be at least 21 years of age and possess a valid driver’s license.

Benefits:

Competitive annual salary range of $80,000–$110,000 USD, based on experience, qualifications, and location.

Potential eligibility for a discretionary annual incentive program based on company and individual performance.

Opportunity to work in a high-growth retail environment with significant ownership and impact.

Strategic role collaborating with merchandising, buying, operations, and leadership teams.

Career growth opportunities within a rapidly evolving organization.

Access to company benefits and programs designed to support employee well-being and professional development.

How Jobgether works: We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team. We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!  Why Apply Through Jobgether?    Data Privacy Notice: By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Jobgether will process your personal data to evaluate your candidacy and share relevant information with the hiring employer. This processing is based on legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR). You may exercise your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection) at any time.     #LI-CL1