Director Merchandise Planning and Operations

About the position

The Director Merchandise Planning and Operations is responsible for the financial plans and business analysis of New Balance's footwear, apparel and accessories products globally. This role will leverage consumer insights, multi-year business goals, product cost, shipping & supply chain expenses, marketing results, product demand while understanding all inputs, drawing conclusions and providing future facing recommendations that deliver on business goals aligned to brand strategy. This individual will understand market, industry, and competitive trends, as well as consumer interests from a merchandising lens. This role is responsible for leading the developing strategic category financial plans and mapping it to on the ground seasonal execution aligned to the brand's vision and market priorities globally across 5 regions. The role will also be tasked to connect the long-range plans to category & key franchise plans and develop simulations that connect the strategy to execution at channel, store format and major account level considering key performance KPIs especially Sell in, Sell through and Inventory scenarios. This requires collaboration with various teams, including Merchandising, Product, Finance, Operations, Consumer Insights, Marketing and Planning functions, to create and manage financial plans, forecast, buy and inventory strategies, and sales forecasts focused on key business segments. The position requires strong leadership skills and the ability to interpret data to drive business decisions that drive growth and proactively meet consumer demand and interests.

Responsibilities

• Manage merchandise planning for footwear, apparel and accessories with the responsibility for financial plans inclusive of annual, quarterly and monthly budgets
• Design and implement the planning strategy to ensure the right mix of products and assortments are available at the right time for consumers in each region
• Build and reforecast product financial models at the SKU level, incorporating current market conditions and historical sales performance to develop strategic financial targets, support supply planning, and aid in sales execution in the marketplace
• Collaborates with the 5 regional merchandising leaders to understand upcoming activities paired with expert level historical and trend analysis to develop plans that are best for the company and consumer
• Lead planners and analysts through their product plans and ensure consistent direction across the business
• Provide analysis on category and model trends, and consumer patterns vs Budget
• Look at the business holistically, synthesize the data and provide insight and recommendations to the merchants and business teams
• Partner with merchants, site and supply chain teams on developing solutions to drive the business
• Partner with consumer analytics teams to correlate data points and provide meaningful insight that will improve both the consumer experience and the financials
• Set optimal planning process and calendar that enables teams to complete best analysis and operate effectively cross-functionally
• Build strategies around identified risks and opportunities in the business
• Lead the team to build bottom-up inventory views of status across regions that supports development of Assortment plans by channel or store format for relevant (future) seasons

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree and minimum 10 years of relevant experience in merchandising planning, buying & inventory/supply chain
• Financial, analytical and retail math acumen
• Proficient PC skills, including MS Office Suite and advanced Excel skills
• Aptitude to analyze discrete data to identify trends, issues and opportunities
• Ability to demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Understanding of both merchant and site analytics along with the ability to synthesize and provide insights from the data
• Must be organized and comfortable leading peers and senior leadership through progress and setting expectations on objectives
• Demonstrate strong problem-solving skills and financial analytical insights
• Experience in the footwear/apparel/sports industries, merchandising digital commerce, or retail experience is a plus
• Strong analytical skills: they will be comfortable operating large data sets to drive deep insights, actionable takeaways and improvements

Benefits

• Comprehensive traditional benefits package including three options for medical insurance, dental, vision, life insurance and 401K
• Opportunities for online learning and development courses
• Tuition reimbursement
• $100 monthly student loan support
• Various mentorship programs
• Yearly $1,000 lifestyle reimbursement
• 4 weeks of vacations
• 12 holidays
• Generous parental leave
• Flexible Work Schedule with hybrid model
• Work from Anywhere (WFA) for four weeks per calendar year