Associate Merchandise Planner at Backcountry

Our mission is to connect people to their passions. Our four online stores—Backcountry, Competitive Cyclist, MotoSportand, SteepandCheap—aim to supply our customers with the gear, knowledge, and inspiration necessary to get out there and chase down life’s greatest moments. We do this by providing the biggest and best assortment of premium outdoor products, superior shopping experience, personalized Gearhead expertise, lightning-fast and accurate fulfillment, and inspirational, informative, and community-centered content.

The Associate Merchandise Planner role requires excellent analytical skills, retail or ecommerce business experience, and the ability to work well alone and with a team. The Associate Merchandise Planner works with the Planning and Buying team and is responsible for managing a category financial plan including pre-season and in-season forecasting, assortment planning, item planning, margin analysis and inventory control for our business. This role is challenging – above and beyond the day-to-day responsibilities, you’ll have a big role within a fast-paced team.

This position will report into the Director of Planning.

What you get to do every day:

• Develop and oversee category financial plans, ensuring success by achieving key metrics such as sales, margins, inventory turnover, and receipts.
• Analyze business performance by comparing actual results to plans, identifying variances, and assessing deviations from current trends.
• Provide weekly, monthly, and seasonal forecasts for sales and inventory at the department, class, brand, style, and color levels.
• Collaborate with the Buying team to shape assortment strategies, including brand and key item projections, style count, depth, and sizing for preseason purchasing.
• Monitor Open-to-Buy on a weekly basis with planning and buying teams, making timely and accurate re-projections to optimize inventory management.
• Work with buyers on weekly reorders and cuts to ensure effective inventory management and maximize sales potential.
• Generate and deliver regular reports, including Weekly Snapshot, Best/Worst Sellers, Receipt Flow, and Brand Recaps.
• Perform additional duties as required.

What you bring to the role:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field with 1-3 years of retail experience and strong understanding of retail math.
• Proven analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with peers and cross-functional teams.
• Adaptable and flexible in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to prioritize and manage workload under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, with a demonstrated ability to quickly learn new technical applications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in retail allocation, buying, planning, or related analytical fields is highly preferred.
• Self-driven and motivated, with a proactive approach to taking initiative.

What’s in it for you?

• Generous Paid Time Off or Flex Time Off Policy; Adventure Leave
• 401k Matching
• Paid maternity and paternity leave
• FSA
• Disability and Life, Dental and Medical Insurance
• Mental Health Support
• Pet Insurance
• Pet-Friendly Office
• Substantial Company Discount

What our interview process looks like:

Depending on the position, our application and interview process may vary, but here are some of the ways we get to know you better:

• ?? Step 1

  Match most of the requirements and qualifications for the position? We want to chat. A recruiter will reach out to you via email to schedule some time to learn more about our company and get to know you better. Remember, you’re also interviewing us!

  
  

• ?? Step 2: Our assessments (if applicable to the role) measure your analytical and business acumen. We use them to better understand your expertise. Each person interviewing for the same role receives the same assessment, which helps us evaluate candidates equally and consistently.
• ???????Step 3

  Virtual or in-person interviews depending on your location. Our hiring team will learn more about your prior experience and challenges you’ve faced. Be prepared with detailed examples. Concise and well-organized answers are ideal.

  
  

• ??? Step 4

  Offer! This is where things get really exciting. We gather all data from your interviews and conduct a final review. If qualified for the position, your recruiter will connect with you via phone to present a verbal offer we know you’ll be excited about.

  
  

CSC Generation Holdings family of brands provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial, state or local laws.

CSC Generation Holdings family of brands is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact hrbenefits@cscshared.com.