Senior Merchandise Planner

MillerKnoll

22d

About The Position

At Design Within Reach, home comes first. We believe in creating and sourcing pieces that move with you and are meant to be enjoyed over a lifetime – from home to home, generation to generation. For us, that means exceptionally crafted, built-to-last, and beautifully designed furnishings. Our purpose is design for the good of humankind. It’s the ideal we strive toward each day in everything we do. Being a part of Design Within Reach means being a part of something larger than your work team, or even your brand. We are redefining modern for the 21st century. And our success allows Design Within Reach to support causes that align with our values, so we can build a more sustainable, equitable, and beautiful future for everyone. About the Role: We are seeking a Senior Merchandise Planner to join our corporate Planning team. In this role, you will take ownership of driving financial strategies for your product categories, optimizing inventory, and influencing cross-functional decisions to maximize sales and margin. You will serve as a key strategic partner to Merchandising and other teams, while mentoring junior planners and contributing to process improvements.

Requirements

5+ years of retail planning or inventory management experience, with a proven track record of driving financial results.
Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with advanced proficiency in forecasting and financial modeling.
Ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams, with excellent communication and presentation skills.
Leadership qualities, with experience mentoring and guiding team members.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
Passion for optimizing sales, margin, and inventory, with a customer-first mindset.
High sense of ownership, accountability, and ability to work independently
Advanced Excel skills and experience navigating robust ERP and reporting tools

Responsibilities

Own financial planning strategy for assigned categories, including pre-season and in-season plans that align with company objectives and merchant vision.
Develop and present advanced merchandise plans leveraging historical data, trend analysis, and predictive modeling to deliver accurate forecasts.
Lead cross-functional collaboration with Merchandising, Digital, Marketing, and Operations to ensure alignment on assortment, pricing, and promotional strategies.
Drive in-season business decisions by analyzing sales trends, recommending pricing actions, and managing chase inventory strategies to maximize profitability.
Optimize inventory flow and capacity through strategic core item buys and creative problem-solving to minimize risk and improve turn.
Identify margin improvement opportunities via pricing strategies and liquidation plans.
Champion process improvements by leading initiatives tied to new planning tools
Mentor and guide junior planners, providing training and support to elevate team capabilities.
Communicate confidently and influence decisions during OTB and Line Plan presentations, backed by strong analytical insights.
Lead special projects such as forecasting for new product launches, template development, and system enhancements.
Lead inventory management for complex categories in collaboration with cross-functional teams to ensure accuracy and alignment with business goals
Build and maintain strong relationships with cross-functional partners to drive alignment and results.