Merchandise Planner - Retail Apparel & Footwear (Womens Fashion)

Location: Sydney, Australia (Remote) Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm Remuneration: US$280 pw, paid each Friday About the Role We're looking for a commercially minded Merchandise Planner to join our Planning team. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys turning data into action, working closely with Buying, Retail Operations and Logistics to maximise sales, margin and inventory productivity. You'll play a key role in planning product assortments, forecasting demand, managing inventory investment, and ensuring the right product is in the right place at the right time. Key Responsibilities Merchandise Planning - Develop and manage merchandise financial plans across sales, margin, stock and intake. - Produce monthly forecasts and reforecasts, identifying risks and opportunities. - Manage Open-to-Buy (OTB) to support business sales and inventory targets. - Analyse performance at department, category and subcategory level. - Recommend buying depth, assortment and product mix based on customer demand and commercial performance. Inventory & In-Season Trading - Monitor inventory productivity and optimise stock investment. - Recommend actions to pull forward or defer intake based on trading. - Drive size curve recommendations by brand, category and store. - Plan and execute store distribution strategies. - Identify opportunities to improve sell-through and reduce excess inventory. - Manage replenishment, allocations and store transfers where required. Product Lifecycle Management - Maintain visibility of inventory throughout the product lifecycle. - Monitor product performance from launch through markdown. - Develop and execute markdown and promotional pricing strategies. - Manage full-price and markdown stock consolidations. - Identify underperforming products and recommend corrective actions. - Ensure purchase orders are received accurately and managed through to completion. Forecasting & Reporting - Produce weekly and monthly trading reports. - Present insights and recommendations to key stakeholders. - Monitor core product forecasts and update plans regularly. - Analyse store capacity and support inventory planning by location. Collaboration - Partner closely with Buying, Retail Operations, Logistics and Warehouse teams. - Build strong relationships across the business. - Contribute to process improvements and planning initiatives. - Support new store openings through assortment planning. About You You'll be analytical, commercially curious and comfortable making decisions using data. You'll ideally have: - 2+ years' experience in Merchandise Planning within retail. - Strong commercial acumen and understanding of retail financial metrics. - Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. - Advanced Microsoft Excel skills. - Experience with merchandise planning systems (AP21, Oracle, SAP, JDA, Blue Yonder or similar is advantageous). - Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills. - Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities. - A proactive mindset with a continuous improvement approach. What You'll Bring - Strong understanding of sales, margin, inventory and forecasting. - Ability to interpret data and translate it into commercial actions. - High attention to detail. - Confidence presenting recommendations to stakeholders. - A collaborative, team-first approach. - Self-motivation and the ability to work effectively in a remote environment. What We Offer - Fully remote role based in Sydney. - Opportunity to work with an experienced Planning team. - Exposure to a fast-paced retail environment. - Ongoing development and career progression opportunities. - Supportive, collaborative team culture.