Merchandise Planner

Adventure is our Culture. Join a team that celebrates a lifestyle as bold as the terrain we love. At Backcountry, we are rooted in adventure, recognition, and wellbeing on and off the mountain. We spotlight employee stories, celebrate milestones, and offer exclusive outdoor perks. Whether you are at HQ, in a retail store, or remote, you will be part of a team that thrives on energy, exploration, and connection.

Reports to: Planning Manager

Location: Cottonwood Heights, UT (Hybrid) or Remote

About the Role:

Backcountry is looking for a Merchandise Planner to own open-to-buy plans, demand forecasting, and inventory optimization across multiple product categories. As Merchandise Planner, you will partner closely with Merchandising teams to drive sales, margin, and inventory turn goals while delivering actionable insights to leadership.

Within your first six months, you will own the planning cadence for your division(s), lead Open-to-Buy reviews with senior leadership, and establish yourself as the go-to analytical partner for your merchandising counterparts.

This is a lean team. You will own a lot, move fast, and make decisions with full end-to-end responsibility.

What You'll Do:

Develop comprehensive merchandise plans aligned with company goals, sales targets, and market trends for multiple product categories

Own and lead Open-to-Buy meetings and monthly reviews with senior leadership

Forecast demand using historical data, market trends, and customer insights to drive inventory and replenishment strategies

Monitor inventory levels, analyze sell-through rates, and recommend actions to optimize inventory turnover while minimizing stock-outs and overstock

Conduct regular financial analysis of sales performance, margin trends, and product profitability, delivering actionable recommendations to management

Manage the financial success of your division(s) by meeting sales, margin, and inventory turn targets

Ensure structured reporting deliverables are accurate, efficient, and follow standardized best practices

Identify opportunities beyond day-to-day operations to maximize sales potential and surface them with clear, data-driven recommendations

Required Qualifications:

3+ years of assortment, demand, or merchandise planning experience, including 2+ years in a retail ecommerce environment

Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with exceptional aptitude for retail math

High proficiency with Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, vlookups, or beyond) and strong aptitude to learn new technical applications quickly

Exceptional communication and presentation skills—able to present complex information concisely to varied audiences

Ability to build and maintain strong cross-functional relationships and influence critical stakeholders

Flexible and adaptive to changing priorities; able to organize and prioritize workload under pressure

Demonstrated daily use of AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, or similar) for real work—you iterate on prompts, evaluate outputs critically, and know when AI is the right tool vs. when it is not

Preferred Qualifications:

Softgoods (apparel) planning experience

Experience planning a mixed-brand business

Knowledge of demand planning, allocation, and forecasting systems (e.g., JDA, Oracle, SAP, Anaplan)

Why Join:

The people who do best here are builders. They take ownership, move fast, and want to see the direct impact of their work.

Cross-Functional Impact: Your analysis and recommendations directly shape buying decisions, inventory strategy, and financial outcomes across product categories.

AI-First Skill Building: Build fluency with modern AI tools as part of your daily workflow, developing skills that accelerate your planning craft and your career.

Ownership: Own your division(s) end-to-end—from demand forecasting through financial review—with the autonomy to drive results.

Competitive Benefits: Paid time off policies, 401(k) match, medical/dental/vision and a variety of supplemental policies, and employee discounts across our portfolio of brands.

Interview Process:

1. Recruiter Screen - A 45-minute conversation with our recruiting team to align on the role, your background, and what you are looking for.
2. Hiring Manager Interview - Conversation with the Planning Manager focused on your planning experience, analytical approach, and how you partner with merchandising teams.
3. Take-Home Assignment - A short AI or problem-solving challenge so we can understand how you approach analysis and execution.
4. In-Person Interview - We'd like to meet you at our Salt Lake City office. Details and logistics will be arranged with your recruiter.
5. Reference Checks - Conducted in parallel with the final stages where possible.
6. Offer - We move quickly for the right candidate.

Interview process is subject to change. Any updates will be communicated promptly and clearly.

Please Note:

Part of our interview process is a mandatory in-person interview with someone on our team prior to an offer. Candidates that are unwilling or unable to meet for an in-person interview will be removed from consideration immediately.