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 planning, demand forecasting, and inventory management across product categories. As Merchandise Planner, you will partner closely with the Merchandising team to build comprehensive merchandise plans, manage inventory levels, and deliver margin and pricing recommendations that directly impact the financial health of your division(s).

Within your first six months, you will have full ownership of your division's open-to-buy process, be leading monthly reviews with senior leadership, and be delivering data-driven recommendations that optimize sales, margin, and inventory turn.

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 that align with company goals, sales targets, and market trends across multiple product categories

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

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

Monitor inventory levels, analyze sell-through rates, and recommend actions to optimize on-order quantities, minimize stock-outs, and reduce overstock

Conduct regular financial analysis of sales performance, margin trends, and product profitability—identify opportunities and risks, and present actionable recommendations

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

Ensure structured reporting deliverables are met, evaluating reports for accuracy, performance efficiency, and standardized best practices

Proactively identify opportunities beyond day-to-day operations to maximize sales potential and drive incremental growth

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 numbers and retail math

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

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

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

Ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships across peers and cross-functional teams, and influence critical stakeholders

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

Preferred Qualifications

Softgoods 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: You will partner directly with Merchandising, Finance, and senior leadership—your analysis and recommendations will shape buying decisions and financial outcomes across entire product divisions.

AI-First Skill Building: Get hands-on with the most advanced AI tools in the market. From automation to prompt engineering, you will build a modern analytical toolkit that sets you apart in any industry.

End-to-End Ownership: You will own the open-to-buy process and financial performance of your division(s), with the autonomy to drive real results and the accountability that comes with it.

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 30-minute conversation with our recruiting team to align on the role, your background, and what you are looking for.
2. AI / Problem-Solving Challenge - A short take-home exercise so we can understand how you approach problems and execution.
3. Hiring Manager Interview - Conversation with the Planning Manager focused on your planning experience, analytical approach, and cross-functional collaboration style.
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.