Associate Planner

Role Overview

The Associate Planner supports the Planning Team in crafting and implementing merchandise and assortment strategies for MaxMara and Weekend Stores and Concessions across North America. The focus is to meet company targets, boost sales and margins, while efficiently managing inventory. Close collaboration with the Retail team is essential to set sales goals, monitor in-season sales, and maintain organized, current project records to assess performance and achieve business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in full merchandise planning for MaxMara and Weekend Stores and Concessions, including budget template creation, historical data analysis, and buying plan development aligned with past trends and growth outlook.
• Collaborate with the Director of Planning and Buying Team to define optimal assortment by collection and department; track actual buys and adjust budgets as needed.
• Collect, structure, and analyze data supporting planning tasks using internal systems; perform in-depth historical sales and margin analysis at collection and department levels to identify growth and inventory opportunities.
• Produce reports, presentations, and documentation related to planning, sales, budgets, and goals; assist with ad hoc analyses for Department Heads, corporate visits, and monthly business reviews.
• Support the Division Head in daily functions and continuously acquire product knowledge.

Qualifications and Skills Required

• Preferred minimum of 2 years' experience in Planning, Buying, or Allocation roles.
• Background in fashion is advantageous but not mandatory.
• Bachelor’s degree preferably in merchandising, finance, business, or related disciplines.
• Exceptional computer skills with strong proficiency in Excel.
• Detail-oriented, highly organized, and analytical mindset.
• Solid understanding of retail mathematics including calculating sales, margins, and weeks of supply.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication abilities.
• Capable of working independently and collaboratively within a team.