Merchandise Planning Manager
Cottonwood Heights, UT
Backcountry – Planning /
Full Time /
Hybrid
At Backcountry, our mission is to connect people to their passions. Our four online stores—Backcountry, Competitive Cyclist, MotoSport and, SteepandCheap—aim to supply our customers with the gear, knowledge, and inspiration necessary to get out there and chase down life’s greatest moments. We do this by providing the biggest and best assortment of premium outdoor products, superior shopping experience, personalized Gearhead expertise, lightning-fast and accurate fulfillment, and inspirational, informative, and community-centered content.
The Merchandise Planning Manager leads the strategic planning and execution of merchandise strategies across multiple product categories, ensuring alignment with company goals and market trends. The role manages a team of planners, drives cross-functional collaboration, and is accountable for forecasting, inventory optimization, and financial analysis to maximize sales and profitability.
This role is challenging – above and beyond the day-to-day responsibilities, you’ll have a big role within a fast-paced team.
This position will report into the Director Pricing & Analytics.
What you get to do every day:
- Strategic Merchandise Planning: Develop and execute merchandise plans that align with company goals, sales targets, and market trends across multiple product categories and divisions.
- Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of planners, fostering a culture of accountability, growth, and high performance.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Buying, Marketing, and Operations teams to align on strategies, inventory management, and promotional initiatives.
- Open-to-Buy & Executive Reviews: Lead Open-to-Buy (OTB) meetings and monthly business reviews with senior leadership, providing clear, actionable insights and recommendations.
- Demand Forecasting: Utilize historical data, market trends, and customer insights to accurately forecast sales, inventory needs, and replenishment strategies.
- Inventory Optimization: Monitor and manage inventory levels, analyze sell-through rates, and recommend actions to optimize sales, inventory turnover, and minimize stock-outs or overstock situations.
- Financial Analysis & Reporting: Conduct regular analysis of sales, margin, and product profitability. Identify opportunities and risks, and present actionable recommendations to senior management.
- Ensure structured reporting deliverables are met, evaluate reports for accuracy and efficiency, and champion best practices in planning processes.
- Proactively identify opportunities to maximize sales and margin potential, looking beyond day-to-day operations.
- Perform additional responsibilities as assigned to support business objectives.
What you bring to the role:
- 8+ years of merchandise planning experience, including at least 3 years in ecommerce and 2+ years managing a team.
- Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills; strong retail math and financial analysis capabilities.
- Proven ability to lead, develop, and motivate teams; experience in succession planning and talent development.
- Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to influence and communicate effectively across all levels and functions.
- Exceptional verbal, written, and presentation skills; able to translate complex data into actionable business insights.
- Flexible, able to manage multiple priorities, and perform well under pressure.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills; strong aptitude for learning new technical applications and planning systems.
- Experience with demand planning, allocation, forecasting, and data management systems preferred.
- Openness to using AI tools and automation to enhance planning processes and decision-making.
What’s in it for you? Joining Backcountry isn’t just about having a seat at the table—it’s about helping redesign the table entirely. You’ll be challenged, stretched, and supported as you grow faster than you thought possible. In addition to competitive compensation, we offer:
- Executive Access: Work directly with brand CEOs and senior leadership, solving real business problems and earning mentorship from top operators.
- AI-First Skill Building: Get hands-on with the most advanced AI tools in the market. From automation to prompt engineering, you’ll build a modern tech stack that sets you apart in any industry.
- Accelerated Career Path: High performers are quickly entrusted with greater responsibility, new challenges, and leadership opportunities across our portfolio of brands.
- Competitive benefits: Paid time off policies, 401(k)/RRSP match, medical/dental/vision and a variety of supplemental policies, and employee discounts at our portfolio companies
What our interview process looks like:
- 📞Step 1: If you align with our vision and meet the qualifications, we’ll reach out to schedule a conversation and introduce Backcountry.
- 🧠Step 2: You’ll complete a short AI or product-building challenge so we can understand how you approach problems and execution.
- 💬Step 3: Participate in deep-dive interviews with Backcountry leadership focused on your experience, product mindset, and operational thinking.
- 📩Step 4: Offer. We’ll move fast for the right candidate.
For US-based candidates, this posting is intended for candidates that reside in the following states:
AZ, DE, FL, GA, IN, LA, MI, MS, MO, NV, NC, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI, and WY.
Our preference is for candidates who reside near our hubs in Northwest Indiana, Austin, Texas, and Toronto, Ontario.
Washington state applicants only: If you believe that this job posting does not comply with applicable Washington state law, please notify us by sending an email to WACandidates@cscshared.com.
The CSC family of brands provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial, state or local laws.
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie-detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
The CSC family of brands is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact hrbenefits@cscshared.com.
