Analysis Skills, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Business Plan, Communication Skills, Conferences, Cross-Functional, DOMO, Decision Support, Demand Forecasting/Planning, Detail Oriented, Financial Analysis, Financial Operations, Financial Planning, Forecasting, Gaming, Inventory Management, Inventory Planning, Leadership, Operational Support, Performance Management, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Pricing, Problem Solving Skills, Process Improvement, Procurement Planning, Product Strategy, Product Support, Reporting Skills, Retail, Risk, Sales, Sports, Sportsbook, Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), Team Player, Trend Analysis
Role Overview
The Planner is responsible for owning category-level business performance through thoughtful pre-season planning, in-season management, open-to-buy, and SKU-level planning. This role partners closely with the product team to align inventory, assortment, and financial plans with customer demand and seasonal trends. The ideal candidate is highly analytical, detail-oriented, and exceptionally comfortable in Excel, with a track record of building tools, improving reporting, and turning data into clear action.
How you will make an impact:
- Own category-level performance across sales, margin, inventory, receipts, and open-to-buy, ensuring plans support financial and operational goals.
- Build and maintain pre-season plans and SKU-level plans that reflect business goals, seasonality, and product strategies.
- Manage in-season performance through weekly forecasting, business recaps, and plan adjustments based on sales trends, inventory position, and risk/opportunity.
- Partner closely with the product team to support assortment decisions, launch timing, and inventory investments.
- Analyze category and SKU performance and develop actionable recommendations to improve sell-through, inventory productivity, and margin.
- Perform ad hoc analysis to answer business questions, identify trends, and support decision-making across the organization.
- Build and maintain Excel-based tools, templates, and reporting models to support planning and business management.
- Create reporting that improves visibility into performance, seasonality, risks, and opportunities; Domo experience is preferred for reporting and visualization support.
- Support markdown, pricing, and inventory actions in partnership with cross-functional teams.
- Present clear, concise insights and recommendations to the Director of Planning and other key stakeholders.
What you bring to the team:
- Experience with pre-season planning, in-season management, open-to-buy, and SKU-level planning.
- Deep understanding of seasonality, demand trends, and inventory management.
- Comfort working closely with product, buying, and other cross-functional teams.
- Experience with ad hoc analysis, forecasting, recapping, and translating data into action.
- Familiarity with markdowns, pricing, and margin optimization.
- Reporting and visualization experience preferred; Domo experience is a plus.
- 3-5 years of experience in merchandise planning, retail planning, inventory management, or a related analytical function.
- A bachelor's degree is required.
- Highly proficient in Excel with experience building tools, models, and reporting frameworks from scratch or improving existing ones.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with excellent attention to detail.
- Comfort evaluating and applying AI-enabled solutions to streamline planning workflows and enhance productivity.
- Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence without direct authority.
At Fanatics, we value transparency and honesty. If you don't meet every single requirement, that's okay - we still want to hear from you! We believe in the power of diverse experiences and talents. If you're excited about the role and confident that you can contribute, don't hesitate to apply. We're genuinely interested in how your unique skills and perspective can help us build something amazing together.
Where You'll Work and What's required:
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities and shifting business needs.
- Collaboration with cross-functional teams, including product and planning partners.
What's in it for you:
- Culture: Join a team where analytical thinking, collaboration, and ownership are valued every day.
- Growth: Opportunity to own a meaningful category business and shape planning processes, tools, and reporting.
- Impact: Work closely with leadership and cross-functional partners to influence business outcomes and improve decision-making.
Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally.