About this opportunity
FOCO lists this Entry Level Merchandise Planner opportunity in piscataway, New Jersey. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.
Job description
About FOCO Team Beans/Forever Collectibles (FOCO) is a global leader in officially licensed sports and entertainment merchandise. FOCO proudly holds licenses across all major professional sports leagues, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, and NCAA, along with a growing portfolio of entertainment and character-based brands.
Our product portfolio spans apparel, accessories, footwear, home goods, collectibles, and novelty items—supported by a robust global supply chain and a fast-moving retail and eCommerce business. We create fan-focused products that connect people to the teams, players, and moments they love.
The Opportunity
FOCO is seeking an Associate Merchandise Planner - Licensed Consumer Products to support pre-season and in-season planning across assigned categories. This role is responsible for helping drive sales, margin, and inventory performance through forecasting, open-to-buy management, reporting, and business analysis.
You will partner closely with Buying, Planning, and cross-functional teams to identify risks and opportunities, recommend actions, and help ensure the business is positioned to maximize profitable growth. This is an ideal opportunity for an analytically strong planner who thrives in a fast-paced consumer products environment and enjoys turning data into action.
What You'll Do
Pre-Season & In-Season Planning
Build and maintain class-level and category-level sales, inventory, and margin plans
Support development of seasonal financial plans using historical performance, current trends, and business drivers
Update in-season forecasts based on performance, receipts, demand shifts, and changing business needs
Help align product and inventory plans to support launches, replenishment, and key selling periods
Open-to-Buy & Inventory Management
Manage weekly Open-to-Buy (OTB) for assigned areas
Monitor inventory flow, weeks of supply, and sell-through performance
Identify chase opportunities, inventory risks, and excess positions
Partner with Buying to recommend actions that improve inventory productivity and protect margin
Reporting, Analysis & Recommendations
Monitor business performance against sales, inventory, and margin targets
Highlight early warning signs and emerging trends through weekly and monthly analysis
Prepare recaps and recommendations for management and merchant partners
Use data to support decisions around receipts, reorders, pricing, markdowns, and assortment changes
Cross-Functional Partnership
Partner closely with Buying, Planning, Merchandising, and other cross-functional teams
Build trust through clear communication, strong follow-through, and actionable recommendations
Present risks and opportunities to management in a concise and commercially relevant way
Contribute to planning process improvements, tool enhancements, and reporting accuracy
? What You'll Bring
Required
Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Merchandising, Supply Chain, or related field
2+ years of experience in merchandise planning, inventory planning, allocation, buying support, or related analytical retail/eCommerce function
Strong Excel skills, including comfort with large data sets, formulas, pivots, and reporting
Strong analytical, quantitative, and retail math skills
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
Clear written and verbal communication skills
Preferred
Experience managing or supporting OTB
Experience in retail, eCommerce, apparel, collectibles, or licensed consumer products
Familiarity with planning systems
Experience with Financial ERP - Microsoft Dynamics GP and / or Business Central (BC)
Experience supporting seasonal and in-season forecasting
Strong understanding of sell-through, weeks of supply, margin, and inventory productivity metrics
Key Competencies
Forecasting and merchandise planning
OTB management
Inventory analysis
Retail math and margin analysis
Cross-functional collaboration
Problem-solving and commercial judgement
Adaptability and prioritization
Why FOCO?
Work on products tied to the biggest sports leagues and entertainment brands
Join a fast-growing business at the intersection of fandom, product, and commerce
Gain exposure across buying, planning, merchandising, and inventory strategy
Be part of a collaborative, entrepreneurial environment where ideas move quickly
Tryouts are open at FOCO!
If you're ready to grow your career in merchandise planning and help shape fan-focused assortments, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply now.
Worksite address
piscataway, NJ, 08854, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.