Planner, Mens Apparel

Now that you’ve found the job description, what’s next?

Vans is the original brand rooted in the authentic lifestyle of skateboarding. We are driven by our mission to inspire and empower everyone to live “Off The Wall” – embracing the youthful spirit of freedom, non-conformity, and relentless progression. Yesterday’s “Off The Wall” moment is today’s new normal, and at Vans, we believe in constantly outdoing ourselves. Together with our communities across the globe, our vision is to push culture forward because we believe that the pursuit of progression never ends. We are constantly inspired by the future generation of positive catalysts within our community.  

So, before we get to the job details, take a minute to learn a little more about us – our values and our culture. If you can see yourself working side-by-side with a team of people who think and live “Off the Wall,” Vans just may be the place for you.

To learn more about our values and our culture, visit Vans Careers or www.vans.com.

What will you do?

A day in the life of a Global Brand Planner at Vans looks a little like this.

We are seeking a seasoned and strategic planner to help create and scale our end-to-end merchandise planning processes across global markets. Focused on one of our global footwear, apparel and accessories lines, this high-impact role will be instrumental in driving sales, margin, and inventory optimization while aligning with the company’s strategic goals and providing financial framework to our product organization. Global Planning will be a new capability organizationally, so this individual will not only take part in the establishment of this function, but will broadly educate cross-functional partners on how Planning will enable aspects of their function.

Reporting directly to the Director of Global Planning, this role will keep the Vans business on track to achieve financial objectives by aligning regional & global plans, and ensuring product availability meets demand. Key responsibilities include creating bottoms-up product level plans that ladder into the merchandise financial plan (MFP), maintaining forward-looking perspective on consumer demand, collaborating on strategic assortments that drive profitability, and optimizing inventory.

Let’s break down that day-in-the-life a bit more.

• OTB & financial expertise – Develop  global merch financial plans that align with brand objectives across all key markets to drive sustainable growth. Manages assortment adoption and quantification in partnership with global merch.
• Line architecture – Support pre-season SCO planning with Senior Planners, Support global merch in building line architecture and strategies that align with global brand strategies and meets the needs of consumer demand and margin targets.
• Demand Planning – Maintain, consolidate, and analyze demand forecasts and SKO forecasts across all markets to ensure alignment with global brand strategies at critical milestones.
• In-season management – Analyze inventory and sell-through across regions, recommending product introductions & exits to Senior Planners to maximize profitability and minimize excess stock.
• Seasonal hind-sighting – develop global reporting across all regions to track demand trends across DTC stores/e-commerce, wholesale, and partners. Provide insights to the Senior and Global Merchandising teams  to help inform future assortment planning and product life cycle.
• Global Market Alignment - Adapt global strategies to meet unique needs of individual markets, balancing global consistency and local relevance. Monitor market trend, competitor activity, and customer behavior to inform planning decisions.
• Data-Driven decision marketing - Utilize advanced analytics and market data to inform planning decisions and identify growth opportunities. Establish KPIs to monitor performance across sales, margin, and inventory levels. Continuously refine forecasting models to improve accuracy and agility.
• Cross Functional Partnerships – Works with global merchandising, regional planning, regional merchandising, finance, and supply chain teams to ensure alignment across all facets of the business to drive brand success.

What do you need to succeed?

We all have unique skills that we bring to work and celebrate every day. For this role, there are foundation skills you’ll need to succeed and excel. Additionally, while formal education in a related field is great to have, we are most interested in your 3-5 years of experience and professional achievements in Merchandise Planning, Buying, Demand Planning or Financial Planning.

The foundation skills you will need in this position are:

• High degree of emotional intelligence & communication skills (needed in order to foster a collaborative team environment, build strong relationships, and resolve disagreements with candor)
• Strategic vision (ability to articulate a clear, long-term strategy)

Crossfunctional Communication

• Strong Analytical skills with expertise in demand forecasting, inventory management, and financial modeling.
• Consumer insight and empathy (deep understanding of consumer needs, trends, and local cultural nuances)
• Understanding the tactics to drive revenue and profitability growth in a global, multi-channel retail environment
• Experience working with diverse markets with a strong understanding of regional differences in retail and consumer behavior.

There are also a few skills that are not required but preferred.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, or a related fields; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Experience with merchandise planning tools and technologies (eg: ERP, BI, or AI-driven analytics platforms)
• Strong background in digital commerce and omnichannel planning strategies.

What do we offer you?

At Vans, we know you expect as much from us as we do from you. That is why we make a commitment to support and grow our people. We offer extensive development and growth opportunities for your current and future positions, a competitive compensation package, and a strong benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and 401(k).

Our commitment extends beyond this and into your daily work life. We strive to foster a diverse and inclusive culture based on respect, connection, and authenticity. Our focus on DEI is at the foundation of who we are and what we do.

To learn more about Vans’ benefits package, follow this MyVFBenefits.com and click “Looking to Join VF”.

To learn more about Vans‘ Diversity and Inclusion efforts, go to www.vans.com.

Now WE have a question for YOU.

Are You In?

Hiring Range:

$73,440.00 USD - $91,800.00 USD annually

Incentive Potential: This position is eligible for additional compensation awards that may include an annual incentive plan, sales incentive, or commission potential. Specific details of the additional compensation eligibility for this position will be provided during the recruiting and interview process.

Benefits at VF Corporation: You can review a general overview of each benefit program offered, including this year's medical plan rates on www.MyVFbenefits.com  and by clicking Looking to Join VF? Detailed information on your benefits will be provided during the hiring process.

Please note, our hiring ranges are determined and built from market pay data. In determining the specific compensation for this position, we comply with all local, state, and federal laws.

At VF, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws.  If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at peopleservices@vfc.com. VF will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.

Pursuant to all applicable local Fair Chance Ordinance requirements, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, VF will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.