Fashion Assistant Merchandise Planner

Job Highlights

Contract: Independent Contractor

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm AEST (GMT +10)
• 40 hours per week
• Client Timezone: AEST (Australia)

Role Overview

Support pre-season buys and in-season demand planning to keep core & best sellers in stock while avoiding over-ordering. Own the day-to-day analytics, systems hygiene and replenishment actions that keep inventory healthy across channels.

Responsibilities

Forecasting & Demand Planning

• Build and maintain top-down & bottom-up forecasts by category/style/colour/size with a rolling 12-week view reflecting seasonality, timelines and marketing plans.
• Track Weeks of Cover (WOC), sell-through, SOH, on-order and backorders; highlight gaps vs. targets and propose actions.
• Monitor size curves by style/channel; recommend rebalances, short-size top-ups and future curve changes.
• Translate demand signals (sales velocity, waitlists, influencer/collab pushes) into reorder proposals and buy depth recommendations.
• Identify trends early (winners/losers) and surface clear recommendations.

Inventory & Replenishment (In-Season)

• Own Restocks & Buy Sheets; update 3x per week with latest sales, WOC, incoming ETAs and order decisions.
• Maintain replenishment triggers that consider vendor lead time + safety stock; prepare draft POs for approval.
• Track incoming stock against POs; reconcile ETAs/variances/splits; escalate risks or delays.
• Keep core & best sellers in stock; propose substitutes or range switches when MOQs or fabric constraints appear.
• Identify aged/slow movers; recommend markdowns, bundles or content pushes; ensure high-SOH styles are actively advertised (influencers/collabs).
• Work closely with Production to align WIP/ETAs so replenishment plans match reality.

Pre-Season Merchandise Planning

• Assist with Open-to-Buy (OTB) budgets by month/category/channel; model scenarios and intake margin impact.
• Build line/option counts, colour depth and size curve plans aligned to historicals and growth targets.
• Prepare buy packs for sign-off: volumes, delivery windows, initial allocations and margin.

Reporting, Insights & Governance

• Daily: sales & sell-through pulse; flag outs/near-outs; update trackers.
• Weekly: publish trend report (winners/losers, WOC exceptions, returns trends, action list).
• EOM: compile month-end pack with KPIs, range productivity and next-month plan; present improvement suggestions.
• Analyse returns by reason/size/style; feed fixes into product, content and size curves.
• Take minutes for planning/production WIPs; log actions and track to closure.

Data, Systems & Tooling

• Keep product data accurate across Cin7, Shopify, Style Arcade (and PIM if used): titles, tags, attributes, costs, barcodes, categories, size curves, go-live status.
• Maintain naming conventions and lifecycle statuses (incoming/active/clearance/archived).
• Update systems with product information & incoming stock numbers the same day changes occur; avoid “silent edits” by logging changes.
• Use ClickUp & Slack for task management, priorities and comms; uphold strong Google Drive hygiene.

Ways of Working

• Very analytical, detail-driven, data-literate; enjoys reporting and graphs.
• Understands how planning, production and e-comm systems interplay; comfortable chasing data to ground truth.
• Excellent English (written & verbal), clear and action-oriented.
• Proactive: brings options (not just data) and follows through.
• Keeps the team updated with production/WIP impacts to availability.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum of three 3 years’ experience working with fashion brands, specifically within merchandise and/or demand planning functions
• Previous experience in merchandise and demand planning within the fashion industry
• Experience working with global fashion brands (AU/UK/US exposure) is an advantage
• Advanced proficiency in Excel / Google Sheets, including pivot tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, SUMIFS, INDEX-MATCH, and basic scenario modelling
• Experience with preferred systems including Cin7, Shopify, and Style Arcade; task management using ClickUp and communication via Slack
• Strong commercial acumen with a demonstrated understanding of fashion trends, seasonality, and demand drivers

Independent Contractor Perks

• HMO Coverage for eligible locations
• Permanent work from home
• Immediate hiring

Please note that since this is a permanent work-from-home position and an “Independent Contractor” arrangement, the candidates must have their own computer and internet connection. They will handle their own benefits and taxes. The professional fees are on hourly rates and the rate depends on your performance in the application process.

Job ID: 43299146937