WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

This role is part of the Nike Japan Planning team and reports to the Director of Sales Planning. It collaborates closely with the Marketplace Unit and receives seasonal guidance from Sporting Goods Business Planner during pre-season, transitioning to Marketplace Supply Chain (MSC) before the season begins. This role partners with Operations to confirm deliveries, Inventory Operations to assess excess or short inventory, and the Nike Value Stores (NVS) marketplace planning team for liquidation strategies. Additionally, the Territory Merchandising team & Sales serve as key partners for initiating depth planning for each season.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Nike seeks a leader who will drive pre-season depth planning and manage in-season and post-season activities for the Sporting Goods business. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong leadership to enable Nike Japan’s growth and act as an objective partner to Marketplace Unit (MPU) teams, ensuring clear, fact-based business decisions. This individual understands product, marketplace dynamics, insights, and marketing strategies to inform demand and inventory forecasts. They collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to identify risks and opportunities and foster an end-to-end process improvement mindset to optimize workflows.

Nike values leaders who embrace and lead change, acts with courage, value differences, thinks strategically and cultivate innovation.

• Minimum 6 years of experience in Buying, Planning, Allocation and/or Vendor Sales for a multi-store retailer or Assortment Planning experience with apparel/footwear wholesale organizations.
• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field.
• Comprehensive understanding of retail math, including gross margin profitability planning.
• Strong ability to communicate and influence effectively.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel (spreadsheets, advanced formulas, pivot table).
• Strong oral and written communication skills in both Japanese and in English.
• Experience analyzing customers, competitors and retail trends; knowledge of sports apparel and footwear market preferred.

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

You will lead and influence alignment on seasonal assortment plans for Sporting Goods, leveraging your expertise in consumer behavior, trends, and marketing activities.

• Provide detailed seasonal analysis based on actual sales results to inform future seasonal financial planning.
• Develop seasonal assortment plans at style-color level (and Key Franchise) for footwear, apparel, and equipment to maximize revenue, margin, and optimize inventory.
• Partner with Account Executives to negotiate with partners, ensuring adoption of suggested assortment plans and timely, accurate order entry.
• Communicate weekly sales results, highlighting positive and negative trends and proposing actionable plans.
• Create and manage monthly Stock & Sales Plan for key franchises, providing inventory outlooks to guide buying decisions.
• Manage product offer end-date extensions, return applications, and stock transfers.