Director, Merchandising Planning

Universal Music Group, Inc.

Director of Merchandise Planning at UMG, overseeing global merchandise planning and financial performance. Collaborating with Finance and Merchandising to ensure disciplined planning and performance management.

Posted 4/29/2026full-timePhiladelphia • California, New York, Pennsylvania • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $99,000 - $150,000 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Tableau

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Establish scalable planning frameworks that improve forecast accuracy and drive revenue and margin performance.
Enable data-driven merchandising decisions through reporting, insights, and financial analysis.
Serve as a key partner to Finance and Merchandising, ensuring alignment on targets, risks, and opportunities.
Bring structure and visibility to the merchandising business through consistent processes and performance tracking.
Partner with the VP of Product Merchandising and Finance to develop revenue forecasts, margin targets, and financial plans across artists and channels.
Own and manage forecasting processes, including Open-to-Buy planning, demand forecasting, and scenario modeling.
Monitor performance against plan, identifying risks and opportunities and driving corrective actions.
Support long-range planning and budgeting processes.
Partner with Merchandising to ensure line plans are grounded in financial targets and performance expectations.
Analyze assortment productivity, pricing architecture, and margin performance across categories and channels.
Build and maintain standardized reporting frameworks and dashboards across DTC, retail, international, and tour channels.
Track and communicate key performance indicators (KPIs), including revenue, margin, sell-through, and inventory health.
Collaborate with Supply Chain, Production, and Retail teams to align inventory, demand planning, and financial expectations.

Requirements

What you’ll need

8–12+ years of experience in merchandise planning, financial planning, or analytics within retail, fashion, consumer products, or entertainment.
Strong financial acumen, including forecasting, margin analysis, and inventory planning.
Experience working closely with merchandising and finance teams in a cross-functional environment.
Advanced analytical skills with proficiency in Excel and data tools (e.g., Tableau, Looker, or similar).
Ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights.
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
Experience building or improving planning processes and systems.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
Including 100% coverage for out-patient in-network mental health services
Fertility coverage for eligible medical plan participants
Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and so much more (up to $720/year)
Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement
401(k) with 100% immediate vesting on the first 5% of your contributions, plus an additional UMG contribution
A variety of ways to prioritize much-needed time away from work including:
Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees
3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees
2-weeks paid Winter Break
10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day)
Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day)
Generous paid parental leave for every type of parent

ATS Keywords

✓ Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

forecastingmargin analysisinventory planningdemand forecastingscenario modelingfinancial analysisassortment productivity analysispricing architecture analysisperformance trackingreporting frameworks

Soft Skills

financial acumenanalytical skillscommunication skillsstakeholder managementcross-functional collaborationprocess improvementdata translationinsight generation