Associate Merchandise Planner

February 10, 2026

Other Jobs To Apply

Our values start with our people, join a team that values you!

Bring your talents to Ross, our leading off-price retail chain with over 2,200 stores, and a strong track record of success and growth. Our focus has always been bringing our customers a constant stream of high-quality brands and on-trend merchandise at extraordinary savings. All while providing a fun and exciting treasure hunt experience.
As part of our team, you will experience:

Success. Our winning team pursues excellence while learning and evolving
Career growth. We develop industry leading talent because Ross grows when our people grow
Teamwork. We work together to solve the hard problems and find the right solution
Our commitment to Diversity, Equality & Inclusion, and our community. We celebrate the backgrounds, identities, and ideas of those who work and shop with us because our differences make us stronger. We strive to be a positive force in our community.

Our Corporate headquarters are in Dublin, CA, we have 3 buying offices in key markets in New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston, and 8 distribution centers nationwide. With 2023 revenues of $20.4 billion, we are a Fortune 500 company who is committed to providing an inclusive work environment with continuous learning opportunities and development for our teams.

About this opportunity...

The Associate Merchandise Planner is responsible for responsible for planning, trending revisions, and OTB control from the classification level to the division level. Associate Planner will develop pre-season class plans to support business initiatives. Associate Planner partners with the Buying, Location Planning teams and Planning Management to identify business opportunities/risks to sales/margin and make recommendations to capitalize on growth opportunities and mitigate risks.

The base salary range for this role is $80,000 - $88,000. The base salary range is dependent on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, qualifications, relevant education, certifications, seniority, and location. The range listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees. Other rewards vary by position and location.

What you will do and what you will learn...

Responsible for developing seasonal business plans through partnership with buying group and analysis of historical data to forecast trends
Build and manage In-Season and Pre-Season chain plans at the class level. Develop In-Season forecasting of chain plans
Monitor monthly performance to sales, inventory and margin targets and recommend strategic changes based on analysis
Analyze business performance and weekly open to buy (OTB) to identify opportunities and risks to drive performance
Identify Early Warning Callouts and recommend courses of action to drive profitable sales and margin.
Perform independent analysis as needed to identify opportunities
Collaborate closely and build trust among cross-functional partners to drive desired results
Present and call out risks/opportunities to Management and Senior Merchants

What you need to be successful...

Strong communication skills: You can "read the situation" you actively listen, ask clarifying questions, confidently share your point of view, and demonstrate the ability to build relationships.
Flexibility: You can pivot and are adaptable, and receptive to feedback.
Results Driven: You are tenacious, and achievement focused. You can prioritize your work and deliver it with accuracy.
Intellectually curious: You can analyze and draw conclusions, are a critical thinker, and see the big picture.
Resilient: You are persistent and persuasive. You stay focused on your goals and finding creative solutions to problems.
Highly proficient in Excel and knowledge of planning systems, Arthur Planning is strongly desirable.
Analytical Mindset: Driving a business depends on strong analytical, conceptual, and retail math skills.
Bachelor's Degree required and a minimum of two years retail merchandise planning experience and a minimum of one year experience managing OTB is preferred

Perks and Benefits of joining our team...

Our Associates are at the heart of everything we do and we're proud to offer a range of benefits that reflect how much we value their contributions. Here's a peek into what you can expect as an eligible Ross Associate:

A broad range of affordable health insurance options & personal medical plan concierge
401(k) with employer match and Life insurance
Ample PTO including accrued vacation, paid holidays, diversity day, summer Fridays and the ability to purchase additional vacation.
Employee stock purchase plan
Access to health and wellness benefits such as BetterHelp and Headspace
Charitable donations matched by Ross Stores Foundation
And more....

*benefits vary by level and position and are subject to change

#LI-JW3

Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...