Integrated Merchandise Planning

Position : Integrated Merchandise Planning & Product Ops Specialist Who we are: Astral believes in living better through Nature. We create unique and necessary products that elevate your experience with Nature, made consciously to preserve the maximum amount of water and soil. Essentially, we are passionate athletes, artists, and craftspeople that love working together to benefit Nature. These are our Core Values: Think beyond profit. Always be honest. Focus on growth. Embrace Collaboration. Surprise + Delight. Be like Water. What you'll do: The Integrated Merchandise Planning & Product Ops Specialist owns key operational workflows that support Astral's seasonal and ongoing product needs—including demand planning, merchandising planning, purchasing, supply management, and upstream product operations. This role exists to build clean, repeatable, and automated processes that connect Product, Marketing, Sales, Finance, and Operations. You'll work closely with the COO as a key operational partner, helping ensure Astral has the right product, in the right quantities, at the right time—supported by strong systems and efficient cross-functional processes. Integrated Planning (Demand, Merchandising, and Supply) Execute the demand forecasting process for all channels (Wholesale, D2C, Drop Ship), both pre-season and in season. Partner with Sales, Product, and Marketing to build bottoms-up forecasts that align with top-down business goals. Own biweekly and monthly reporting on sales, inventory, sell-through, and category performance. Analyze trends, risks, and opportunities; provide recommendations to drive sales and reduce liability. Monitor site merchandising and recommend updates to improve sales performance. Deliver seasonal and annual post-season hindsight reporting. Analyze product returns and share insights with Product and Marketing teams. Own purchasing and supply planning for PoP, Logo, Accessories, and Apparel (non-footwear/pfd). Product Operations (Upstream Workflows) Own the SMS set up from an operational and system perspective. (from sku set up to PO placement and inbound tracking.) ead the collection and upload of new and existing SKU setup info to ensure on-time go-to-market execution internally and with retail partners. Manage product setup in Hubsoft, NetSuite, and other internal systems—including SKU creation, data entry, and attribution. Create and maintain seasonal Merchandise List, ensuring data integrity and accuracy. Ensure timely and coordinated handoffs across Product, Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Ops by leveraging product and commercial calendars. Contribute operational and other insights to support product development and merchandising decisions. Recommend tools and frameworks that streamline the product-to-market process. Systems, Automation & Process Ownership Develop deep expertise in NetSuite, Trello, and Google Workspace. Identify and implement automation opportunities to reduce manual work. Standardize templates, document SOPs, and support cross-team training as needed. Champion clean data, organized systems, and structured planning rhythms. Other Support the COO on cross-functional projects that improve company-wide efficiency. Serve as a flexible operational resource to back up teammates within the Operations team. Take on other duties as assigned. Who you are: Experience & Skills 2–5+ years in demand planning, merchandising, product operations, supply planning, or purchasing Experience with vendor communication and cross-functional project ownership Strong understanding of product lifecycles and go-to-market processes Advanced skills in Excel/Google Sheets; familiarity with ERP/planning systems (NetSuite a plus) Systems thinker who builds scalable, repeatable workflows Analytical and detail-oriented; comfortable owning processes end-to-end Traits & Behaviors Thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment Demonstrates initiative, follow-through, and accountability Adapts quickly and maintains composure in changing conditions Excellent communicator and active listener Collaborative team player who handles conflict professionally Creative problem-solver who brings new ideas to the table Customer-obsessed: anticipates and solves internal and external needs Emotionally intelligent and empathetic toward team members and partners Positive and productive even in the face of challenges