Merchandise Planning Costing Manager, Footwear

Who We Are:
At Brooks, we believe movement is the key to feeling more alive. That’s why we’re driven to create gear and experiences that take people to the place that makes them feel more alive — whether it’s a headspace, a feeling, or a finish line.  Everyone who works at Brooks is propelled by a company culture that sparks excitement, fuels collaboration, inspires creativity, and ignites innovation. Our brand values help bond us together and drive our success:  ·      Runner First We act in the best interest of the runner·       Word is Bond  We do what we say we’ll do ·       Champion Heart We give our all in everything we do·      There is no “I” in RunWe stay generous with our humanity ·       Keep MovingWe find ways to move every day, because joy is kinetic!  We welcome everyone from every walk of life looking to inspire others through the power of movement — because we’re all moving towards something. Let’s run there.   
Your Job:
The primary role of the Footwear Merchandise Planning Costing Manager is to manage and evolve Brooks’ Footwear Margin Strategy. In this role, you will be responsible for creating and maintaining margin and planning tools that streamline costing processes and support the execution of the Footwear product line plan. The Footwear Merchandise Planning Costing Manager must be familiar with margin/costing processes and have a proven track record of successful negotiations, the ability to influence key stakeholders, and strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.Reporting to the Director of Merchandise Planning – Footwear, you will play a critical role in aligning seasonal costing strategies with the broader Merchandise Financial Plan (MFP). Your work will include analyzing historical margin performance, developing seasonal product target FOBs, and go-in margin goals. You will also maintain and evolve the seasonal FOB matrix to support both short- and long-range planning.
As a key contributor to Brooks’ overall profitability, you will collaborate with cross-functional partners, including Product Line Management, Merchandising, Sourcing, Integrated Supply Planning, and Asia Costing Teams, to propose cost mitigation strategies and ensure alignment with company goals. You’ll also be responsible for developing reports, dashboards, and presentations that communicate insights to leadership and guide strategic decisions around product roadmaps, assortments, and pricing.
Ultimately, your work will help Brooks deliver premium, performance-driven products that meet the needs of runners everywhere, ensuring that every decision supports our mission to inspire everyone to run and be active. Your Responsibilities:

• Footwear Merchandise Planning Process

• Lead the development and biannual presentation of the Footwear 5-Year Go-In Margin Report, partnering with Footwear PLM, Merchandising, Market Supply Planning, Sourcing, and the Director of Merchandise Planning to identify long-term risks and opportunities.

• Own the seasonal execution and delivery of Go-In Margin Reports across key product development milestones ensuring alignment across cross-functional teams.

• Set seasonal target FOBs and margin goals for new styles, in alignment with seasonal margin objectives and company business goals.

• Conduct competitive margin and costing analysis, in collaboration with the Director of Merchandise Planning, to inform and evolve the Footwear Margin Strategy.

• Partner with Finance to analyze Footwear COGS and identify FOB trends, supporting the development of KPI indices that help leadership assess cost impacts and shape strategic decisions.

• Ensure data governance and seasonal alignment with the Merch Financial Plan (MFP) by working closely with the Costing Team throughout the development process.

• Performance Analysis & Reporting

• Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs), including seasonal costing assumptions, go-in margins (GIM), and product FOBs, to assess and communicate Footwear team performance.

• Develop and present detailed business performance reports to senior leadership, delivering actionable insights and recommendations that support continuous improvement, margin optimization, and inform pricing strategy and decisions across product assortments.

• Market Intelligence & Strategic Insights

• Continuously monitor market trends, competitor pricing strategies, and financial performance to identify opportunities that inform and influence Brooks’ pricing and margin strategies.

• Leverage competitive insights to support strategic decision-making, ensuring Brooks remains agile and responsive to shifts in consumer demand, cost structures, and industry benchmarks.

• Product Costing

• Collaborate with the Director of Merchandise Planning and Asia Costing leadership to align on seasonal costing assumptions, key cost drivers, and margin targets.

• Lead deep dive analyses on FOB discrepancies between prototype and final rounds, sharing insights and educating teams to improve future development.

• Create and manage seasonal FOB KPI tools to support margin optimization and cross-functional value discussions.

• Influence costing and optimization strategies across Product, Sourcing, and Liaison Costing teams to meet seasonal targets and support long-range planning.

• Support seasonal margin reporting and forecasting, contributing to continuous improvement of tools and analytics.

• Implement training and systems that enhance team understanding of costing impacts and improve costing efficiency.

• Engage in cross-functional conversations across global teams, including international time zones, to ensure alignment and timely decision-making throughout the product creation process.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Business Administration, or related field; equivalent experience considered.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in Finance, Product Costing, or Strategic Planning.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of the Footwear Business.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, demonstrating effective listening through concise, clear communication.
• Excellent interpersonal skills that inspire trust and foster effective cross-functional relationships.
• Keen attention to detail in planning, organization, and execution, with the ability to see the big picture.
• Proficiency in Smartsheet; experience with Adaptive, Tableau, and Power BI is a plus.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, especially in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Demonstrated initiative and innovation in process improvement and strategic thinking.
• Passionate participation in Brooks’ sports activities is a plus, overridden by the ability to empathize with the runner and build loyal, engaging relationships with our customers and community.
• Embraces and lives the Brooks values!