Merchandise Planner Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
Merchandise planner visa sponsorship jobs in California are concentrated in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the Bay Area, where major retailers, fashion brands, and e-commerce companies like Gap Inc., Levi Strauss, and Skechers maintain planning teams. International candidates pursuing H-1B visa or green card sponsorship will find California among the most active states for this role.
Find Merchandise Planner JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 6+ Merchandise Planner Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship
See all Merchandise Planner Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Merchandise Planner Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship.
Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Want to help pets live their best lives? We’re proud to be where the pets go and where the pet people go. If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you. Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what’s right for pets and people.
Pet First – Protect & Empower. All pets should Live their Best Life. We put the needs of pets and pet parents at the center of everything we do.
Foster the Fun – Connect & Bond. Our Passion for pets brings us together! We celebrate the journey of pet parenthood through district experiences, products, and services.
Let’s Go! Own & Commit. We are stronger as One Petco team. We bring our unique superpowers and champion authenticity in everyone to drive success.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Lead Merchandise Financial Planner
Position Summary
A role in Petco's Merchandise Planning division means bringing your specialized, financially disciplined point of view to what we commit to, how much capital we deploy, and how profitably we grow. This is a player/coach role: you personally own and execute the most complex financial plans and OTB decisions for your assigned categories, while also directly coaching, assigning, and reviewing the work of Merchandise Planners and Analysts on your team.
This is a strategic introductory leadership role designed as a "Player-Coach" bridge between senior individual contributor financial modeling work and formal people management.
In this role, you will spend approximately 60% of your time delivering hands-on, high-impact merchandise financial planning, open-to-buy governance, and margin optimization solutions, while dedicating 40% of your focus to pod direction, planning-cycle orchestration, financial model quality enforcement, and planner mentorship. Operating within a matrixed leadership framework, you will serve as the financial authority for 2–4 Merchandise Planners, driving end-to-end execution while partnering closely with Merchandise Planning Managers, Merchants, and Inventory Management counterparts across the Category Triad.
Hands-On Execution (60%)
Pre-Season Financial Architecture & Scenario Modeling (15%)
- Personally build the 52-week multi-channel MFP for your highest-complexity categories — Sales (and %), Inventory Turns, Receipt Phasing, and GMROI.
- Own high-volatility sensitivity and scenario models (cost shocks, elasticity shifts, promotional depth) that inform executive commitments.
In-Season Open-to-Buy Governance & Capital Deployment (20%)
- Directly control the category OTB checkbook; personally authorize receipt releases, mid-month freezes, and capital re-deployment decisions.
- Reconcile receipt flow against Inventory Management's physical PO timing to protect working capital.
Profit Mind Pricing, Elasticity & Markdown Governance (15%)
- Configure margin floors, price-ladder guardrails, and elasticity boundaries directly in Profit Mind.
- Model promotional ROI, cross-elasticity, and cannibalization; set terminal clearance reserve budgets and liquidation cadences.
Assortment Economics & Consensus S&OP Gap Closure (10%)
- Set option-count, sales-per-linear-foot, and GMROI hurdles ahead of merchant line reviews.
- Personally lead commercial gap-closing levers when unconstrained demand falls short of financial plan.
Pod Direction & Planning-Cycle Orchestration (20–25%)
- Workload Orchestration: Assign, sequence, and prioritize pre-season build, in-season reforecast, and OTB maintenance work across your 2–4 planner pod against the monthly/quarterly planning calendar.
- Cadence Ownership: Prepare and run the pod's inputs into Weekly Business Reviews (WBR), Monthly OTB Reviews, and Consensus S&OP; ensure deliverables land accurate and on time.
- Model Quality Enforcement: Define and enforce standards for plan hierarchy integrity, formula governance, version control, and reconciliation discipline across all pod-produced models.
- Escalation Authority: Serve as first point of escalation for plan discrepancies, OTB variances, and cross-functional friction before manager involvement is required.
Mentorship & Quality Assurance (15–20%)
- Methodology Reviews: Conduct mandatory financial, pricing, markdown, and OTB reviews for all pod members to maintain high financial accuracy, margin integrity, and plan sustainability.
- Technical Mentorship: Lead 1-on-1s focused on financial problem-solving, modeling skill advancement, and Profit Mind / planning engine best-practice adoption for junior and mid-level planners.
- Onboarding & Skill Building: Onboard new planning partners and foster a collaborative, continuous-learning pod culture grounded in data-backed decision-making.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Merchandising, Supply Chain, or related quantitative field.
- Experience: 5–8+ years in merchandise financial planning, retail financial planning, or inventory finance within an omnichannel specialty retail environment.
- Leadership Readiness: Demonstrated success directing workload, reviewing deliverables, and mentoring junior analysts — formal management experience not required.
- System Fluency: Expert in enterprise planning engines, Profit Mind (or comparable AI pricing/elasticity platforms), SQL, and advanced financial modeling.
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $100,100.00 - $166,100.00
Hourly or Salary Range will be reflected above. For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, including health and financial benefits, 401K, incentives, and PTO.
LOCATION
Location: 10850 Via Frontera, San Diego, CA 92127 United States
Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
ABOUT PETCO
We’re proud to be "where the pets go" to find everything they need to live their best lives for more than 60 years – from their favorite meals and toys, to trusted supplies and expert support from people who get it, because we live it. We believe in the universal truths of pet parenthood – the boundless boops, missing slippers, late night zoomies and everything in between. And we’re here for it. Every tail wag, every vet visit, every step of the way. We are 29,000+ strong and together we nurture the pet-human bond in more than 1,500 Petco stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. In 1999, we founded Petco Love. Together, we support thousands of local animal welfare groups nationwide and have helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals through in-store adoption events.
Equal Opportunity Employer statement and browser translation instructions.
INTRODUCTION
Want to help pets live their best lives? We’re proud to be where the pets go and where the pet people go. If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you. Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what’s right for pets and people.
Pet First – Protect & Empower. All pets should Live their Best Life. We put the needs of pets and pet parents at the center of everything we do.
Foster the Fun – Connect & Bond. Our Passion for pets brings us together! We celebrate the journey of pet parenthood through district experiences, products, and services.
Let’s Go! Own & Commit. We are stronger as One Petco team. We bring our unique superpowers and champion authenticity in everyone to drive success.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Lead Merchandise Financial Planner
Position Summary
A role in Petco's Merchandise Planning division means bringing your specialized, financially disciplined point of view to what we commit to, how much capital we deploy, and how profitably we grow. This is a player/coach role: you personally own and execute the most complex financial plans and OTB decisions for your assigned categories, while also directly coaching, assigning, and reviewing the work of Merchandise Planners and Analysts on your team.
This is a strategic introductory leadership role designed as a "Player-Coach" bridge between senior individual contributor financial modeling work and formal people management.
In this role, you will spend approximately 60% of your time delivering hands-on, high-impact merchandise financial planning, open-to-buy governance, and margin optimization solutions, while dedicating 40% of your focus to pod direction, planning-cycle orchestration, financial model quality enforcement, and planner mentorship. Operating within a matrixed leadership framework, you will serve as the financial authority for 2–4 Merchandise Planners, driving end-to-end execution while partnering closely with Merchandise Planning Managers, Merchants, and Inventory Management counterparts across the Category Triad.
Hands-On Execution (60%)
Pre-Season Financial Architecture & Scenario Modeling (15%)
- Personally build the 52-week multi-channel MFP for your highest-complexity categories — Sales (and %), Inventory Turns, Receipt Phasing, and GMROI.
- Own high-volatility sensitivity and scenario models (cost shocks, elasticity shifts, promotional depth) that inform executive commitments.
In-Season Open-to-Buy Governance & Capital Deployment (20%)
- Directly control the category OTB checkbook; personally authorize receipt releases, mid-month freezes, and capital re-deployment decisions.
- Reconcile receipt flow against Inventory Management's physical PO timing to protect working capital.
Profit Mind Pricing, Elasticity & Markdown Governance (15%)
- Configure margin floors, price-ladder guardrails, and elasticity boundaries directly in Profit Mind.
- Model promotional ROI, cross-elasticity, and cannibalization; set terminal clearance reserve budgets and liquidation cadences.
Assortment Economics & Consensus S&OP Gap Closure (10%)
- Set option-count, sales-per-linear-foot, and GMROI hurdles ahead of merchant line reviews.
- Personally lead commercial gap-closing levers when unconstrained demand falls short of financial plan.
Pod Direction & Planning-Cycle Orchestration (20–25%)
- Workload Orchestration: Assign, sequence, and prioritize pre-season build, in-season reforecast, and OTB maintenance work across your 2–4 planner pod against the monthly/quarterly planning calendar.
- Cadence Ownership: Prepare and run the pod's inputs into Weekly Business Reviews (WBR), Monthly OTB Reviews, and Consensus S&OP; ensure deliverables land accurate and on time.
- Model Quality Enforcement: Define and enforce standards for plan hierarchy integrity, formula governance, version control, and reconciliation discipline across all pod-produced models.
- Escalation Authority: Serve as first point of escalation for plan discrepancies, OTB variances, and cross-functional friction before manager involvement is required.
Mentorship & Quality Assurance (15–20%)
- Methodology Reviews: Conduct mandatory financial, pricing, markdown, and OTB reviews for all pod members to maintain high financial accuracy, margin integrity, and plan sustainability.
- Technical Mentorship: Lead 1-on-1s focused on financial problem-solving, modeling skill advancement, and Profit Mind / planning engine best-practice adoption for junior and mid-level planners.
- Onboarding & Skill Building: Onboard new planning partners and foster a collaborative, continuous-learning pod culture grounded in data-backed decision-making.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Merchandising, Supply Chain, or related quantitative field.
- Experience: 5–8+ years in merchandise financial planning, retail financial planning, or inventory finance within an omnichannel specialty retail environment.
- Leadership Readiness: Demonstrated success directing workload, reviewing deliverables, and mentoring junior analysts — formal management experience not required.
- System Fluency: Expert in enterprise planning engines, Profit Mind (or comparable AI pricing/elasticity platforms), SQL, and advanced financial modeling.
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $100,100.00 - $166,100.00
Hourly or Salary Range will be reflected above. For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, including health and financial benefits, 401K, incentives, and PTO.
LOCATION
Location: 10850 Via Frontera, San Diego, CA 92127 United States
Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
ABOUT PETCO
We’re proud to be "where the pets go" to find everything they need to live their best lives for more than 60 years – from their favorite meals and toys, to trusted supplies and expert support from people who get it, because we live it. We believe in the universal truths of pet parenthood – the boundless boops, missing slippers, late night zoomies and everything in between. And we’re here for it. Every tail wag, every vet visit, every step of the way. We are 29,000+ strong and together we nurture the pet-human bond in more than 1,500 Petco stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. In 1999, we founded Petco Love. Together, we support thousands of local animal welfare groups nationwide and have helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals through in-store adoption events.
Equal Opportunity Employer statement and browser translation instructions.
Merchandise Planner Job Roles in California
See all Merchandise Planner Jobs in California
Sign up for free to filter by visa type, set job alerts, and find employers with verified sponsorship history.
Search Merchandise Planner Jobs in CaliforniaMerchandise Planner Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies in California sponsor visas for merchandise planners?
California-based retailers and brands with established HR and immigration infrastructure are the most consistent sponsors. Gap Inc. and Levi Strauss in San Francisco, Skechers in Manhattan Beach, and e-commerce operations in the Los Angeles and Bay Area markets have filed sponsorship petitions for planning roles. Large specialty retailers and department store chains with California headquarters or regional offices also appear in DOL disclosure records for merchandise planning positions.
Which visa types realistically fit merchandise planner roles in California?
Merchandise planner roles typically qualify as specialty occupations requiring a bachelor's degree in merchandising, retail management, business, or a related field, making H-1B the primary path. Employers file a Labor Condition Application with DOL before submitting an I-129 petition to USCIS. H-1B is subject to an annual cap and selection process. EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based green cards are available for longer-term sponsorship. F-1 students may use OPT to work in the role before seeking employer-sponsored status.
How to find merchandise planner visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate lists California merchandise planner roles specifically at employers with verified visa sponsorship history, so you can focus on companies that have filed for similar positions rather than applying broadly. Filtering by California cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose helps narrow results to the state's main retail and e-commerce hubs. Migrate Mate's data reflects actual DOL Labor Condition Application filings, giving you a concrete signal of an employer's willingness to sponsor.
Which California cities have the most merchandise planner visa sponsorship jobs?
Los Angeles is the dominant market, driven by its concentration of fashion brands, apparel companies, and large retailers with West Coast headquarters. San Francisco and the broader Bay Area follow closely, anchored by major retailers like Gap Inc. and a dense e-commerce sector. San Jose and Oakland also see activity from tech-adjacent retail and direct-to-consumer brands. Smaller markets like Manhattan Beach and Culver City host individual corporate campuses with planning teams.
Are there state-specific factors that affect merchandise planner sponsorship in California?
California's size and industry mix work in candidates' favor. The state hosts a high concentration of fashion, apparel, and consumer goods headquarters, particularly in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, creating more sponsorship opportunities than most other states. California employers are also generally experienced with H-1B and PERM processes due to high overall sponsorship volume in the state. University programs in retail merchandising at Cal State and UC campuses produce local pipelines that some employers draw from alongside international hires.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored merchandise planner jobs in California?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.