Who We Are:

Since 1906, New Balance has empowered people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. We innovate fearlessly, guided by our core values and driven by the belief that conventions were meant to be challenged. We foster a culture in which every associate feels welcomed and respected, where leaders and creatives are inspired to shape the world of tomorrow by taking bold action today. At New Balance, We Got Now.

JOB MISSION:

As the Solutions Architect for the Merchandise Planning Initiative, you will play a pivotal role in aligning technology solutions with business objectives within the merchandise planning domain. You will be responsible for overseeing the design, development, and implementation of tools essential for effective merchandise planning processes. This role requires a strong blend of technical expertise, strategic thinking, and leadership skills to ensure that solutions meet both business requirements and technical standards.

Come join the New Balance team and take on this exciting opportunity to lead the technical design and development of our merchandising planning program and partner with the business to shape the future of commercial sales and inventory planning at NB.

MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Collaborate with stakeholders and cross functional teams, including product owners, business change team, business users and other NB technical teams, to understand requirements and translate them into technical designs.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to a team of analysts, developers and engineers involved in the design and development of merchandise planning tools, ensuring alignment with business objectives and technical standards.
• Create and maintain strategic architectural roadmaps that cater to the evolving needs of merchandise financial planning functions.
• Serve as the primary IT point of contact for business stakeholders within the merchandise financial planning sphere.

• Lead the technological evaluation and selection process for implementing new systems or enhancements, partnering with product owners and business.
• Assist project management with identifying tasks, estimating work efforts, and planning resource allocations to ensure successful project execution.
• Drive innovation by exploring emerging trends and technologies in both finance and retail merchandising. Research new technologies, execute technical proof of concepts, and provide technology recommendations.
• Establish best practices, standards, and methodologies for software development within the domain.
• Define integration strategies to connect the merchandise planning tools with existing systems and data sources, ensuring seamless data flow and integrity.

• Build a technical team to support the execution of the program. Lead the development efforts of merchandise planning tools, including coding, testing, debugging, and deployment.
• Monitor the performance and effectiveness of merchandise planning tools, identifying opportunities for optimization and enhancement.
• Implement feedback mechanisms and gather insights from end-users to drive continuous improvement and usability enhancements.

REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Proven experience (10 years) in technical leadership roles, having experience in leading and assembling teams with a focus on software design and development.
• Strong expertise in software development methodologies, programming languages (e.g., Java, Python, etc.), and technologies related to web-based applications and databases.
• Demonstrated experience as a Solution Architect with open source and cloud-based platforms, preferably Azure.
• Understanding of data warehousing, business intelligence, and data visualization tools and techniques.
• Experience across merchandise financial, assortment, and location planning domains is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge or experience implementing solutions with / using Blue Yonder/JDA, O9, Oracle or Anaplan ... desired.
• Knowledge of Agile practices and methodologies.

Regular Associate Benefits

Our products are only as good as the people we hire, so we make sure to hire the best and treat them accordingly. New Balance offers a comprehensive traditional benefits package including three options for medical insurance as well as dental, vision, life insurance and 401K. We also proudly offer a slate of more nontraditional perks - opportunities like online learning and development courses, tuition reimbursement, $100 monthly student loan support and various mentorship programs - that encourage our associates to grow personally as they develop professionally. You'll also enjoy a yearly $1,000 lifestyle reimbursement, 4 weeks of vacations, 12 holidays and generous parental leave, because work-life balance is more than just a buzzword - it's part of our culture.

Temporary associates are provided three options for medical insurance as well as dental and vision insurance and an associate discount.

Part time associates are provided 401k, short term disability, a yearly $300 lifestyle reimbursement and an associate discount.

Flexible Work Schedule

For decades we have fostered a unique culture founded on our values with a particular focus on in-person teamwork and collaboration. Our North American hybrid model encourages rich in-person experiences, showcasing our commitment to teamwork and connection, while maintaining flexibility for associates. New Balance Associates currently work in office three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). Our offices are fully open, and amenities are available across our North American office locations. To continue our focus on hybrid work we have introduced "Work from Anywhere" (WFA) for four weeks per calendar year. This model will help us enhance our culture while continuing to maintain elements of flexibility.

Equal Opportunity Employer

New Balance provides equal opportunities for all current and prospective associates and takes affirmative action to ensure that employment, training, compensation, transfer, promotion and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment are provided without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, handicap, genetic information and/or status as an Armed Forces service medal veteran, recently separated veteran, qualified disabled veteran or other protected veteran.