Demand Planner (Build the System)

Also known as: Inventory Planner, Merchandise Planner, OTB Analyst.



We're looking for someone who can build a system, not someone waiting to be handed one.



# The Job

We're a barefoot shoe retailer doing 20-25M DKK/year across two Copenhagen stores and online. We have a problem: our purchasing runs on gut feel. We buy too much of some things, not enough of others. Cash gets tied up in slow-moving stock. We need someone to fix this.



The complexity: 10,000+ SKUs across 10+ vendors. Seasonal patterns, size curves, varying lead times. You can start in a spreadsheet, but we expect you to evolve it into something repeatable: automation, clear decision rules, a system that scales.



Your mission: Build and run the system that tells our buying team how much they can spend, on what, and when.



What you'll actually do:

• Dig into our sales data and build demand forecasts by category and season
• Create purchasing budgets that constrain what we buy
• Monitor inventory health: flag overstock, understock, slow movers
• Provide clear guidance: "You can spend X on boots this quarter, order by week 8"
• Track reality vs plan, refine your forecasts
• Build the tools and processes yourself—with support. We have Shopify + custom tools in TypeScript/React, but no planning system yet. You'll have technical sparring when you need it; you own the outcomes



Your primary focus is the system, not the day-to-day buying. You own the spend guardrails. Buyers operate within them, but you don't approve individual purchases.



What the first three months look like:

• Month 1: Understand the business, get data access, audit what exists (SKU hygiene, lead times, size curves)
• Month 2: Build baseline KPIs and first simple forecasts—start with one category, not everything
• Month 3: Expand to full system, first purchasing budget, inventory health dashboard



Hours & location:

• 15-20 hours/week
• Flexible hours. Fit it around your studies or other commitments
• Copenhagen-based, with remote days possible
• Async-first (Basecamp, not Slack): decisions in writing, fewer interruptions. Most weeks: one meeting



Compensation:

• Starting at 200 kr/hour
• Significant room to grow based on impact



# About You

You've probably never done this exact job. That's fine. You read this and think: "I could figure that out."



You're analytical. You like making sense of messy data and finding patterns. How you work with data is up to you: Python, DuckDB, Claude, Cursor, or something you build yourself. Start wherever makes sense, but think in systems. Part of the fun is choosing your own tools.



You don't need someone telling you what to do every day. You set your own priorities. You ship something, see what works, improve it. You'd rather have a rough forecast today than a perfect one never. We don't expect perfection. We expect you to keep making it better.



You're not fazed by "we don't have a process for this." You'll build the process. You’re comfortable operating with ambiguity; if something important is undefined, you define it and write it down.



This role is ideal for a student looking for meaningful part-time work that fits around your schedule. You'll get real responsibility, not busywork.



Background could be:

• Business/economics student wanting real-world application
• CS/data science student interested in business problems
• Self-taught data person looking for actual problems to solve
• Anyone analytical who's taught themselves to work with data



What we don't care about:

• Years of experience
• Specific degrees
• Whether you've used Shopify before
• Your exact toolset (we care that you can figure things out)



# About Mærkbare

We sell barefoot shoes. A growing niche with passionate customers who actually care about what they're buying. Two stores in Copenhagen, online across Denmark and internationally. Small team. We move fast, have few meetings, and give people real ownership.



What we offer:

• Freedom to design your own approach
• A real problem with tangible impact (you'll see your work in the business)
• Technical mentorship: pair on building tools with Claude Code if you're interested
• Room to grow, both in compensation and scope
• Low bureaucracy, direct communication



What we don't offer:

• Daily check-ins (you manage your own time)
• Pre-built processes (you'll create them)
• Predictability (retail doesn't work that way)



# How to Apply

We read applications carefully. A thoughtful application matters more than a polished CV.



Tell us:

1. Why this job interests you, and why you think you'd be good at it.
2. Tell us about a time you taught yourself something to solve a problem. What was the problem, how did you learn, what happened?
3. Pick ONE of these scenarios and tell us how you'd approach it:
4. Scenario A: You have 12 months of sales data for 50 product categories (CSV export or API access, your choice). How would you start building a demand forecast? What would you look at first? What questions would you ask?
5. Scenario B: We're overstocked in winter boots by 300,000 kr heading into spring. What do you do? What information do you need?
6. Scenario C: A vendor offers 20% off if we double our usual order size. How do you think about whether this is a good deal?



We're looking at how you think, not whether you get the "right" answer.



Guidelines:

• ~800 words is plenty
• Take your time. There's no advantage to applying fast
• A generic application probably won't cut it
• Feel free to include links to other projects or work if relevant (student work is fine)



Send to: [email protected]

Deadline: 12 January 2026

Expected start: As soon as you can



# What Happens Next

• You'll hear from us by Friday 24 January at the latest
• Interview: In-person conversation (~30-45 min)
• Possibly a second conversation if needed
• Decision shortly after



Requirements:

• Strong written English (most communication will be async)
• Legal right to work in Denmark
• Available 15-20 hours/week



Questions? Email [email protected]