Merchandise Planning Director Jobs

Do you have experience as a Manager or Director of Merchandise Planning or Allocation, and do you want to for an amazing retail company?

We are actively seeking a Merchandise Planning Director. This wonderful opportunity is preferably to be based at our corporate store support center located in San Diego, CA. We may be open to remote.

Be part of a dynamic Planning team, passionate about adding value to the ultimate retail experience our guests enjoy while shopping at the most renowned cultural, experiential, and entertainment destinations across the United States.

Our fascinating retail company puts its Team, Partners, Guests & Planet first, and our people are pretty great!

THE POSITION:

As Merchandise Planning Director, you will partner with Buying and Product Leadership Team to maximize sales, profitability, and return on our inventory investment for specific business units. Jointly own with the Buying department planned inventory, turnover, and SKU goals. Work with Buying to plan and manage the product plans by Department/Item Category.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Manage the monthly business review meeting to coordinate open-to-buy, SKU rationalization, reorders.
• Prioritize and manage expectations around key deliverables with cross-functional team and peers.
• Provide analysis to Purchasing VP’s and communicate quantitative data, store needs and gaps to Buyers in a concise format for specific buying recommendations.
• Provide updates to senior management and conduct regular business review meetings to ensure inventory and SKU goals are on-track.
• Support growth of Buyers including helping them understand open-to-buy, weeks-of-supply, on-order, SKU rationalization, and proper balance of top SKUs / SKU segmentation.
• Work with Buying team to control reorder SKUs, cull zero-sales SKUs, and manage the markdown process to exceed budgeted goals.
• Shared responsibility for inventory turn, weeks-of-supply, and replenishment.
• Develop annual merchandise financial plans and work with SVP Planning to ensure plans support P & L’s.
• Partner with Buying VP to achieve goals and growth areas within assigned business units.
• Collect and analyze store sales trends and product sell thru and flex forecasts to optimize turns.
• Develop plans for new stores, remodels, exhibits, and special events.
• Complete Month End reports and conduct a review of Inventory Turnover, Markdown, and Margin variances and strategize with Purchasing and Stores on go forward opportunities.
• Develop location inventory, margin and SKU count plans at the department level that tie to the Inventory Financial plans.
• Reforecast and distribute monthly open to buy/on-order by assessing store sales by department, inventory and forward weeks to cover. Republish updates on a weekly basis.
• Collaborate with peers, develop tools, share best practices, and continuously grow in systems knowledge.

Qualifications:

• Five years’ experience in merchandise planning
• Solid understanding of common planning and forecasting processes and procedures
• Strong analytic, problem solving and organizational skills
• Superior Excel skills
• Strong management, leadership, and influencing skills.
• Prior experience as a Manager / Director of Merchandise Planning or Allocation
• Bachelor’s degree in related field (economics, finance, marketing, etc.)

Physical Demands – The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the Planning Director is frequently required to stand; walk and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Ability to sit and work at a computer for prolonged periods of time.

Event Network is an equal opportunity employer.