Dir, Merch Planning

Overall Job Summary

This position is responsible for leading the Merchandise Planning team to achieve company financial objectives relating to sales, inventory performance, seasonal sell-through and gross margin. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (Min 5%)

• Drive the Assortment Planning process; lead the Merch Planning team to identify new, innovative ways to execute volume appropriate, regional, and customer centric assortments.
• Drive the development, enhancement, and maintenance of key Merchandise Planning and Inventory Mgmt Systems; Develop requirements with cross functional teams, drive the evaluation process and build project plans to deliver new and enhanced systems on time and on budget.
• Oversee the In Season Forecasting/Open to Buy process. Review and challenge forecasts and plans; communicate possible challenges or opportunities with senior management.
• Drive improvement in seasonal sell-through and total gross margin by aligning event planning and purchasing direction and improving upon the promotional event process. Review and challenge event plans and provide End of Season/Event analysis to further improve performance.
• Oversee the creation of the Annual Merchandising Budget. Ensure all timelines are met, and a complete, accurate annual plan is delivered.
• Develop team members through internal training and creation of departmental best practices. Regularly communicate Planner priorities and advances in planning methodology with Senior Management.
• Drive the sales forecasting process for Circulars and Events. Lead team in the creation, tracking, evaluation, and communication of forecasts for inventory purposes. Provide periodic updates of forecast accuracy and methodology for executive review.    
• Direct Planners in the creation and maintenance of Key Item/Ladder plans for strategically important items and categories. Ensure the process is well integrated within merchandising and Inventory Management.
• Lead the Post-Season analysis work for Key Seasonal Departments. Lead the "Correction of Errors" process and provide guidance on assortment and inventory flow adjustments for the following year.    
   

Required Qualifications

Experience: 5 - 7 years in Planning and Analysis or Inventory Management. 4 years’ experience managing a staff. 10 years in retail experience.

Education: BS in Business, Retail, or other related field from an accredited college or university. 
Any suitable combination of education and experience will be considered.

Professional Certifications: None.
 

Preferred knowledge, skills or abilities

Managerial skills; Training and Development Skills; Leadership; Prioritization; Strategic thinking; Creativity; Planning; Analytical and technical skills, including Excel, Access, and Data Warehouse experience.

Working Conditions

Physical Requirements

Disclaimer

This job description represents an overview of the responsibilities for the above referenced position. It is not intended to represent a comprehensive list of responsibilities. A team member should perform all duties as assigned by his/ her supervisor.

Company Info

At Tractor Supply and Petsense by Tractor Supply, our Team Members are the heart of our success. Their dedication, passion, and hard work drive everything we do, and we are committed to supporting them with a comprehensive and accessible total reward package. We understand the evolving needs of our Team Members and their families, and we strive to offer meaningful, competitive, and sustainable benefits that support their well-being today and in the future.

Our benefits extend beyond medical, dental, and vision coverage, including company-paid life and disability insurance, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement, and family planning resources such as adoption and surrogacy assistance, for all full-time Team Members and all part-time Team Members. Part time new hires gain eligibility for TSC Benefits by averaging at least 15 hours per week during their 90-day lookback period. The lookback period starts the first of the month following the date of hire. If the 15-hour requirement was met, the benefits eligibility date will be the first day of the month following 4 months of continuous service.

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