Director, Store Planning

Overall Job Summary

The Director of Store Planning is the enterprise leader responsible for the strategy, standards, execution, and continuous improvement of store planning across the retail fleet. This role leads the development of customer-centric, operationally sound, and financially productive store layouts, fixture plans, merchandise adjacencies, and space allocation strategies for new stores, relocations, remodels, refreshes, and existing-store optimization initiatives.

This position translates merchandising strategy, customer insights, operational requirements, and market-specific demand into scalable planning solutions that support sales growth, margin improvement, labor efficiency, brand consistency, and execution readiness. The Director establishes enterprise planning standards, prototype evolution, and functional governance, and serves as a senior strategic partner to Merchandising, Real Estate, Construction, Store Operations, Finance, Supply Chain, IT, Asset Protection, and other enterprise leaders.

The role leads a multi-level Store Planning organization and external partners, drives prioritization of the planning portfolio, and provides executive recommendations on layout strategy, space productivity, format development, and major capital initiatives. This leader is expected to operate with broad autonomy, strong executive presence, and enterprise-level influence.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (Min 5%)

• Define and lead the enterprise store planning and space optimization strategy in support of the company’s multi-year growth agenda, including new stores, relocations, remodels, refreshes, and fleetwide optimization.
• Own the development, governance, and continuous improvement of store prototypes, planning standards, adjacency rules, fixture applications, and format playbooks across store types and market conditions.
• Direct the creation and approval of store layouts, strategic tests, fixture plans, department flows, and merchandise placement strategies that balance customer experience, space productivity, labor efficiency, operational flow, safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Translate merchandising strategies, local demographics, sales and margin trends, customer insights, and operational requirements into data-driven space allocation and planning recommendations.
• Partner with Merchandising, Real Estate, Construction, Store Operations, Finance, Supply Chain, IT, and Asset Protection leaders to align planning decisions with business priorities, capital plans, project sequencing, and execution readiness.
• Lead evaluation of major merchandising resets, new concepts, prototype changes, and strategic capital initiatives; develop business cases, risks, trade-offs, and recommendations for executive review and decision making.
• Establish and oversee planning governance, workflow prioritization, change control, drawing standards, file integrity, and quality assurance across the planning portfolio.
• Oversee store planning systems, analytics, and reporting; define KPIs for space productivity, cycle time, drawing accuracy, store readiness, and post-project performance, and drive continuous improvement based on results.
• Influence site feasibility and pre-project planning by partnering on test fits, capacity analysis, prototype application, and operational requirements during site selection and pre-construction phases.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing organization consisting of Managers, Senior Store Planners, Store Planners, and support resources; build bench strength, succession plans, and functional capability.
• Manage external architects, consultants, fixture partners, and planning vendors as needed; set performance standards, control scope, and ensure quality, timeliness, and cost discipline.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for complex planning decisions, unresolved issues, and high-visibility projects; communicate status, risks, and recommendations to executive leadership.

Required Qualifications

Experience:

• 12+ years of progressive professional experience in retail store planning, space planning, merchandising strategy, retail design, or a related field within complex multi-unit retail environments.
• 7+ years of leadership experience managing multi-level planning, merchandising, design, or store development teams, including leadership through managers.
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-scale new store growth, remodel and reinvestment programs, prototype development, and fleet optimization initiatives.
• Experience influencing executive leaders on capital priorities, planning standards, cross-functional trade-offs, and business case decisions.
• Experience managing or partnering with external architects, consultants, fixture vendors, and/or store development partners preferred.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Retail & Consumer Science, Business, Engineering, Construction, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Advanced degree preferred.

Professional Certifications:

• None required.
• Professional certifications such as LEED, NCIDQ, PMP, or architectural registration are a plus.

Preferred knowledge, skills or abilities

• Deep knowledge of retail space planning principles, merchandising adjacencies, fixture strategy, operational flow, and prototype governance.
• Experience with planning and layout tools such as AutoCAD, Revit, Blue Yonder Floor Planning, SPHQ, or similar systems preferred.
• Strong analytical, strategic, and financial acumen with the ability to convert data into executive-level recommendations and prioritization decisions.
• Experience managing large, cross-functional programs and multiple concurrent initiatives with high visibility and tight timelines.
• Executive presence with the ability to communicate, influence, and collaborate effectively with senior leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Working knowledge of ADA requirements, local regulations, code considerations, and company presentation standards relevant to store planning work.
• Demonstrated talent leadership, coaching, succession planning, and change management capabilities.
• Willingness to travel periodically as needed.
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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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