Manager, Assortment Planning D21

The Home Depot • Atlanta, GA

1d

About The Position

The Manager, Assortment Planning provides subject matter expertise, project management, and analytical support for assortment decisions made by the merchandising organization during category reviews for key departments. The role executes category Business Reviews (BR) and Product Line Reviews (PLR) for a designated department and serves as a thought leader on category and assortment strategy. The Manager advocates for assortment-planning best practices across categories and provides guidance and support to Senior Analysts in the absence of a Senior Manager.

The Manager works with Merchants to establish category-review goals and objectives, analyze performance drivers, recommend assortment decisions, and develop financial plans reflecting category changes. The role develops executive-level presentations explaining historical performance, the rationale behind assortment decisions, and expected financial impact, and reports findings to management at all levels. The Manager is accountable for the accuracy, thoroughness, sound reasoning, timeliness, and viability of recommendations. Other responsibilities include supporting the category-review calendar, maintaining relationships with MVP/DMM and Merchant/Associate Merchant partners, and handling strategic projects and ad hoc analysis and reporting.

This position reports to the Senior Manager, Assortment Planning and has no direct supervisory responsibility. Overnight travel is typically less than 10% of the time. The work is primarily performed sitting in a comfortable indoor environment, with frequent opportunity to move about and rare need to move or lift light articles.

Requirements

• At least 18 years of age.
• Legally permitted to work in the United States.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a field of study related to the job.
• At least 3 years of work experience.
• Ability to partner with cross-functional teams at all levels in a complex organization.
• Ability to deliver results amid heavy workloads, competing demands, and a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to prioritize multiple demands, adapt quickly to change, and work constructively under pressure.
• Ability to structure ambiguous projects and work constructively under tight deadlines.
• Ability to influence peers and business partners without formal authority.

Nice To Haves

• MBA.
• Prior experience in category management.
• Prior experience in merchandising, planning, and analysis.
• Prior experience with merchandise-planning software.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Access, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong analytical skills, including financial-analysis aptitude and the ability to generate insight from large, complex data sets.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to articulate viewpoints effectively to executive leadership and write compelling executive-level presentations.
• Strong project-management skills and ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience with retail and cost methods of accounting.
• Strong analytical and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Merchants to establish category-review goals and objectives.
• Conduct standard and ad hoc analyses to identify category performance drivers, including marketplace and macroeconomic trends, competitive position, vendor portfolio strengths and weaknesses, line structure, store clustering, customer and store feedback, product attributes, and regional performance.
• Recommend assortment decisions intended to improve category performance and develop financial plans reflecting category changes.
• Create executive-level presentations summarizing historical category performance, the strategic rationale for assortment decisions, and expected financial impact; report findings to management at all levels.
• Ensure recommendations are accurate, thorough, well-reasoned, timely, and viable.
• Support development and maintenance of a calendar of category reviews.
• Own MVP/DMM and Merchant/Associate Merchant relationships for the designated department.
• Undertake strategic projects, ad hoc analysis, and reporting.
• Promote assortment-planning best practices across the category portfolio and support Senior Analysts in the absence of a Senior Manager.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager