Merchandise Planning Leadership Role

Ross Dress For Less•New York, NY

13d

About The Position

This role will be responsible for driving the Merchandise Planning and Assortment process for a division. Working closely with the supervisor and senior merchants, the executive will develop sales and margin plans as well as the forecasts for corporate guidance. He/she will also have responsibility for regional/location planning - driving strategies to help ensure proper product mix by markets. This individual will be a business partner and the key liaison with senior merchants and their teams. He/she will provide statistical analysis for the supervisor and senior merchants as well as be instrumental in developing the strategic thought process to maximize top line sales and bottom line profit for their division.

Requirements

Minimum ten years’ retail experience in positions of increasing responsibilities in Planning, leading and managing a team of Directors and/or Senior Managers.
Planning experience in the apparel, accessories, or home category from a department store, mass merchant, or specialty retailer.
Ability to build solid relationships and partner with merchants. Will participate with other members of the management team in an effective manner to identify, define, and evaluate key strategic issues for the division and develop alternative solutions to meet strategic goals and provide information to make these decisions.
Excellent analytical skills.
Keen attention to detail.
Ability to make financial projections and identify and evaluate variances of actual performance against the plan.
Strong management, leadership, and influencing skills.
A leader, mentor, and trainer to his/her organization.
A team player and collaborator; able to contribute to all functional areas of the company.
A broad-based strategic business partner capable of providing leadership in a fast-growing organization.
Well-developed ethical standards of professional behavior.

Responsibilities

Effective assessment and development of staff.
Develop seasonal sales and margin, and reforecast as needed.
Oversee the development of the seasonal Merchandising plans and challenge assumptions and strategies to maximize sales and margins for their division.
Integrate all aspects of Planning (seasonal Merchandise plans, store plans, regional plans, assortment planning and ladder planning).
Communicate strategies to Allocation Department.
Direct all Micro-Merchandising initiatives through final implementation.
Regional Planning/Store Planning (Location Planning).
Participate in company strategic initiatives.
Sales volume.
Gross margin.
Merchandise Planning.
Planning calendar.