(USA) Senior Manager, Merchandising Planning - C09 Sporting Goods

Walmart • Bentonville, AR

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Merchandising Planning, leads strategic category and financial planning to optimize merchandise performance and customer satisfaction. This role leverages advanced data analysis and forecasting techniques to drive informed decisions across multiple channels, aligning with business objectives and budget targets. Collaborating cross-functionally, the position supports category strategy development, vendor negotiations, and promotional planning while fostering continuous improvement and innovation. The role also emphasizes team leadership, mentoring, and operational excellence to ensure effective execution of merchandising initiatives that enhance overall business results.

The Merchandise Planning team drives data-informed decision making by leveraging financial analytics and forecasting to optimize sales, profit, and inventory. This team develops pre-season financial plans and conducts in-season reforecasting to adapt to market dynamics. Collaborating closely with cross-functional partners, the team supports category management through detailed demand planning and financial insights. Their work ensures alignment between merchandise strategies and business goals, enabling effective inventory management and financial performance. The team values precision, analytical rigor, and proactive planning to support Walmart’s commitment to delivering value and meeting customer needs efficiently.

Requirements

• Proven expertise in merchandise planning and category management for complex product lines.
• Strong financial forecasting skills, including budget development and markdown management.
• Advanced data analysis capabilities with proficiency in visualization tools to inform decision-making.
• Experience driving customer-centric strategies through deep understanding of demand trends and buying behaviors.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence business plans with actionable insights.
• Skilled in supporting item-level forecasting and feature planning to optimize inventory and sales.
• Demonstrated success in managing strategic initiatives and delivering measurable business results.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or related field and 4 years’ experience in retail, merchandising, forecasting, or related area.
• OR 6 years’ experience in retail, merchandising, forecasting, or related area.

Nice To Haves

• Negotiating terms and costing
• Profit and Loss (P&L) Responsibility
• Retail Link
• Supervisory
• Masters: Marketing

Responsibilities

• Leverage data analysis and visualization tools to develop actionable insights that influence merchandising decisions and category strategies.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to align category forecasts, financial targets, and assortment strategies with business objectives.
• Drive demand planning and forecasting accuracy by integrating customer behavior and market trends into category and item-level projections.
• Support vendor negotiations by providing financial analysis and risk assessments to optimize cost and terms.
• Lead feature, promotion, and markdown management to maximize category performance and inventory effectiveness.
• Mentor and develop team members, fostering a high-performing, accountable work environment.

Benefits

• Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage
• Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company-paid life insurance
• Paid time off benefits include PTO, parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting.
• PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes.
• Short-term and long-term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement
• Live Better U is a company paid education benefit program for full-time and part-time associates in Walmart and Sam's Club facilities. Programs range from high school completion to bachelor's degrees, including English Language Learning and short-form certificates. Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees