Senior Merchandise Planner

THE PAPER STORE•Acton, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

TPS Group Holdings, a family of brands including The Paper Store, Uncharted and Gifts & More, is all about transforming daily routines into joyful escapes that inspire and surprise. Our mission is to connect with every customer through carefully chosen products, immersive shopping experiences, and service that goes the extra mile—creating a space that sparks joy with every visit. Position Overview: The Senior Merchandise Planner is responsible for developing accurate, disciplined sales forecasts and inventory plans that drive inventory turn, protect margin, and support category growth while minimizing risk and lost sales. This role plays a critical part in ensuring forecast integrity through structured planning processes, detailed analysis, and thoughtful collaboration with Merchandising and Finance. The ideal candidate brings a highly analytical, data-driven approach, values precision and follow-through, and thrives in an environment with clear expectations, proven methodologies, and accountability. The Senior Planner reports to the Director Planning.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
3–5 years of experience as a Senior Planner or Planning Manager within the retail industry
Highly analytical with strong financial acumen and the ability to manage complex data with accuracy and discipline
Advanced Excel skills with comfort building, maintaining, and analyzing detailed planning models
Able to influence cross-functional partners through clear analysis, data-driven insights, and well-supported recommendations
Comfortable working independently within a structured planning framework while collaborating effectively with key stakeholders
Hands-on and willing to roll up your sleeves to perform detailed analysis and coach or mentor junior team members
Able to work onsite at the Corporate Office in Acton, MA four days per week

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain detailed sales forecasts, inventory plans, and margin goals across assigned departments
Own department-level Open-to-Buy (OTB) planning, ensuring alignment to sales forecasts, inventory targets, and financial objectives
Reconcile bottom-up plans to department and total company forecasts, validating assumptions and identifying gaps
Monitor weekly sales performance, promotional activity, and inventory flow to identify risks and opportunities early
Proactively identify inventory, margin, and forecast risk through detailed analysis, and recommend data-supported actions
Monitor inventory levels and receipts to ensure sales plans are achieved or exceeded while minimizing excess and aged inventory
Develop replenishment strategies, where applicable, to support consistent flow and improved profitability
Analyze key item performance, seasonality, and trends, adjusting forecasts, receipts, and inventory levels for complex categories
Partner closely with Buyers, GMMs, and the Merchant team to align forecasts with product and customer strategies
Work with Finance and Sales Development to assess current business performance and refine future outlooks
Lead structured planning reviews and forecasting meetings with clear agendas, documented assumptions, and follow-up actions
Provide clear, fact-based insights and recommendations to support decision-making across cross-functional partners
Prepare detailed hindsight analysis to evaluate performance and optimize future plans
Create actionable product performance and inventory reporting at appropriate levels of detail
Ensure consistency, accuracy, and rigor in planning methodology across departments
Train and develop junior planners and allocators on analytical thinking, forecasting methodology, and plan management
Serve as a steady, reliable planning partner who upholds best practices and protects the integrity of the planning process