Space & Merchandise Planner

Readerlink Distribution Services

1d•$62,000 - $65,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Space and Merchandise Planner is responsible for the coordination and execution of book planograms across multiple customers. This role involves managing planogram needs, creating and updating presentation planograms, building account-specific fixtures, and collaborating with Sales teams to ensure accuracy. The planner will act as a subject matter expert for merchandise space planning, utilize BY reporting for product performance analysis, and be accountable for assigned merchandising programs, ensuring data accuracy across multiple systems. They will also develop and uphold visual merchandising best practices, follow retail strategies while challenging traditional methods, and uphold organizational standards, including customer-specific guidelines. This is a collaborative role across various departments such as Product Managers, Category Management, Sales, Demand Planning, and Supply Planning to optimize planogram profitability and ensure they are retail-ready upon publication. The position requires strong time management, interpersonal skills, written and oral communication, organization, and analytical abilities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business or a related field is required.
One (1) to two (2) years of experience with Blue Yonder/JDA Space Planning module is required.
Demonstrated understanding of interior retail design, consumer behavior, product placement, margin recognition and fundamental merchandising techniques.
Strong prioritization, process optimization, project management, and problem-solving capabilities.
Must be able to work independently on tactics and in high-functioning groups on strategic direction.
Strong to advanced experience in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook is required.
Must have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Ability to speak with all levels of the organization and outside partners.
Must be proficient in basic mathematics: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Ability to do algebra, calculate figures and amounts and apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
A methodical and organized approach to problem-solving.

Nice To Haves

Minimum one (1) year of experience with Data Manager is preferred.
Knowledge of BY/JDA Planogram Generator is preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage planogram needs and advances company effectiveness in utilizing the Blue Yonder CKB platform (Space Planning, Data Manager, Open Access, and SaPro).
Create, execute and update presentation planograms covering all categories of product and supporting all stores in line with the overall space merchandising strategy of the organization and its customers.
Build and update account specific fixtures as needed.
Work closely with Sales teams to ensure fixtures for their customers are built accurately.
Act as the subject matter expert for merchandise space planning for peers.
Utilize BY reporting, including highlights, tables, and other tools to analyze product performance.
Accountable for all aspects of assigned merchandising programs. Ensure data is accurate, complete, and consistent with defined standards in multiple systems when creating and maintaining planograms.
Develop, document, uphold and communicate visual merchandising best practices.
Follow fundamental retail strategies, but challenge traditional methods.
Uphold the standards across the organization.
Follow customer specific guidelines as needed.
Collaborate across the enterprise, including Product Managers, Category Management, Sales, Demand Planning, and Supply Planning to ensure planograms are both as profitable as possible with analytics available, and “retail-ready” upon publication.
Manage multiple simultaneous projects and customers using a range of skills, tools and techniques to effectively manage tasks, projects, goals, deadlines and schedules.
Effectively work with a wide variety of personalities and perspectives, remains open to others’ ideas and exhibits willingness to try new things.
Speak clearly in positive and negative situations and can represent Readerlink and our customers in a professional manner in public and private interactions. Edit written work for spelling and grammar, present numerical data effectively and is able to read and interpret written information.
Effectively develop and maintain processes for record-keeping and reporting for their customers, projects, goals and deadlines. Maintain high levels of accuracy and detail.
Combine and apply information from disparate sources and can interpret and draw conclusions from both quantitative and qualitative data.