Sr. Sales Margin & Inventory Analyst

Barnes & Noble•New York, NY

14h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Sales Margin & Inventory Analyst is responsible for analyzing sales performance, gross margin trends, and inventory efficiency to support commercial decision-making and profitability improvement. In this role, you will provide actionable insights that help optimize pricing, product mix, inventory investment, and promotional strategies across categories, channels, and regions. Working closely with the Merchandising, Operations, and Finance teams, the analyst plays a key role in ensuring that sales growth, margin expansion, and inventory productivity are achieved in alignment with financial targets.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, or a Business-related field along with five years’ experience in a Finance or Business role.
Proven experience in finance, financial planning, or analytics roles, preferably within retail or consumer goods.
Experience analyzing sales performance, gross margin, and inventory productivity.
Proven track record of delivering actionable insights, managing budgets, and supporting senior leadership.
Strong knowledge of financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling.
Proficient in financial and variance analysis, including sales, margin, and inventory drivers.
Ability to manage budgets and operational metrics to achieve profitability and sustain growth.
Knowledge of financial controls and retail performance metrics.
Demonstrated ability to build effective cross-functional relationships.
Works with a strong sense of urgency while maintaining attention to detail and accuracy in deliverables.
Effective communication and presentation skills, with the ability to concisely articulate financial insights.
Ability to translate financial analysis into actionable recommendations for non-financial stakeholders.
Ability to anticipate challenges and take initiative to implement solutions that positively influence the business.
Comfortable challenging assumptions and presenting data-driven perspectives when needed.
Demonstrates a growth mindset and willingness to continuously learn and improve analytical skills.
Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data analysis tools, with willingness to continue developing advanced skills.
Familiarity with ERP systems, financial reporting tools, and retail data platforms.

Nice To Haves

FPAC (Certified Corporate FP&A Professional), FMVA (Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst), CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst), or CMA (Chartered Management Accountant) preferred.
Experience with retail accounting is a plus
Familiarity with B&N’s operational model and a strong love of books is a plus
Experience with key data analytics programming languages and visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, SQL, Tableau) is a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead comprehensive analysis of sales performance by product, category, region, and channel to identify growth opportunities and margin improvement areas.
Oversee store margin for Barnes & Noble and Paper Source by ensuring model accuracy and by proactively adjusting key components based on evolving business conditions
Evaluate the impact of pricing, promotions, and discounting on gross margin and profitability.
Manage weekly scorecard process by ensuring executive team has access to high-quality insights and accurate data from key areas of the company
Partner with Books and Specialty teams to provide insights on product mix, markdown effectiveness, and margin optimization.
Support monthly and quarterly business reviews with detailed sales and margin reporting and commentary.
Monitor inventory levels, aging, and turnover rates to ensure alignment with sales forecasts and financial targets.
Collaborate with Merchandising and Operations teams to reduce excess or obsolete inventory.
Support store-level profitability analysis by evaluating the relationship between sales, margin, and inventory investment.
Prepare regular dashboards and reports that summarize key metrics for sales, margin, and inventory productivity.
Contribute to budgeting and forecasting processes by providing data inputs, performance tracking, and variance analysis.
Maintain and improve financial and operational models used to evaluate business performance.
Ensure data accuracy, consistency, and timeliness across reporting tools and systems.
Mentor junior analysts by sharing best practices in financial analysis, reporting, and cross-functional communication.
Proactively identify risks and opportunities, influencing strategic decisions through scenario modeling and impact analysis.