Merchandise Demand Planner (Open to Remote)
: Job Details :

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Merchandise Demand Planner to join our team. This is an exciting opportunity to join one of the fastest growing furniture retailers in the country. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 4 years of experience in Retail Demand Planning with a strong background in analytics, cross-functional teamwork, and problem-solving.In this role, you will lead the development of a top-down and bottom-up demand plan and provide strategic direction to inform merchandise buys for Bob's Omni Channel business model. This role will act as a trusted advisor to the Merchandising team to drive the strategy and vision for assortment planning, product distortions, cost, pricing modeling, and store or channel selling. This partnership will drive the development of annual merchandise plans and strategies. This position is responsible for working with Merchandising, Replenishment, Supply Chain, and Finance to help translate strategic direction and line productivity expectations.Part of this role will be digging in with the merchandising team and the corresponding financial data to understand how distortions have changed, how that affects overall sales, and how various merchandise planning strategies will affect those numbers. Various research and analytical skills will be essential for success in this role, including synthesizing large data sets into meaningful results and strategies, deep learning of new planning systems, and creative problem-solving across functional areas.Job ResponsibilitiesDevelop pre-launch top-down/bottom-up level plans for sales, inventory, markdowns, and margin in partnership with the Merchants.Conduct monthly reforecast of category unit plans/dollar/cost plans, focusing on future opportunities as well as minimizing sales/inventory risks.Communicate over/under bought situations and provide recommendations for resolution.Initiate analysis of business trends, including but not limited to, category performance, regional/store, channel, and SKU performance selling.Communicate with multiple departments and team members on merchandise sales and margin trends to identify selling behavioral changes as well as penetration changes.Recommend test strategies based on current category performance and initiate analysis.Collaborate with merchandising to develop and communicate a comprehensive strategy that aligns with future financial product opportunities.Collaborate with Merchandising, Pricing, Marketing, Supply Planning, and Finance to incorporate the onboarding of new products, retirement of old products, customer-specific inventory requirements, and promotions into the demand planning process and recommendations.Participate in internal and external cross-functional meetings and present product-level financials while identifying risks and opportunities.Develop a comprehensive Open to Buy plan, considering various supply sources servicing different customer interests.Develop assortment plans that tie back to the monthly open to buy targets as well as ladder back to the company overall financial sales goals.Work with department heads to analyze existing systems and create new workflows and processes.Partner and become a subject matter expert within Demand Planning in the implementation and integration of new planning software tools, including testing, scenario play, report building, and KPI development and management.Design both recurring and ad hoc reporting and analysis on key business metrics. Present findings in a clear and actionable form.Supervisory ResponsibilityThis role does not currently have any direct reports but the ideal candidate will have managerial experience and the ability to hire, train, and lead a team in the future.Work EnvironmentThis position is home-based, offering the flexibility to work from a home office.The role involves frequent use of phone and web conferencing tools to communicate with team members, stakeholders, and partners.Collaboration is key, with regular virtual meetings and ongoing communication through various digital platforms.The position requires a high degree of influence and collaboration, working closely with cross-functional teams including marketing, sales, IT, and external partners.The role demands a self-motivated individual who can thrive in a remote work environment while maintaining productivity and engagement with the broader team.Physical DemandsThe role requires the ability to sit for extended periods while working on a computer.Regular use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, and video conferencing tools.Visual and auditory acuity required for extensive computer use and virtual meetings.Expected Hours of Work and TravelThis position is remote, offering flexibility and work-life balance.Regular work hours are E.S.T 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.The candidate may be required to travel to our home office in Manchester, CT several days a year for in-person meetings, store or DC visits, collaboration, and strategic planning sessions.Required Education And ExperienceBachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred but not required.Minimum 4 years of experience in a planning function, preferably in Retail.Strong analytical and quantitative skills; highly proficient with MS Excel and merchandise planning systems.Ability to learn new systems quickly and leverage systems and information to influence others.Ability to work with data from multiple sources and interpret the data to provide actionable conclusions.Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to work across the organization.Illustrates a dedication to meeting requirements of internal and external customers, responding to all customer requests promptly and thoroughly.Strong communication skills including the ability to work in a team environment, give honest, direct feedback and is a solid verbal and written communicator.Meets deadlines, prioritizes appropriately, copes well with change, and maintains composure under pressure.Is accountable for results, approaches obstacles proactively, and looks for ways to resolve problems and issues.Preferred Education and ExperienceForecasting/planning experience in the retail industry.Tools: Logility, Power BI, ERP solutions, and Integrated Supply Chain planning solutions. Must have intermediate to advanced Excel skills.Expected Base Pay Not Including Potential Commissions, Incentive, Bonus, etc. Opportunities: $72,000 - $90,000#J-18808-Ljbffr