Manager - Store Planning & Allocation

About the Position

Building on organizational strategy and goals, the Manager, Store Planning & Allocation develops functional goals and processes which improve organizational impact and efficiency; identifies business needs gaps and pushes the team to improve, evolve and elevate tools and processes; and supports brand decisions through workload assessment and process analysis.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate strong long term vision and continual growth objective building skills

• Set annual priorities with measureable objectives which are achieved by holding team accountable for results

• Initiate and implement a competency definition and elevation strategy for team

• Ensure functional financial success through leading inventory, store and size management by working towards meeting or exceeding sales, gross margin, gross margin return on investment (GMROI), sell through and sell through by size

• Organize pre-season and in-season Allocation workload incorporating cross functional workload and deliverables over multiple quarters

• Identify, recommend and coordinate innovative strategies which ensure competitive success

• Understand implications of projects/processes and business impacts on people and workload

• Build and support a collaborative and innovative environment with direct reports, peers and cross functional team encouraging best practices, consistency and project prioritization

• People Management

• Manage/support career development process of teams to ensure job satisfaction, talent retention and development

• Create strategies for succession planning through long term team development plans and cross functional and cross brand partnership

• Negotiate with cross functional teams on workload management which fulfill organizational strategies benefiting operational and financial business goals

• Provide direction and feedback to direct reports to foster skill development and performance improvement

• Able to accurately assess employee strengths; demonstrated ability to coach employee through development needs

•Select and recruit talent

Requirements

• College degree or equivalent experience; Advanced degree desired

• 3-4 years’ experience as a Manager of Store Planning, Allocation or Merchandise Planning

• 3-4 years managing a team

• 5-7 years diverse retail management, buying, planning, allocating or related experience

• Financial and business acumen

• Proven track record in managing a business function and team to achieve financial targets and people goals

• Advanced strategic thinking and analytical skills

• Ability to lead and manage teams of people

• Flexible and adaptable to change; Able to lead through change and manage ambiguity