Senior Merchandise Planner

The Paper Store is committed to being the premiere destination for all of our customer’s gift-giving needs. Our mission is to share our passion for The Paper Store with each customer, during each visit, by going above and beyond their expectations for both selection and service.

The Senior Merchandise Planner is responsible for analyzing and forecasting inventory and purchase levels to improve inventory turn, maximize category growth potential, and minimize inventory risk and lost sales, utilizing the OTB process to track progress of the objectives. The Senior Merchandise Planner will collaborate with buyers on category performance and upcoming strategies in order to achieve sales forecasts and optimize inventory flow.

The Senior Merchandise Planner reports directly to the Director of Planning.

Competencies

• Communication: Communication is direct and to the point while maintaining employees’ self-esteem. Sets clear performance expectations and provides ongoing feedback. Solicits dialogue to ensure understanding of expectations.
• Leadership: Ability to motivate and influence the team to create buy-in. Clarifies initiatives and articulates their strategic relevance. Helps employees to see the potential for developing their skills; assists them ineliminatingbarriers to their development.
• Development: Demonstrates a passion for teaching. Identifies skill opportunities and takes timely and appropriate action to coach, develop and redirect employees as needed.
• Delegation: Delegates responsibility based on the employee’s ability and potential. Communicate action steps and desired outcomes. Follows up to ensure success.
• Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of corporate responsibility. Takes personal ownership and responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work. Ensures that actions are consistent with words.
• Creativity and Initiative: Forward-thinking, recognizes opportunities and finds new ways of doing things and implements improvements whenever possible. Encourages creativity and innovation.
• Professionalism: Maintains a professional and positive manner even under changing or uncertain conditions. Works well with a wide range of individuals to provide support, encouragement and direction. Engages others to accomplish organizational and departmental goals. Is seen as a role model.
• Personal Development: Displays self-awareness, a high level of energy, persistence and a positive outlook. Continuously seeks ways to improve and learns from mistakes and constructive feedback.
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Be a TPS brand ambassador
• Develop sales forecasts and inventory plans and margin goals across all departments
• Manage monthly department level open-to-buy activities
• Review and reconcile bottom-up plans to department plans and forecasts
• Facilitate regular planning sessions and meetings to drive a successful forecasting process
• Identify risk/opportunity and provide appropriate recommendations to deliver overall company financial objectives
• Partner with finance and sales development team to accurately assess current state of business and provide accurate future forecasts
• Prepare hindsight analysis for optimization of future plans
• Train and develop planning team on thought process to analyze and forecast sales, margin and turn relative to plan, trend and history
• Monitor retailer's weekly sales trends and promotional activity in order to identify risk and opportunities
• Create and forecast seasonal Open-to-Buys for retail partners
• Monitor inventory and receipt levels to enable sales plans to be achieved or exceeded
• Develop replenishment strategies where applicable to ensure proper flow and improved profitability
• Partner with GMMs and Merchant team to develop a clear understanding of the customer and product strategies
• Assist GMM/DMM/Planning in management and maintain company turn and GM goals
• Partner with merchants to create actionable product performance reporting at the appropriate levels
• Analyze key item trends and seasonality, adjusting forecasts, receipts and inventory levels as needed to support plans for more complex categories
• Identify and influence critical stakeholders, proactively problem solve, and recommend solutions
  
  

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Currently a Sr. Planner or Planning Manager within the retail industry with 5+ years’ experience
• Analytical and financial aptitude.
• Advanced Excel skills
• Ability to motivate and influence cross-functional internal partners and vendors
• Willingness to roll up sleeves to perform analysis and coach/mentor junior planners and allocators
• Ability to work 3+ days/week at the Corporate Office in Acton, MA
• Professional presentation in attire, demeanor, and appearance
  
  

The Paper Store is an equal-opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, veteran status, or any other classification protected by state, local or federal law.

The Paper Store is searching for a Full Time Senior Merchandise Planner to join the team at the Corporate Office!