Manager Assortment Planning, Hardlines Private Brands

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Position Purpose:

The Manager, Assortment Planning Hardlines Private Brands is a strategic leader and subject matter expert who provides analytical insights and assortment planning expertise to support key merchandising decisions. The Manager partners closely with Product Development Merchants (PDMs), core Assortment Planning counterparts, and Merchants to lead category analytics and strategy for the Private Brands portfolio ahead of Product Line Reviews (PLRs) and Rapid Business Reviews (RBRs). The Manager’s work is project based and will be a mixture of planned activities and ad-hoc support. The Manager also leads and develops a team of assortment planning professionals, champions best practices across the portfolio, and drives the delivery of high-quality, data-driven recommendations that optimize category performance and support business objectives. In addition to leading and mentoring their team, this role serves as an individual contributor by directly leading complex reviews and providing strategic recommendations that influence category performance and business outcomes. 

Key Responsibilities:

• 80% Work in collaboration with Merchants to determine category review goals and objectives, conduct standard and ad hoc analysis to identify key drivers of performance, recommend assortment decisions that will improve category performance and develop financial plans that reflect category changes. Typical analysis will include: (a) marketplace and macroeconomic trends impacting the category including competitive assessment, (b) vendor portfolio strengths and weaknesses including private brand, (c) line structure, (d) store clustering, (e) customer and store feedback, (f) identifying key product attributes and (g) regional performance. Develop executive-level presentations that summarize analysis including historical category performance, strategic rationale underpinning assortment decisions and expected financial impact. Report out to all levels of management. Accountable for accuracy, thoroughness, thought process, timeliness and viability of recommendations.
• 10% Support to develop and maintain a calendar of category reviews.
• 10% Own MVP/DMM and Merchant/Associate Merchant relationships for designated department. Strategic projects. Ad hoc analysis and reporting.

Direct Manager/Direct Reports:

• this position reports to the Senior Manager, Assortment Planning
• No direct responsibility for supervising others

Travel Requirements:

• Typically requires overnight travel less than 10% of the time.

Physical Requirements:

• Most of the time is spent sitting in a comfortable position and there is frequent opportunity to move about. On rare occasions there may be a need to move or lift light articles.

Working Conditions:

• Located in a comfortable indoor area. Any unpleasant conditions would be infrequent and not objectionable.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must be eighteen years of age or older.
• Must be legally permitted to work in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in merchandising, category management, analytics, or related business functions 
• Familiarity with AI tools (e.g., Gemini, Copilot, Notebook LM, and similar technologies) 
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret large, complex data sets, perform financial analysis, and develop actionable business insights 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint 
• Familiarity with GBQ (Google BigQuery) 
• Strong financial acumen, including knowledge of retail and cost accounting methodologies 
• Strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to influence stakeholders and develop executive-level presentations 
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and cross-functional partners simultaneously 
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including task delegation, conflict resolution, coaching, and problem-solving 
• Experience leading and developing associates in a team environment 
• MBA preferred 

Minimum Education:

• The knowledge, skills and abilities typically acquired through the completion of a bachelor's degree program or equivalent degree in a field of study related to the job.

Minimum Years of Work Experience:

• 3

Competencies:

• Ability to partner with cross-functional teams at all levels across a complex organization
• Ability to get results despite a large workload, competing demands and working in a fast paced environment
• Ability to effectively prioritize multiple demands, adjust to change quickly and work constructively under pressure
• Ability to structure nebulous projects and to work constructively under tight deadlines
• Ability to influence peers and business partners without authority