Senior Merchandise Planner (41979) - Full-time

Want to love where you work? At Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, our team members are the key to our ability to achieve our mission – to spark the creativity that lives in every person. When you shop our stores, not only will our stores and the products we sell excite you, you will quickly notice that our teams are inspired to provide exceptional service. They are the reason we are the best fabric and craft retail brand in the country. They are why our customers love to shop our stores In each of our nearly 800 locations throughout the U.S., you will find our Team Members directly interacting with customers and assisting with operational, merchandising, and receiving tasks throughout the store. If you are dynamic, energetic and have a passion for serving and inspiring creativity, you will love working at Jo-Ann. Summary
The Senior Merchandise Planner is responsible for providing the merchandise planning support and direction for assigned businesses. Key activities include; but not limited to: the development and preparation of merchandise pre-season financial plans, merchandise in-season financial forecasts, assortment analysis, buy plans, open to buy reporting and ad hoc analysis to ensure that current merchandising initiatives and actions are consistent with and support the financial goals of the business. Responsible for the supervision and development of one or more planners.

Scope

• Responsible for providing inventory management support and leadership to the category management process, while working with confidential information (sales, margins, inventory etc).
• Responsible for the financial planning and execution of initiatives for shops with up to 100 Merchandise Categories that contribute annual Sales- up to $470M.
• Develop sales, margin and inventory financial plans for assigned categories and shops.
• Facilitate the completion of merchandise strategic plans while ensuring the accuracy and achievability of merchandise plans and targets; including incorporating marketing, planogram calendars and season shifts in plan development.
• Review inventory targets to ensure that the appropriate receipt and turn goals are established to meet financial goals.
• Support the Assortment Planning process.
• Support the Assortment Planning process.
• Responsible for in-season forecasts and Open-to-Buy reporting.
• Identify and participate in IT enhancements.

Education Requirements

• Minimum: Bachelor’s degree, specifically Major-Finance/Accounting, Marketing, Merchandising, Business, Statistics or Logistics, or equivalent work experience (Merchandising, Statistics, Operations, Logistics).
• Preferred: Bachelor’s degree (Major-Finance/Accounting, Marketing, Merchandising, Business, Statistics, Logistics).

Experience

• Minimum: 3-5 years of experience in field or retail with a focus on merchandising, financial analysis, replenishment, forecasting, allocation, merchandise planning, store operations, and supply chain management.
• Preferred: 4-6 years of experience in field or retail with a focus on merchandising, financial analysis, replenishment, forecasting, allocation, merchandise planning, store operations, and supply chain management. Supervisory experience is preferred.

Other Skills

• Experience with MS Office programs, specifically Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint, experience with inventory management and merchandising and planning functions, knowledge of replenishment, forecasting and allocation fundamentals, functional experience with retail business systems, particularly SAP R/3 Retail, Business Warehouse, MS Office and Merchandise Planning (JDA/Enterprise Planning) systems. Team player with excellent communication skills, knowledge of retail industry, analytical skills and financial acumen, independent decision making, problem identification and resolution skills. Ability to execute initiatives and interact/balance priorities, results driven and sales focused, organized with an ability to prioritize a variety of tasks.

Our company is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. This job summary is intended to be brief and does not list all the duties for this position. Nothing in this job description should be construed as an express or implied contract of employment. Jo-Ann Stores, LLC. is an at-will employer, which means that your employment may be terminated by the Company or yourself with or without notice or cause unless the at-will arrangement is modified by a written agreement signed by both you and the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.