Director Merchandise FP&A - Full-time

This position reports to the Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer (CFO & COO). The position is responsible for setting overall Merchandise Planning and Inventory strategy in conjunction with Merchandising Leadership to achieve sales and margin goals. The position will work closely with all departments: Finance/Accounting, Logistics, Merchandising, Sales, Information Technology (IT), Operations, Marketing, ecommerce and Human Resources. Close interaction between these departments is necessary in order to provide analytical insights to enable effective and efficient decision making to drive execution / growth.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES

The essential duties and responsibilities that are required to be performed by the position include the following but not limited to:

1. Inventory

• Monitoring / management of inventory levels, open to buy, product mix and cash flow implications.
• Recommend strategies to achieve balanced plans, maximizing sales and gross margin opportunities through product mix.
• Identify strategies to minimize the aging of inventory and make pricing recommendations to address the aging inventory.
• Works with Buying to evaluate past and current product performance to develop merchandise strategy.
• Lead physical inventory count processes and reconcile year-end results.
• Work in collaboration with Buying, Store Ops and Finance to develop, align and implement replenishment processes to drive revenue and margins.

2. Business Monitors & Metrics

Leads merchant organization through monthly forecast process to accurately assess the current state of the business, provide accurate future forecasts, and makes recommendations for actions needed to maximize sales and margin. Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) that are congruent with the overall direction and focus of the organization. Provide hands-on metric driven financial leadership / support to help understand business trends and help accelerated profitable growth. Establish a Management Business Review (MBR) Process on a Monthly basis with CFO and CEO. Understand business risk and opportunity while keeping a sense of overall perspective relative to company culture, size, competition and the AOP.

3. Annual Operating Plan

Design and Develop the Annual Operation Plan (AOP) working closely with the CFO, Controller and other cross-functional area's as well as to provide Variance Analysis and supporting narrative. Evaluates actual results against plan. Identifies opportunities to increase sales and reduce markdown liability and recommends appropriate action. Quantify risk/opportunity and provide appropriate recommendations to deliver overall company financial objectives.

4. Stores Finance

Provide analytical support and act as the liaison between Store Operations and the Finance organization on all key critical projects / initiatives as well as MBR (such as CAPEX, New Store Openings, Stores Profitability, etc.)

5. Organizational Analytical Support

Partner with merchants to create actionable product performance reporting at the appropriate levels. Provide analytical perspectives on various initiatives:

• Ecommerce profitability
• Work closely with CIO to establish more systematized reporting
• Ad Hoc projects as directed by the CFO

6. Business Forecasting - 3 Statement Modeling

Design, Develop and Launch a formalized financial and operational Forecast on a Monthly Basis

SUPERVISORY/MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The position has supervisory responsibility over the following positions:

• Merchandise Controller
• Merchandise Re-Buyers, both domestic and international

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Required Bachelor's Degree (BA or BS) in any field of study.
• Preferred 5+ years merchandise planning experience
• Preferred 5+ years' experience in Finance or Accounting
• Required 4 years proven experience working in FP&A, Merchandise Management in a multi-chain retail environment.
• Prior experience with implementing core merchandising systems and creating reports that monitor business performance
• Experience in Fulfillment Center forecasting a plus
• Experience in management and development of professional team.

SKILL REQUIREMENTS

• Demonstrated ability working closely with Merchandising, Accounting, IT, Purchasing, Operations and Sales organizations.
• Demonstrated ability analyzing, creating policies and procedures, communicating effectively and efficiently, and working well with a diverse organization to insure proper merchandise controls and processing.
• Ability to work in an entrepreneurial, fast-moving environment
• Strong work ethic and can-do attitude