Manager, Assortment Planning - Hardlines Private Brands

About the role

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 role partners with Product Development Merchants, core Assortment Planning counterparts and Merchants to lead category analytics and strategy for the Private Brands portfolio ahead of Product Line Reviews and Rapid Business Reviews. It is project-based, with a mix of planned activities and ad-hoc support, and includes leading and developing a team while also acting as an individual contributor on complex reviews.

Key responsibilities

• Work with Merchants to set category review goals, run standard and ad-hoc analysis to find performance drivers, recommend assortment decisions and develop financial plans reflecting category changes.
• Analyze marketplace and macroeconomic trends, vendor portfolio strengths and weaknesses, line structure, store clustering, customer and store feedback, key product attributes and regional performance.
• Develop executive-level presentations summarizing analysis, strategic rationale and expected financial impact, and report to all levels of management.
• Support the development and maintenance of a calendar of category reviews.
• Own MVP/DMM and Merchant/Associate Merchant relationships for the designated department, handle strategic projects and ad-hoc analysis and reporting.
• Lead and mentor a team of assortment planning professionals and champion best practices across the portfolio.

Required profile

• Age 18 or older and legally permitted to work in the United States.
• Preferred: experience in merchandising, category management, analytics or related business functions; MBA preferred.
• Preferred: familiarity with AI tools such as Gemini, Copilot and Notebook LM.
• Preferred: strong financial acumen, including knowledge of retail and cost accounting methodologies.
• Preferred: demonstrated leadership, including coaching and developing associates.

Required skills

• Strong analytical skills, including interpreting large data sets and performing financial analysis.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Familiarity with GBQ (Google BigQuery).
• Strong communication, presentation and project management skills.