Planner, Space & Business Sys

Overview

This position is responsible for planning, designing, developing, and launching efficient business systems in support of core Store Planning functions and processes. This position will manage Store Planning’s systems and projects, interact with IT, steer Category Knowledge Base (CKB) functionality for the chain, and act as Store Planning’s in-house subject matter expert as it pertains to Space Planning, Floor Planning, Assortment Optimization, CKB, Web Publisher, Space Automation and supporting business processes.

The incumbent will work closely with the Space Planners, Fixture Procurement and Retail Store Planners to conceptualize, investigate, develop and document functional specifications for technical enhancements, programs and business processes, to ensure the highest possible level of data integrity. This role requires a broad understanding of organizational processes and software applications as well as how different applications interact with each other.

Note: Responsibilities below include the minimum requirement; must include at least 5% focus areas.

• The Business Systems Planner will be accountable for meeting with Director of Store Planning and end users to define business requirements and system goals, as well as identify and resolve system issues
• Stay cognizant and knowledgeable of application functionality, interfacing and on-going enhancements for the purpose of analyzing the effectiveness and efficiency of existing systems and developing strategies for improving or further leveraging the business systems
• Manage the Space Planning and Floor Planning system(s) including configuration, security, libraries, reporting, phase updates, and rollouts. Maintain the integrity of the data warehouse and system operations, including backup strategies and business continuity
• Build and support automated workflows across multiple platforms using VBA, C#, and SQL
• Administrative duties within Workfront, a project management tool, which supports the entire Merchandising organization’s sales driving initiative plans as well as new store opening schedule, Marketing initiatives, and Merchandise Presentation long term strategic goals. Builds new process timelines and reporting functionality within the tool to support ongoing improvement
• Act as business lead role in design sessions in prototyping new systems for the purpose of enhancing business processes and information flow. Create process models, specifications, diagrams, and documentation to provide suggested direction to management, as well as identifying and reporting risks associated with all proposed solutions
• Provide store, space, and category analysis for Buyers using the available tools such as CKB, SAP, Business Objects, etc to create optimal store assortments and appropriate space and SKU counts, based on store clusters, demographic attributes, and store sales per linear foot performance.
• Meet with Business Partners, Project Managers, and vendor partners to determine project scope and vision, set system goals, identify and resolve system issues, and lead prioritization of build items
• Communicate changes, enhancements, and modifications to stakeholders so that issues and solutions are understood
• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with IT and business users to fully understand business processes, challenges, and anticipate needs

Experience:

6 years combined experience in Merchandising, field operations, visual merchandising, store planning, and space management. Position requires knowledge of space management products, including space planning, floor planning, IKB, and space automation.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Business, Marketing or related field;
Any suitable combination of education and experience will be considered.

• Advanced skill using the JDA/Intactix suite of Space Management products, including Space Planning, Floor Planning, IKB, and Space Automation is preferred. The qualified candidate must be familiar with database mining techniques, possess experience using and…