Manager, Merchandise Financial Planning

• Develop merchandise financial plans which optimize product category sales, financial, margin, and inventory goals, including tactical margin, shipments and sales building blocks to reach annual financial targets.
• Accountable for delivering against key business metrics such as sales, gross margin, sell-through, inventory turn, and weeks of supply.
• Responsible for optimizing inventory investment and driving ROI across product categories and channels.
• In-season management of the financial plan, collaborating closely with merchants and FP&A team
• Work closely with merchandising teams to develop and track sales, margin and shipment building blocks/tactics, identify gaps and collaborate with merchants to close financial gaps.
• Develop and deliver performance analysis across the business that measures achievement of sales, margin, and inventory plans on weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis.
• Analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) like sales, margin, and inventory at sub-category/category levels to identify areas for improvement and drive financial performance.
• Influence key stakeholders by delivering insights and recommendations that support strategic product and investment decisions.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Proprietary Brands, Merchandising, Pricing, Promotions and Supply Chain to ensure cohesive business strategies and product execution.
• Support the buy review process for new products with forecasting and analysis including halo and cannibalization estimates, required for inventory investment and store distribution decisions.
• Support the forecasting for carryover and new product launches and new store openings.

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (Business, Merchandising, Finance, etc.).
• 2+ years of experience in retail planning, buying, or retail business analytics — ideally in a high-growth or multi-channel environment.
• A strong understanding of retail financial metrics and inventory management principles.
• Experience partnering with Merchandising or Buying teams and bringing structure to decision-making in environments that are less process-driven.
• Strategic thinking and the ability to distill complex data into clear, actionable insights.
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and change — with a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.

• Strong understanding of financial planning principles and processes, including forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis.
• Proven experience in merchandise planning, inventory management, and retail operations.
• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and develop actionable insights.
• Excellent communication skills, especially in influencing cross-functional stakeholders and presenting to leadership.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and business intelligence tools
• Cross-functional Collaboration

Pet Valu