Director, Planning

The Director, Planning & Inventory Management is responsible for leading and developing financial planning and inventory management for a defined group within General Merchandise or Print. This positon will be responsible for seasonal, long term and annual plans that support the category specific strategic plans, determining sales, margin and inventory turn targets across both physical and digital channels. Working in partnership with Category VP's, this incumbent will maximize overall financial performance of product categories.

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS

• Sales & Net Margin
• NMROI & Inventory Turns
• Forecasting Accuracy
• In Stock/Ending Inventory Targets
• Team Engagement

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategic

• Partner with the Category VP for their defined group to determine the category strategic goals and financial plans across all channels
• Reconcile top-down strategic plans and bottom-up category plans and forecasts to ensure the achievement of business targets.
• Maintain strategic foresight by identifying customer and business needs and adjusting departmental and team objectives accordingly.
• Acts as lead on key strategic projects that have broad organizational reach and high impact
• Support Indigo goals by executing short to mid-term departmental goals (1 year)
• Maintain strategic foresight by identifying customer and business needs and adjusting departmental and team objectives accordingly.

Functional

• Partner with the Category leadership team to establish strategic goals, investment and financial plans
• Partner with Category VP to develop and recommend macro space plans to maximize sales and margin potential in high-opportunity categories, with support from Store Design, Visual Merchandising and Purchasing Operations.
• Accountable for financial target setting and financial planning processes for the division, with the ability to call out opportunities and risks in the buying strategy
• In conjunction with the Category VP, drive the completion of key deliverables for new store and product expansion projects/opportunities.
• Develop seasonal merchandise financial plans and inventory management strategies, including allocation and replenishment, to manage the planning and inventory management managers, merchandise planners, and assistant planning and inventory managers.
• Ensure best practices in PO flow and Case Pack rounding are executed throughout the year to drive turns and efficiencies in team allocations, DC and Store Execution.
• Optimize inventory investment levels for the group to ensure stores and the Online channel are kept in stock.
• Led the in-season forecasting process and markdown management for the defined group, and was accountable for driving business performance while maximizing margin and inventory productivity.
• Lead the post-mortem and sighting process with the Category VP, challenging the team to learn and adapt continuously for future periods.
• Create and execute Seasonal and core Inventory Strategies in partnership with Distribution Centres to optimize inventory Turnovers and Net Margin potential.
• Understand the impact of changing external environmental factors (competitive, regulatory, technical, etc.) on Indigo.
• Drive appropriate execution and decision-making to achieve all Key Financial Performance Metrics.
• Ensure the accuracy of information and reporting.
• Act as a key collaborator with the Retail and DC Operations teams, developing strategies and processes to maximize efficiencies in peak selling periods
• Build team culture and a collaborative environment between Category and Planning.
• Partner with the SVP, Planning & Inventory Management on key initiatives
• Responsible for the development and execution of Group replenishment strategies with a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Ensure the execution of team deliverables and adapt team priorities based on changing needs.
• Set/adhere to team budgets, as applicable.
• Act as an advocate for the customer by placing them at the forefront of all design and decision-making processes.
• Embrace and seek out technology that creates high-tech and high-touch solutions for Indigo's customers.
• Proactively identify and anticipate customer expectations and needs
• Challenge the status quo by consistently identifying areas for improvement, diagnosing issues and working to resolve them
• Inform and Review Schematic Plans for new/reno and current Stores and Fixtures
• Create and drive cross-functional Processes and improvements and hold all cross-functional teams accountable
• Special Projects-Drive and represent the shared requirements of Planning and Merchants on cross-functional/Adhoc projects
• Drive accountability on key business partner deliverables that impact Planning and Inventory execution
• Liaison between Category Directors and Managers with cross-functional partners
• Collaboratively work with cross-functional partners to successfully deliver key Planning timelines and deliverables.
• Create and communicate annual Division Planning Calendars and Decks.
• Drive Data Integrity across Merchant and Planning teams for reporting accuracy, efficient analysis and execution for all cross-functional teams
• Encourage and maintain open communication with Stores through My Indigo, HEAT Tickets, store walk-thru and feedback.
• Remove Roadblocks for both Merchant and Planning teams to drive their business.

People

• Build strong teams by attracting and developing the best talent
• Bring out the best in others, empower and constructively stretch talent
• Provide constructive, timely and actionable feedback on performance and potential
• Ensure all team members understand where they stand and have clear performance objectives aligned with Indigo and department goals
• Accountable for the overall engagement, productivity, turnover and bench strength of the team
• Supports the creation and maintenance of a talent succession plan
• Ability to lead a team and thrive in an entrepreneurial environment
• Collaborate with others to drive flexible and iterative solutions quickly and easily
• Share technical knowledge with others and actively seek to learn from those more knowledgeable than yourself
• Help others see the impacts of their efforts and proactively engage other functions to get input
• Support and Mentor teams on best practices, presenting feedback, emotional intelligence and having difficult conversations
• Encourage others to freely share their point of view and be open to feedback
• Provide opportunities for development and growth for teams (personal and professional development)

Cultural

• Model Indigo's beliefs and convey a positive image in everything you do
• Celebrate the diversity of thought and have an open mindset
• Take an active role in fostering a culture of continual learning, taking risks without the fear of making mistakes
• Embrace, champion, and influence change through your team and/or the organization

SCOPE

Reports to: Vice President, Planning & Inventory Management

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal:

• General Merchandise teams
• Finance
• Supply Chain -Distribution Centers
• Store Operations
• Visual Teams
• Marketing & Promotions
• Online Operations
• Master data

#LI-Hybrid

QUALIFICATIONS

Work Experience / Education / Certifications

• 8+ years' retail buying and/or retail planning experience
• 3+ years' experience managing teams
• University degree or higher or equivalent required
• Proven experience managing a business to achieve financial targets based on a solid knowledge of business and financial planning concepts

Competencies / Skills / Attributes

• Possess strong analytical skills, ability to analyze and utilize financial measurements including: sales, gross margin, receipt flow and to impact the business
• Strong financial forecasting and inventory management skills
• Strong business analysis and strategic/innovative thinking skills
• Demonstrate leadership and decision-making skills
• Ability to think conceptually and strategically
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of the industry and broad market perspective on trends and business opportunities
• Proven ability to manage and develop results-oriented teams
• Ability to build and maintain productive cross-functional and peer relationships to drive sales and foster teams
• Ability to "sell" ideas and influence senior managers, peers, direct reports and cross-functional/business matrix partners effectively
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to influence peers and team members effectively and manage and resolve conflicts
• Ability to deal with constant change and uncertainty
• Ability to prioritize and manage planning workload and processes to meet company objectives
• Demonstrate strong listening, written and oral communication skills
• Ability to accurately assess team members' strengths and developmental needs to address opportunities and shortfalls
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

At Indigo, we are committed to our communities, our customers, and each other; together we can make a positive impact. We know that fostering diversity and inclusion brings out your full potential and creates a joyful and welcoming environment for everyone. We are driven to be an equitable employer, which highly values your diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that you, in all your uniqueness, belong at Indigo. We welcome all applicants and encourage applications from individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, LGBTQ2+ and people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request to individuals who self-identify as having a disability or special need. Please contact Human Resources at Support- if you require an accommodation at any time during the recruitment process.

WELCOME HOME

Dedicated to telling stories and creating experiences, Indigo is always looking for bright, energetic and customer-focused people who can help bring our exciting mission to life in one of our more than 170 Indigo, Indigospirit, Chapters and Coles stores across Canada. We offer a variety of exciting opportunities at our retail stores, distribution centres, and home office for people who share our passions and want to be part of a dynamic and enriching culture.

WHO WE ARE

• We love books and all things beautiful
• We are Canada's Cultural Department Store
• Books are our heart and our soul and Great Books are JUST the Beginning...

We play by the following rules:

• We exist to add joy to our customers' lives each and every time they interact with us and our products
• Our job is to create joyful moments for our customers
• We treat each other the way we'd treat a valued friend
• We inspire each other to do our best work
• We seek to ignite creativity and innovation every day
• We give back to the communities in which we operate