Sr. Director, Front Store Planning

Location: 243 Consumers Road, Toronto, Ontario, M2J 4W8 At Shoppers Drug Mart, we’re innovating health and wellness in Canada. From prescriptions to walk‑in clinics, and a beloved loyalty program, we’re caring and supporting our customers in new ways every day. With more than 1,300 locally owned and operated stores across the country, the Shoppers Drug Mart network is a great place to shop, and even greater to work. We’re committed to building a talented team that champions collaboration, kindness and inclusivity. Join us and help shape a healthy future for your career and for all Canadians. Sr. Director, Front Store Planning & Forecasting Reporting to: Sr. Vice President, Merchandising Role Overview The Sr. Director, Front Store Planning & Forecasting is a critical leadership role responsible for driving the financial performance of our front shop. This position oversees all aspects of sales and gross margin forecasting, financial planning, and performance analysis. The Sr. Director ensures the accuracy, integrity, and strategic alignment of financial forecasts with corporate objectives, proactively identifying areas of exposure and opportunities to inform and revise merchandising plans, enhance sales promotions and optimise overall merchandising strategies. Primary Responsibilities Drive Daily Performance: Monitor sales and margin performance daily, ensuring current plans meet financial commitments and proactively recommending improvements. Strategic Merchandising Review: Conduct ongoing reviews of merchandising inputs, ensuring alignment with financial targets and strategic objectives. Identify Opportunities & Risks: Analyse categories and brands to identify emerging opportunities or negative trends, translating insights into new or revised merchandising strategies to maximise sales and margin potential. Lead Forecasting & Planning Cycles: Develop and manage quarterly forecast roll‑ups and create comprehensive annual sales and margin plans, setting clear direction and targets for the upcoming year. Foster Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Partner extensively with internal stakeholders across all levels, including Category Management, Marketing, Merchandising, Loyalty/Analytics, Finance (SDM and Enterprise), Operations and IT, to build robust forecasts and strategic plans. Team Leadership & Development: Oversee a team of planners supporting the Category Management team by providing guidance, motivation and conducting performance reviews, hiring and talent development to maintain high competency levels and achieve departmental goals. Skills Advanced level of initiative and judgement to organise and prioritise tasks, workload and projects. Courtesy, tact and diplomacy are essential in all working relationships. Strategic business acumen: advanced understanding of retail operations, merchandising and marketing principles and practices. Exceptional analytical & data skills: proven ability to manage, manipulate and analyse complex data sets to identify trends, quantify business opportunities and produce insightful reports and presentations. Technical proficiency: advanced expertise in MS Excel, Power BI, Access, SQL or similar relational databases. Leadership & collaboration: demonstrated experience managing and developing a team, alongside strong collaboration skills to work effectively with diverse stakeholders at all levels. Problem‑solving & innovation: advanced initiative and judgement to organise and prioritise and solve complex problems, employing imaginative and innovative approaches to develop effective solutions. Adaptability & communication: highly adaptable with the ability to set and prioritise work in a dynamic environment. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, capable of influencing and engaging diverse personalities and styles. Experience 7+ years of progressive experience in merchandising, marketing, financial planning or a related analytical field, preferably within a large retail environment. Proven track record in senior analytical or leadership roles with significant forecasting responsibilities. Education Post‑secondary education equivalent to a university degree in Business, Marketing, Statistics or a related quantitative field. Why Work at Shoppers Drug Mart Acting as consultants, supporting internal customers and the Associate‑Owners, you will gain experience unique to the retail industry while working for an award‑winning national brand. Benefit from a purchase discount program, competitive pay and online learning through the Academy. Take ownership of your work and discover more ways to care about your work, co‑workers, customers and community. How You’ll Succeed We seek great people to continually strengthen our culture. We believe great people model our values, act authentically, build trust and make connections. If that sounds like you and you are open‑minded, responsive to change and ready for the challenges of a fast‑paced retail environment, apply today. Employment Type: Full time Type of Role: Regular Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. recognises Canada’s diversity as a source of national pride and strength. We have made it a priority to reflect our nation’s evolving diversity in the products we sell, the people we hire and the culture we create in our organisation. Accommodation is available upon request for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment and assessment process and when hired. We believe that compliance with laws is about doing the right thing. Upholding the law is part of our Code of Conduct – it reinforces what our customers and stakeholders expect of us. 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