Sr. Manager, Merchandise Planning- The Disney Store

About the Role & Team

At Disney Consumer Products, we inspire imagination around the world and are committed to creating happiness for families and fans by bringing captivating, inspiring, and inclusive products into their daily lives. From toys to t-shirts, console games, books, and more, our team brings our beloved brands and franchises into the lives of families through products and experiences that can be found worldwide, such as the Disney Store e-commerce platform, Disney Parks, local and international retailers, and Disney Store locations around the world!

The Disney Store Planning organization is responsible for developing a strategic financial plan to drive growth and profitability and deliver on the Guest experience. The team is the foundation of the DisneyStore.com Channel and works in partnership with Merchandising and Sourcing to deliver a range of items relevant to Disney Stores (e-commerce and brick-and-mortar).

You and your teams will drive a quarterly/annual financial strategy for an assortment across multiple categories, based on detailed knowledge of business insights and analytics, marketplace trends, and guest mix across channels. You will evaluate the assortment and react to in-season performance, trends, and takeaways to inform & adjust current and future seasons’ financial and inventory positioning. You will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of all key financial performance indicators to build recommendations and influence the broader organization's execution.

The Senior Manager, Merchandise Planning, will report to the Director - Planning & Allocation and lead a team of 2 direct and 3 second-level reports.

This is a full-time role.

What You Will Do:

• Lead the team that creates Category Plans, including weekly, monthly, and annual forecasts

• Drive the business with full accountability for revenue and cost of goods for an area of responsibility

• Own the pre-season & in-season planning, including forecasting and inventory open-to-buy management to drive growth and profitability

• Analyze data, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions that provide actionable insights

• Lead the development of monthly/annual cause-of-change models

• Translate business performance drivers and metrics into informative analysis and recommendations, influencing organizational decisions

• Identify pricing and liquidation opportunities for your division to manage inventory liability

• Lead cross-functional merchandise meetings, provide input on product performance, assortment strategies, and inventory positioning

• Mentor & develop team members’ skills to continually build bench strength and broaden career path opportunities

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• 6+ years of experience in merchandise planning, financial analysis, and/or strategy development

• Leadership experience guiding and motivating hard-working teams with an excellent track record of achievement, advancement, and performance

• Use financial forecasting, analytical, and communication skills to turn business performance data into useful insights and recommendations for senior leaders

• Proven ability to shape business decisions, influence partners, and build relationships across the company

• Apply storytelling techniques to financial data and present it to leaders at various levels

• Ability to meet timelines, handle multiple priorities, and perform job responsibilities accurately while working in a fast-paced and vibrant environment

• Familiarity with retail planning software or systems, MS Office, Excel, and an understanding of Business Intelligence tools

Preferred Qualifications & Skills:

• Knowledge of retail planning software or systems such as Oracle MFP (Merchandise Financial Planning)

• Understanding of Business Intelligence tools, including MicroStrategy

• Proficiency in interpreting Tableau reports and leveraging the insights to enhance business performance

• Self-starter with natural curiosity and the ability to deal with ambiguity

• Ability to work within a sophisticated matrix organization and find creative solutions

Required Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree and/or 6+ years of related experience

Preferred Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Finance, Mathematics, or other related fields

Additional Information: 

Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities, and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits. 

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The hiring range for this position in Glendale, CA is $139,200 to $186,600 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.