The VP of Assortment Planning will lead the team responsible for developing and executing assortment plans aligned with Dollar Tree’s overall strategy. The role is pivotal to Dollar Tree’s success, accountable for the processes and strategy related to assortment planning, and in-season inventory management. The primary goal of the role is to optimize sales, margin, and inventory turnover through effective planning, forecasting, and inventory management. The VP of Assortment Planning is responsible for ensuring processes and systems provide world-class Assortment Planning capabilities for Dollar Tree while creating a cross-functional collaborative environment which supports Dollar Tree’s go to market strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning: Develop and implement merchandise planning strategies aligned with the company's financial objectives, market trends, and customer demand. Navigate through the complexity of geographies, channels, pricing, seasonality, and variations of store formats to deliver profitable sales, fewer stock outs, less inventory liabilities.

• Team Leadership: Lead and provide continued development of 37 assortment planners consisting of Directors, Managers, and Individual Contributors. Foster a collaborative and high-performance work culture.
• Assortment Planning: Cross-functional leadership and collaboration with Merchant teams to create comprehensive assortment plans that meet customer needs, align with brand identity, and maximize profitability.
• Inventory Management: In Partnership with Inventory Management, manage inventory levels and distribution across various channels and store formats to ensure optimal stock levels while minimizing excess or obsolete inventory.
• Demand Forecasting: In Partnership with Merchandising, utilize historical data, market trends, and other relevant factors to forecast demand accurately and refine forecasting models to improve accuracy.
• Financial Analysis: Analyze sales trends, margin performance, and other key metrics to identify opportunities and risks. Use insights to make data-driven decisions in assortment planning.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely and lead other departments through influence such as Inventory Management, Marketing, Sales, Finance, and Operations to ensure alignment and effective execution of merchandise plans.
• Technology and Tools: Leverage and implement appropriate planning tools, systems, and technology to enhance the merchandise planning process and improve efficiency.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business Administration, Merchandising, Finance, or related field.
• Proven experience (10 years) in merchandise planning, retail buying, or related roles within the retail industry with the ability to understand transferable demand and cross-merchandising.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in forecasting, financial analysis, and inventory management.
• Leadership abilities with experience in managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Proven record in leading in a Matrixed environment and managing organizational change, implementing new strategies, driving adoption across teams, and bringing insights to action.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Proficiency in using merchandise planning software and tools such as Anaplan.

Attributes:

• Strategic thinker with a focus on both big-picture planning and attention to detail.
• Results-driven and able to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Adaptive and innovative mindset to navigate evolving market trends and consumer behavior.