Director, Merchandising, BabiesRUs - Concord, Canada - Toys"R"Us Canada

Description

ToysRUs Canada, proud to be Canadian owned and operated, has an opportunity for a Director of Merchandising, Babies"R"Us Canada. In this role, you will provide leadership, set strategic direction and achieve budgets and metrics for Babies"R"Us.

Leading the Babies"R"Us team, you develop customer first, trend right merchandising, and pricing strategies and a product assortment mix that achieves sales, margin, turnover, profit, and growth targets as well as driving footsteps and optimum market share. As an omnichannel retailer, you are accountable for delivering the Babies"R"Us brand across all channels. You closely collaborate with Marketing, eCommerce, Planning, and Supply Chain teams to ensure a balance of in-stock position while keeping inventory levels on budget and buying and replenishment plans manage risks and maximize opportunities. This position is a key member of the Leadership Team.

This is an opportunity for you to take on exciting responsibilities in a highly entrepreneurial environment, build on your already strong skill set and help us achieve our goals, in a work environment that is fun, fast-paced and dynamic.

Responsibilities:

• a customer first approach, proactively develop and drive innovative and results-oriented merchandising strategies to support the business plan, achieve objectives and build high performance teams.Partner with your team to implement and evaluate business strategies and initiatives that support short-term and long-term vision plans.
• and implement seasonal strategic assortments including exclusives and private label placement, performance, budgets and business planning processes for assigned merchandise categories to deliver market share, sales, margins, inventory, markdown and turn targets and satisfy the needs of the omnichannel customer. Develop strategies to drive expansion and trend of assigned category across all channels.
• closely with vendor partners to achieve mutually beneficial results.
• conjunction with Planning, Supply Chain and Finance partners, drive short- and long-term financial planning strategies and inventory levels, allocation and replenishment through comprehensive tools and analysis including forecasting reports, promotional calendars, pre-season inventory, sales analysis, feedback and historical data to develop financial plans, assess and initiate timely purchasing decisions and decisions that manage risks and maximize opportunities.
• conjunction with Marketing, develop joint business planning for top vendors, including brand, marketing and experiential initiatives, leverage new business opportunities and act as the lead negotiator for the Baby business.
• with Buying teams to develop strong partnerships and a vendor matrix to deliver against strategy, approve development of assortment plan categories, direct negotiating contracts with vendors.
• with cross-functional teams including eCommerce, Marketing, Logistics and Stores to lead strategic seasonal merchandise review meetings including assortment planning, development of marketing plans, tactics and offers, financial planning and inventory flow to achieve business objectives across all channels. Participate in weekly cross-functional sales meetings and conduct regular store visits to communicate strategies, garner feedback and increase customer satisfaction.
• In conjunction with Store Planning team, provide strategic direction for retail space management and visual merchandising programs to optimize profitability and sell through by developing efficient core, customer centric, opportunistic and/or seasonal merchandise programs that will maximize sales and margin per cubic foot of retail selling space.
• process and reporting to track and analyze trends, market share and changes in competition, demographics and consumer buying patterns in the Canadian market place; ensure solutions are based on strong analytics and insights and the path to move from strategy to execution is clearly laid out.
• teams (direct and indirect) providing day-to-day support, coaching, strategic guidance and skill development and growth. Proactively manage and develop the team for succession planning.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive merchandising leadership experience in merchandising, marketing, buying and financial management and preferably across commodities – both hard and soft lines – with product categories that have distinct cycles and 5+ years team management experience
• Proven experience as senior Merchant, DMM or Director of Merchandising
• Experience in customer focused, fast-paced dynamic retail environment
• Demonstrate expertise and experience in translating and leveraging brand into merchandising opportunities, optimized market trends and positive business results.
• Strong negotiation skills with proven track record of maximized vendor relations,
• Ability to build strong and collaborative relationships internally and externally.
• Demonstrated confidence and authenticity, superior negotiation, presentation, written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated leadership and influencing skills with the ability to get things done.
• Strategic planning and competitive analysis abilities with the ability to conceive and create innovative thinking and ideas.
• Excellent leader of people with a successful track record attracting and developing talent.
• Demonstrated strong analytical, problems solving and financial skills for complex issues
• and ability to be both hands-on and strategic as needed.
• strong business acumen, learning agility and a growth mindset.
• Up-to-date knowledge of trend and competitor practices as well as high awareness of retail industry issues.
• Personal characteristics should include: high energy, sense of urgency, resilience, strong listening skills, high integrity, good judgment and self-motivation.

Toys"R"Us is an Equal Opportunity Employer and offers reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. Applicants under consideration for employment will be contacted to participate further in the recruitment process. If you are contacted and you require any accommodation in the recruitment process due to a disability, please indicate this and we will work with you to meet your reasonable accessibility needs.