Director of Merchandise Planning

Pet Food Express is seeking a Director of Merchandise Planning to be a key business partner to Merchandising, Store Operations, and Finance in driving sales while maximizing inventory return on investment and profitability. As the leader of merchandise planning, you’ll develop and execute strategies to support sales growth and ensure optimal inventory levels across the organization. You’ll work closely with the replenishment team to align purchasing and stock management efforts, ensuring inventory is balanced across warehouses and stores to meet business needs.

Reporting to the Chief of Merchandising, you’ll also play a key role in supporting the merchandising organization by building reporting tools, conducting sales and inventory analysis, and providing insights to guide decision-making. The role will involve collaborating with finance and cross-functional teams to build annual financial plans that align with the company’s merchandising and financial objectives, including sales, margin, and inventory. Key responsibilities include full ownership of OTB (Open-to-Buy), identifying efficiencies, and driving sales through strategic merchandise planning.

The right candidate will have a track record of scaling for growth, partnerships, and developing teams. We’re looking for a leader who is passionate about products, customers, and pets! If you thrive in dynamic environments and love creating strategies that propel both growth and customer satisfaction, we want to hear from you!

Please Note: This position is a hybrid role, involving on-site work each week at our corporate headquarters in Concord, CA. Candidates who are fully remote or outside of reasonable commuting distance will not be considered at this time.

What you’ll do:

Own the achievement of sales, gross margin, in-stock levels, and inventory turn goals, ensuring alignment with financial objectives.

Develop and recommend top-line annual and seasonal financial plans based on merchandising strategies.

Partner closely with Finance on all sales and inventory planning, budgeting, and reforecasting.

Responsible for Open to Buy control and management.

Collaborate with the replenishment team to align merchandise planning strategies with stock management efforts and organizational goals.

Drive exemplary merchandise planning practices, ensuring the right inventory is procured to meet demand while maximizing ROI.

Recommend strategies to maximize sales and profits based on inventory levels.

Provide the warehouse with accurate unit forecasts to support product availability and help optimize labor hours.

Build reporting tools and conduct detailed sales and inventory analysis to support the merchandising organization in decision-making.

Implement and recommend systems, tools, and process improvements to streamline operations and enhance team efficiency.

Train and enhance team’s proficiency in analysis.

Build, coach, and develop the merchandise planning team.

Proactively identify opportunities and risks within departments and classifications and recommend actions within week, month, quarter, and year to maximize business results.

Develop strategies in partnership with Merchandising leadership to develop future product and inventory strategies that support long-term company objectives.

Develop, communicate, and lead execution of comprehensive inventory strategies and processes in alignment with merchandising and supply chain partners around key inventory targets and financial goals.

Develop and nurture strong cross-functional partnerships, drive business results and inspire a culture of transparency, collaboration, and accountability.

What you’ll need:

7 years of planning and inventory management in a retail company.

Proven experience managing Open to Buy (OTB) and developing inventory strategies that drive profitability.

Expertise in forecasting, financial planning, and analytical skills with a strong attention to detail.

Proven ability to lead both top-line and bottoms-up planning processes.

Skilled in cross-functional collaboration and communication with key stakeholders across multiple departments.

Demonstrates global and strategic thinking while balancing short- and long-term business management.

Adaptable and capable of thriving in both strategic and tactical roles within a dynamic, sometimes ambiguous environment.

Experience with leading and developing a team.

Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel, email and business communication applications (Slack, Teams, Zoom) required.

BA/BS in Finance, Business, or related field preferred.

PFE Perks:

Grow with us: Many potential career paths and options for advancement within the company

Pet Friendly Workplace – bring your well-behaved pup!

Generous in-store employee discount that extends to your family

Be Healthy: Health with FSA options, dental, and vision insurance

Plan for the future: 401k with employer match

Get Rewarded: Employee referral bonuses

Rest and Relax: Competitive Paid Time Off

The salary range for this position is expected to be $180,000/yr-$193,000/yr. Pet Food Express determines starting salary based on many factors, including but not limited to, local market rate, the qualified pool of candidates, internal compensation practices, a candidate’s actual skills and experience.

About the Company

Pet Food Express is a leading California-based pet specialty retailer with a passion for improving the lives of pets and their owners. Our philosophy revolves around the belief that pets are part of the family, deserving of the best care possible. Since our inception, Pet Food Express has been committed to making a positive impact on the communities we serve by promoting responsible pet ownership, supporting various animal welfare initiatives, and ensuring pets are happy, healthy and homed. With over 60 locations across the state, Pet Food Express has become a trusted destination for pet parents seeking high-quality products and personalized advice from knowledgeable and dedicated staff.

This job summary is intended to describe the general nature and level of work associates/leaders assigned to this job perform. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities.

Pet Food Express is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against employees or applicants based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. This applies to all Pet Food Express activities, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, compensation, assignment, training, promotion, performance evaluation, discipline and discharge. Pet Food Express also provides reasonable accommodation of religion and disability in accordance with applicable law. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Pet Food Express is a place where everyone can learn and grow. However you identify and whatever your background, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come to work every day.

For applicants in our San Francisco, or Los Angeles locations: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, as well as the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, we will consider for employment, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in a manner consistent with the law.

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