The Manager, Central Planning is responsible for creating sustainable Central Planning processes and accompanying reporting to ensure data-driven decision-making.

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS

• Accuracy of store plans
• Sales, Margin
• NMROI
• Inventory turns/week of supply

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Functional

• Work with Planning, Retail, and Analytics to develop Indigo's best practices for store planning and improve the accuracy of store-level plans.
• Create a cross-functional process and supporting reporting/analytics to support GM Assortment Grade discussions and more closely tie initial allocations to store-level plans.
• Create reporting for the Planning and Inventory Team to improve visibility to store performance to enhance replenishment decisions.
• Recommend an appropriate organizational structure to continuously support store planning and central planning functions in the future.
• Act as a liaison between Retail, Planning, and Analytics on store initiatives to implement best practices and ensure appropriate performance tracking.
• Build team culture and a collaborative environment between Retail, Planning, and Analytics.
• Ensure the completion of team deliverables.
• Stay current in functional expertise.
• Understand the impact to Indigo of changing external environmental factors (competitive, regulatory, technical, etc.)
• Ensure the completion of team deliverables and set/adhere to team budgets, as applicable
• Act as an advocate for the customer by placing them at the forefront of all design and decision-making processes
• Proactively identify and anticipate customer expectations and needs
• Embrace and seek out technology that creates high tech and high touch solutions for Indigo's customers
• Challenge the status quo and consistently identify areas for improvement, diagnose issues and working to resolve them

People

• Build strong teams by attracting and developing the best talent
• Bring out the best in others, empower and constructively stretch talent
• Give authentic feedback on performance and potential
• Ensure all team members understand where they stand and have clear performance objectives aligned with Indigo and team goals
• Collaborate with others to drive flexible and iterative solutions, quickly and easily
• Share technical knowledge with others and actively seek to learn from those more knowledgeable than yourself
• Help others see the impacts of their efforts and proactively engage other functions to get input
• Encourage others to freely share their point of view and be open to feedback
• Accountable for the overall engagement, productivity, turnover and bench strength of the team

Cultural

• Model Indigo's beliefs and convey a positive image in everything you do
• Celebrate diversity of thought and have an open mindset
• Take an active role in fostering a culture of continual learning, taking risks without the fear of making mistakes
• Embrace, champion and influence change through your team and/or the organization

SCOPE

Reports to: VP, Planning & Inventory

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal:

• Retail Team
• Visual Team
• Planning and Inventory Team
• Analytics Team

Work Experience / Education / Certifications

• Post secondary education in related field, or combination of experience & education deemed equivalent
• Minimum 5-7 years of planning experience, in retail would be an asset

Competencies / Skills / Attributes

• Advanced Excel skills required
• Advanced SAP skills and sound knowledge of F&R
• Project management experience
• Demonstrated abilities in multi-tasking and problem solving
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Sound financial and business acumen
• Detail oriented with strong analytical skill set, quantitatively oriented
• Enthusiasm and interest in the Retail business
• Dynamic, ability to work in a demanding and fast paced environment
• Self-starter with an ability to define their own work path
• Ability to deal with change and uncertainty
• Ability to manage through ambiguity and identify opportunities for improvement, creating structure and proposed solutions in areas that lack clarity
• Strong ability to work across functional groups

At Indigo, we are committed to our communities, our customers, and each other; together we can make a positive impact. We know that fostering diversity and inclusion brings out your full potential and creates a joyful and welcoming environment for everyone. We are driven to be an equitable employer, which highly values your diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that you, in all your uniqueness, belong at Indigo. We welcome all applicants and encourage applications from individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, LGBTQ2+ and people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request to individuals who self-identify as having a disability or special need. Please contact Human Resources at [email protected] if you require an accommodation at any time during the recruitment process.

WELCOME HOME

Dedicated to telling stories and creating experiences, Indigo is always looking for bright, energetic and customer-focused people who can help bring our exciting mission to life in one of our more than 170 Indigo, Indigospirit, Chapters and Coles stores across Canada. We offer a variety of exciting opportunities at our retail stores, distribution centres, and home office for people who share our passions and want to be part of a dynamic and enriching culture.

WHO WE ARE

• We love books and all things beautiful
• We are Canada's Cultural Department Store
• Books are our heart and our soul and Great Books are JUST the Beginning…

We play by the following rules:

• We exist to add joy to our customers' lives each and every time they interact with us and our products
• Our job is to create joyful moments for our customers
• We treat each other the way we'd treat a valued friend
• We inspire each other to do our best work
• We seek to ignite creativity and innovation every day
• We give back to the communities in which we operate