Manager, Merchandising And Inventory Support

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Manager, Merchandising and Inventory Support is responsible for providing operational support to the Merchandising and Inventory Management teams, supporting key processes, systems, reporting, and providing training of best practices.

Job Responsibilities:

The scope of duties includes providing operational support for Planning, Forecasting, Replenishment, Allocation, Store Fulfilment, Vendor Income collection, Open to Buy, and Reporting.

• Manage direct reports, providing priorities, assignments and follow through of existing tasks, providing coaching and development opportunities

• Supports Merchandising and Inventory Management users with best practices and reporting while assigning tasks, communicating due dates, and ensuring their completion. Scope of duties support key merchandising and planning functions including Demand Planning, Forecasting, Store Fulfilment, Replenishment, Open to Buy, Monthly Vendor Income, Cost Updates, Clearance, Aged Inventory liquidation including data to provide accounting entries and other duties as assigned

• Oversee vendor income budget and forecasting process, ensuring the team collects and processes vendor deals used to support product selling margin, calculating deal values and submitting to Accounting for accrual and deduction. Provides reporting to track actuals vs. budget and ensures MS Access database or related systems are maintained to ensure there is no disruption to the month end close or reconciliation process

• Exhibits strong organization and time management skills, capable of monitoring, tracking, and escalating initiatives as needed to manage expectations. Escalates potential road-blocks and is effective at managing up when timelines are at risk.

• Supports new implementations and leads efforts to perform bug fixes, upgrades, and improvements. Provides feedback from UAT, testing, and deployments in DEV, TEST, and PROD environments. Coordinate timing and approval with key stakeholders

• Lead and conduct training, providing training materials and documentation support for Merchandising and Planning systems. Thoroughly document critical tasks related to the update process of existing reports and databases

• Supports team with processing and completion of transactions to update Merchandising and Planning systems including permission/role changes, item maintenance, mass maintenance to maintain parameter changes such as min/max quantities, store ranging decisions, initial model quantities, store transfers and other similar attributes

• Communicates effectively using written and verbal methods to inform end users of changes, system upgrades and system availability

• Collaborates and attends meetings with various stakeholders, sharing expert perspective on Inventory systems, process, data, and reporting

• Partners with IT Support to troubleshoot technical issues with daily reporting tools including Tableau, Excel VBA, MS Access VBA and other scripted procedures

• Builds strong team, cross-pollinating skills, documenting process and demonstrating agility to adapt to shifting priorities

• Other duties as assigned

About Guitar Center

The Guitar Center Company embodies the world of creativity and music by encouraging our teammates to find their own individual sound. Our mission is to develop and nurture lifelong musicians and make a difference in the world by enabling musicians and non-musicians alike to experience the joy that comes from creating music. We believe in putting our customers first, engaging with respect and integrity and fulfilling our mission with passion.

The Guitar Center Company operates through several business divisions. Guitar Center is the world's largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards, recording, live sound, DJ, and lighting equipment, with more than 290 stores across the United States.  2014 marked the milestone 50th anniversary of the Guitar Center Company as the organization continues to help people make music from coast to coast.

E-Commerce brands Guitar Center, Musician's Friend and WWBW offer online sales of a broad selection of music products. The Music & Arts division operates more than 220 stores specializing in band & orchestral instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors, and students since 1952. AVDG and GCPro headline the enterprise audio-visual integration business, delivering a best-in-class commercial and residential customer experience.