(CAN) Senior Director, Merchandise Planning - Fashion

Walmart; Mississauga; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Walmart is seeking a Senior Director for Merchandise Planning in Fashion to lead financial strategies and optimize planning processes. This role requires a strategic leader with extensive experience in merchandise and financial planning, capable of driving a high-performance culture and aligning with corporate objectives. The ideal candidate will foster cross-functional partnerships and enhance customer value through data-driven decision-making.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in Merchandise Planning or Retail Strategy, 5+ years in senior leadership.
• Proven ability to lead and inspire high-performing teams.
• Deep expertise in financial planning and inventory management.

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes Annual Operating Plans for Fashion strategy.
• Directs end-to-end merchandise planning process for profitable growth.
• Builds strong partnerships across departments for strategic initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical Skills

Collaboration

Problem Solving

Tools

AI

Analytics Tools

Job description

Position Summary... The Senior Director, Merchandise Planning Fashion is a strategic leader responsible for driving Walmart Canadas financial strategy for Fashion, ensuring sales, margin, gross profit, and inventory objectives are met. This role leads a team of Senior Merchandise Planning Managers, Merchandise Planning Managers, and Associate Merchandise Planning Managers, fostering a high-performance culture grounded in collaboration, innovation, and Walmarts commitment to Every Day Low Prices (EDLP).

This leader plays a pivotal role in aligning financial planning with business objectives, optimizing assortment strategies, and driving data-driven decision-making to enhance customer value. Through strong cross-functional partnerships with Merchandising, Product Development, Replenishment, Finance, Space and Store Operations, this role ensures executional excellence and continuous improvement in planning processes.

What you'll do...

Strategic Leadership ; Financial Planning

• Develops and executes An nual Operating P lans that support the Fashion SBU strategy while aligning with Walmart Canadas corporate financial guidelines.

• Provides data-driven insights and sc enario planning to guide business decisions, ensuring agility in responding to shifts in consumer demand and market conditions.

• Ensures a Digital-centric approach to Financial Planning and forecasting with focused support to ensure the achievement of Digital growth targets.

• Leads Open-to-Buy (OTB) management, aligning buying strategies, inventory flow, and markdown optimization to maximize profitability and minimize risk.

• Champions Walmarts customer-centric approach , ensuring planning strategies align with consumer demand, seasonal trends, and omnichannel growth opportunities.

Merchandise Planning ; Execution

• Directs and guides the end-to-end merchandise planning process , from pre-season financial planning to in-season execution, ensuring assortment optimization, inventory productivity , and markdown strategies drive profitable growth across both Stores and Digital channels.

• Partners with DMMs and Product Development teams to align merchandise buy plans with customer insights, trend data, and Walmarts EDLP commitment.

• Leads the integration of advanced analytics and technology to optimize planning decisions and drive data-backed execution .

• Oversees store cluster performance, sell-through rates, and markdown strategies , ensuring a customer-led and data-driven approach to merchandising decisions.

Cross-Functional Partnership ; Innovation

• Builds strong partnerships with Replenishment, Finance, Space, Modular Planning , Store Operations and Marketing , ensuring seamless execution of strategic initiatives.

• Drives continuous improvement by identifying and implementing new tools, processes, and automation that enhance ways of working across Merchandising via efficiency, accuracy, and speed to market.

• Acts as a thought leader in merchandise financial planning and retail analytics , driving innovation in Walmarts planning capabilities.

People Leadership ; Culture Building

• Leads, coaches, and develops a high-performing team , fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and results-driven culture.

• Champions Walmarts ValuesRespect for the Individual, Service to the Customer, Strive for Excellence, and Act with Integrity embedding them into daily operations and team dynamics.

• Invests in talent development , ensuring associates have clear career growth opportunities, mentorship, and skill-building in financial planning, analytics, and strategic decision-making.

• Drives accountability, empowerment, and ownership within the team, ensuring all associates are aligned, engaged, and motivated to deliver on Walmarts business objectives .

Operational Excellence ; Process Optimization

• Identifies opportunities to streamline and standardize processes across Fashion and General Merchandise , ensuring best practices in merchandise planning.

• Drives the adoption of new technology solutions , improving forecasting accuracy, inventory flow, and promotional effectiveness.

• Maintains a relentless focus on continuous improvement, efficiency, and agility , ensuring Walmart remains a leader in the competitive Fashion landscape.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in Merchandise Planning, Financial Planning, or Retail Strategy, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role .

• Proven ability to lead, develop, and inspire high-performing teams , creating a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation .

• Deep expertise in financial planning, inventory management, forecasting, and Open-to-Buy strategies within a retail or omnichannel environment.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience leveraging AI, analytics tools, and forecasting models to drive decision-making.

• Exceptional cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across multiple departments .

• Passion for Walmarts mission to help Canadians save money and live better , with a deep commitment to customer-centric decision-making.

Minimum Qualifications...

Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.

Age - 16 or older Preferred Qualifications...

Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.

Walmart will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants and associates as required by law.

Primary Location…

1940 Argentia Rd, Mississauga, ON L5N 1P9, Canada Are you currently a Walmart associate? Please login to your Workday account and use the Find Jobs report to apply for this job.

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