Merchandise Planning and Project Analyst

Vast Auto Distribution; Brampton; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Vast Auto Distribution in Brampton, Canada, is seeking a Merchandise Planning & Project Analyst to drive the planning rhythm and manage cross-functional projects within the Merchandising team.

You will own calendars, track milestones, and support process documentation, ensuring efficient execution and continuous improvement across categories and vendor relationships.

Qualifications

• 2–3 years of experience in a project coordination, administrative, operations, or retail support role.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects with strong attention to detail and follow-through.

Responsibilities

• Own the Category Management team's project calendar, ensuring clear owners, timelines, milestones, and status updates.
• Organize and lead Project Planning meetings coordinating product-related projects across the organization.
• Coordinate planning cycles including seasonal assortment reviews, planogram updates, changeovers, item disposition, promotional events, and Joint Business Planning schedules.
• Prepare and distribute pre-meeting materials, agendas, and post-meeting summaries for key stakeholders.
• Follow up on action items with cross-functional partners to ensure commitments are tracked and delivered on time.
• Contribute to special projects and related tasks to accomplish departmental goals.
• Document current state processes, identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and maintain standardized templates, playbooks, and process guides for consistency.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to implement process improvements reducing administrative burden.

Skills

Project coordination

Stakeholder management

MS Office proficiency

Communication

Retail/category management exposure

Learning agility

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Commerce/Supply Chain or related field

Tools

ClickUp

Asana

Monday.com

Smartsheet

Job description

FUNCTIONAL SUMMARY:

As Merchandise Planning & Project Analyst, you will service as the operational engine of the Merchandising team enabling them to focus on strategy, vendor relationships, and financial performance. You will own the planning rhythm, project tracking, and process infrastructure that keeps the team moving forward efficiently and consistently.

MAIN DUTIES:

Project Management & Planning Support

• Own the Category Management team's project calendar, ensuring all active projects have clear owners, timelines, milestones, and status updates.
• Organize and lead Project Planning meetings that coordinate product related projects across the organization.
• Coordinate planning cycles including seasonal assortment reviews, planogram updates, changeovers, item disposition, promotional events, and Joint Business Planning schedules.
• Prepare and distribute pre-meeting materials, agendas, and post-meeting summaries for key category and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Follow up on action items with cross-functional partners to ensure commitments are tracked and delivered on time.
• Contribute to special projects and related tasks as identified and created to accomplish the goals of the Merchandising Department.

Process Documentation & Optimization

• Document current state processes across the Merchandising Department, identifying gaps, redundancies, and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and maintain standardized templates, playbooks, and process guides that support consistency across the team.
• Partner with cross-functional team members to identify and implement process improvements that reduce administrative burden and improve execution quality.

Learning & Contribution

• Develop a working knowledge of Merchandising, including assortment strategy, financial performance metrics, and vendor management.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement - proactively identifying ways to make the team more effective.

Other:

• And any other related duties and responsibilities as assigned which may evolve to meet the changing needs and priorities of the business.

REQUIREMENTS:

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Commerce, Supply Chain, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

EXPERIENCE:

• 2-3 years of experience in a project coordination, administrative, operations, or retail support role.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with strong attention to detail and follow-through.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to produce clear, organized documentation and correspondence.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and influence stakeholders at all organizational levels.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and other MS Office applications; experience with project tracking tools (e.g., ClickUp, Asana, Monday.com, Smartsheet) is an asset.
• High learning agility and genuine curiosity about category management, retail operations, and merchandising.
• Experience in retail, wholesale, or a category management environment is preferred.