Space Planning Manager

ARI (Axcel Recruiting Inc.); Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

ARI (Axcel Recruiting Inc.) is seeking a Space Planning Manager to lead a team of analysts in Atlanta/remote settings, translating shopper insights into shelf strategies with measurable impact.

You will own planogram development, drive cross-functional retailer engagements, and ensure data integrity while delivering high-quality shelf recommendations and timeliness. Travel up to 25% and strong leadership are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Analytics, or a related field.
• Five to seven years of relevant experience in space management, space planning, category management, merchandising, or retail analytics.
• At least two years of experience in consumer packaged goods, beverage alcohol, or retail.
• Experience leading complex projects and influencing cross-functional stakeholders.
• Advanced knowledge of space planning platforms such as JDA/Blue Yonder, Shelf IQ, or comparable tools.
• Experience working with Circana, NielsenIQ, or other syndicated data sources.
• Strong Excel skills and experience with Power BI, Tableau, or a comparable analytics and visualization platform.
• Strong project management, communication, presentation, and organizational skills.
• Ability to translate data into actionable customer, merchandising, and shelf recommendations.
• Willingness to travel up to 25% and a valid driver's license.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of space planning analysts by setting priorities, coaching performance, and strengthening technical and consulting capabilities.
• Own space management initiatives across national large-format and control-state retailers.
• Lead category captaincies and strategic customer engagements, creating merchandising strategies aligned with retailer objectives and broader business priorities.
• Build trusted relationships with retail partners and internal stakeholders, using fact-based recommendations to influence decisions and drive alignment.
• Translate shopper insights, syndicated data, and category strategies into practical shelf and merchandising recommendations.
• Develop strategies that optimize assortment, share of shelf, product adjacencies, shopper flow, and space productivity.
• Evaluate planogram performance and identify opportunities to improve shelf effectiveness and category results.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in space planning, merchandising, planogramming, and shelf strategy.
• Lead planogram development, optimization, and reset projects from initial strategy through in-store execution.
• Manage project timelines, resources, and cross-functional dependencies to deliver accurate, on-time resets.
• Maintain data integrity, planogram libraries, product imagery, and compliance with customer and category guidelines.
• Establish best practices and improve tools, processes, and workflows to increase quality, efficiency, and scalability.
• Partner with category leadership to deliver high-quality planograms for retail and wholesale customers.
• Create persuasive analyses, presentations, and professional visuals for internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead retailer discussions with clear, data-backed shelving recommendations and category insights.
• Measure the impact of shelving strategies, communicate results, and recommend next steps for strategic accounts.

Skills

People leadership

Customer partnership

Data analysis

Shelf optimization

Planogramming

Category management

Merchandising

Stakeholder communication

Project management

Travel up to 25%

Driver's license

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Analytics

Tools

JDA/Blue Yonder

Shelf IQ

Circana

NielsenIQ

Excel

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

Space Planning Manager
Remote / Atlanta,GA

The Opportunity

Lead the strategy that connects shopper behavior, category data, and shelf execution. As Space Planning Manager, you will guide a team of analysts and partner with retailers and cross-functional teams to create merchandising solutions that improve assortment, space productivity, and the shopping experience.
This role extends beyond planogram development. It combines people leadership, analytical rigor, customer consulting, and project management to turn complex insights into clear shelf recommendations and measurable results.

What You'll Do

People Leadership and Customer Partnership

• Lead and develop a team of space planning analysts by setting priorities, coaching performance, and strengthening technical and consulting capabilities.
• Own space management initiatives across national large-format and control-state retailers.
• Lead category captaincies and strategic customer engagements, creating merchandising strategies aligned with retailer objectives and broader business priorities.
• Build trusted relationships with retail partners and internal stakeholders, using fact-based recommendations to influence decisions and drive alignment.

Shelf and Category Strategy

• Translate shopper insights, syndicated data, and category strategies into practical shelf and merchandising recommendations.
• Develop strategies that optimize assortment, share of shelf, product adjacencies, shopper flow, and space productivity.
• Evaluate planogram performance and identify opportunities to improve shelf effectiveness and category results.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in space planning, merchandising, planogramming, and shelf strategy.

Planogram Execution and Operational Excellence

• Lead planogram development, optimization, and reset projects from initial strategy through in-store execution.
• Manage project timelines, resources, and cross-functional dependencies to deliver accurate, on-time resets.
• Maintain data integrity, planogram libraries, product imagery, and compliance with customer and category guidelines.
• Establish best practices and improve tools, processes, and workflows to increase quality, efficiency, and scalability.
• Partner with category leadership to deliver high-quality planograms for retail and wholesale customers.

Insights and Strategic Communication

• Create persuasive analyses, presentations, and professional visuals for internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead retailer discussions with clear, data-backed shelving recommendations and category insights.
• Measure the impact of shelving strategies, communicate results, and recommend next steps for strategic accounts.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Analytics, or a related field.
• Five to seven years of relevant experience in space management, space planning, category management, merchandising, or retail analytics.
• At least two years of experience in consumer packaged goods, beverage alcohol, or retail.
• Experience leading complex projects and influencing cross-functional stakeholders.
• Advanced knowledge of space planning platforms such as JDA/Blue Yonder, Shelf IQ, or comparable tools.
• Experience working with Circana, NielsenIQ, or other syndicated data sources.
• Strong Excel skills and experience with Power BI, Tableau, or a comparable analytics and visualization platform.
• Strong project management, communication, presentation, and organizational skills.
• Ability to translate data into actionable customer, merchandising, and shelf recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Willingness to travel up to 25% and a valid driver's license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in beverage alcohol or the broader consumer packaged goods industry.
• Experience supporting grocery, mass, liquor, or similar retail channels, including retailers such as Kroger, Albertsons, Walmart, Target, and Total Wine & More.
• Experience leading category captaincies or strategic retailer partnerships.
• Two or more years of people management experience.