Retail Merchandising and Planning - Strategy Manager

Accenture helps the world’s leading enterprises reinvent by building their digital core and unleashing the power of AI to create value at speed for organizations across industries. Our strategy is to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and lead in the safe, widespread adoption of AI, and to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work in the world. We bring together the talent of our approximately 799,000 people with proprietary assets and platforms, deep process and industry expertise, and leading ecosystem relationships to deliver end-to-end solutions and measurable outcomes at scale. Through our Reinvention Services, we offer broad expertise across Cybersecurity, Digital Core, Finance, Industry and Enterprise, Song, Supply Chain and Engineering, and Talent, with advanced capabilities in AI and Data, Industry and Process, and Technology. We serve approximately 9,000 clients and generated approximately $70 billion in FY25 revenue. Visit us at Retail Merchandising and Planning – Strategy Manager We Are Accenture's Retail Merchandising and Planning practice helps the world's leading retailers reinvent how they buy, plan, allocate, and manage product across the value chain. We work at the intersection of merchandising strategy, planning process design, and AI-enabled decision making, helping clients across apparel, hardlines, grocery, and specialty retail modernize their operating models and improve performance in demand forecasting, assortment planning, and inventory productivity. You Are A retail merchandising and planning professional who combines solid functional expertise with strong project leadership. You've spent your career close to the buy, whether in category management, merchandise financial planning, assortment, allocation, replenishment, or demand/supply planning, and you understand how these functions connect end-to-end. You translate that expertise into operating model recommendations, process improvements, and capability roadmaps clients can execute against. You are accountable to realizing value, and you have experience rolling up your sleeves to ensure high adoption of new processes and systems. You're equally comfortable leading a workstream, developing junior team members, and engaging with client stakeholders day to day. The Work As a Manager, you will lead key workstreams and projects within larger transformation engagements for retail clients, working closely with client stakeholders and Accenture leadership to shape recommendations, drive execution, and activate results. Engagement Leadership Lead a workstream or project within a broader transformation program Coordinate delivery within your workstream, partnering with adjacent process, data/technology, and change management teams as needed Maintain day-to-day client relationships within your scope and elevate issues to engagement leadership as needed Ensure workstream quality and timeliness Merchandising & Planning Transformation Support assessments of current-state merchandising, planning, and inventory management capabilities against industry-leading practices Contribute to future-state operating model design spanning category management, merchandise financial planning, assortment planning, allocation, replenishment, demand planning, and supply planning Develop components of capability strategies, transformation roadmaps, and value cases that quantify the impact of change Apply sub-industry nuance across apparel, hardlines, and/or grocery to tailor recommendations to client-specific dynamics AI & Technology Enablement Bring current knowledge of AI, analytics, and emerging planning technologies to identify where they can solve merchandising and planning business problems Support clients in evaluating planning platforms and AI-enabled decision-making tools as part of broader transformation Contribute to the design and delivery of GenAI- and agentic-enabled planning capabilities where applicable to client roadmaps Business Development & Practice Growth Contribute to proposal development, solutioning, and the broader business development cycle for consulting engagements Support the growth of the Retail Merchandising and Planning practice through asset development and community engagement Coach, mentor, and develop junior team members Basic Qualifications: 5 years of relevant professional experience with demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following domains: Category Management, Merchandise Financial Planning (MFP), Assortment Planning, Allocation, Replenishment, Demand Planning, or Supply Planning Minimum of 2 years of experience in professional services at a consulting firm (or equivalent internal consulting experience) Bachelor's degree Preferred Qualifications: Ability to lead large, transformational programs with multiple workstreams and stakeholders Strong client management skills, including with senior stakeholders Ability to coach, mentor, and develop junior team members Excellent written and verbal communication skills Strong problem-solving ability and sound business judgment Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-moving situations Ability to resolve issues and manage risk proactively Ability to manage and prioritize multiple workstreams in a dynamic environment Familiarity with the operational nuances of one or more retail sub-industries, including apparel, hardlines, or grocery Experience designing or supporting operating model design, process reinvention, capability assessments, roadmaps, and value case development Experience solutioning approaches to client problems and supporting the business development/proposal cycle Working knowledge of current trends in technology, analytics, and AI, and how they apply to merchandising and planning business problems Prior industry experience in Buying, Planning, or Product Development Hands-on experience leveraging AI tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini in a professional environment Familiarity with leading planning platforms such as o9, Blue Yonder, Anaplan, Oracle, or RELEX MBA or equivalent advanced degree Compensation at Accenture varies depending on a wide array of factors, which may include but are not limited to the specific office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. As required by local law, Accenture provides a reasonable range of compensation for roles that may be hired as set forth below. We anticipate this job posting will be posted until 08/29/2026.Accenture offers a market competitive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability coverage, a 401(k) plan, bonus opportunities, paid holidays, and paid time off. See more information on our benefits here: U.S. Employee Benefits | Accenture ( Role Location Annual Salary RangeCalifornia $87,400 to $253,000Cleveland $87,400 to $253,000Colorado $87,400 to $253,000District of Columbia $87,400 to $253,000Illinois $87,400 to $253,000Maine $87,400 to $253,000Maryland $87,400 to $253,000Massachusetts $87,400 to $253,000Minnesota $87,400 to $253,000New York $87,400 to $253,000New Jersey $87,400 to $253,000Virginia $87,400 to $253,000Washington $87,400 to $253,000 Requesting an Accommodation Accenture is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities or religious observances, including reasonable accommodation when needed. If you are hired by Accenture and require accommodation to perform the essential functions of your role, you will be asked to participate in our reasonable accommodation process. Accommodations made to facilitate the recruiting process are not a guarantee of future or continued accommodations once hired. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences.All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law.Our rich diversity makes us more innovative, more competitive, and more creative, which helps us better serve our clients and our communities. For details, view a copy of theAccenture Equal Opportunity Statement ( Accenture is an EEO and Aff Accenture is committed to providing veteran employment opportunities to our service men and women. Other Employment Statements Applicants for employment in the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States. Candidates who are currently employed by a client of Accenture or an affiliated Accenture business may not be eligible for consideration. Job candidates will not be obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest as part of the hiring process. Further, at Accenture a criminal conviction history is not an absolute bar to employment. The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Additionally, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the Company’s legal duty to furnish information. California requires additional notifications for applicants and employees. If you are a California resident, live in or plan to work from Los Angeles County upon being hired for this position, #J-18808-Ljbffr Accenture