Configuration Analyst II - Merchandising

Welcome to Love's! Our IT Supply Chain Distribution team is seeking a Merchandising Configuration Analyst II responsible for the technical administration, configuration, integration, support, and ongoing enhancement of merchandising technology platforms that facilitate planning, assortment, pricing, promotions, rebates, category management, and space planning processes. This role serves as a technology subject matter expert for merchandising solutions including Anaplan Merchandise Financial Planning (MFP), Blue Yonder Category Management (CatManCloud), Strategic Assortment, Rebate Management, Promotion Management, and related merchandising applications. *Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. We do not provide sponsorship for employment visas now or in the future.* The position partners with Merchandising, Category Management, Pricing, Supply Chain, Data & Analytics, and Technology teams to ensure solutions are configured, integrated, governed, and optimized to support business objectives. The analyst drives change through platform enhancements, process automation, data quality improvements, AI-enabled capabilities, and technology modernization initiatives while maintaining operational stability and system integrity. Job Functions Platform Administration & Configuration Administer and configure merchandising applications to support evolving business processes and operational requirements. Maintain system parameters, hierarchies, workflows, business rules, security roles, and configuration settings. Configure planning, assortment, rebate, promotion, and category management capabilities in alignment with business needs. Execute/support application releases, feature enablement, regression testing, and deployment activities. Monitor platform health, performance, and system utilization metrics. Support platform audits, compliance requirements, and access reviews. Solution Delivery & Continuous Improvement Partner with business stakeholders to evaluate enhancement requests and translate requirements into scalable technical solutions. Identify process optimization opportunities and drive continuous improvement initiatives across merchandising technologies. Execute configuration changes, testing, deployment, and post-implementation validation. Recommend process simplification and standardization opportunities across merchandising functions. Analyze system usage patterns and recommend improvements that increase business value and adoption. Support change management and user adoption activities for new capabilities. Production Support & Operational Excellence Serve as a technical escalation point for merchandising application issues and production support activities. Perform root cause analysis and coordinate resolution of system defects and performance concerns. Develop monitoring, alerting, and support procedures to improve platform reliability. Manage incident, problem, and change activities in accordance with established Technology processes. Maintain technical documentation, support procedures, and knowledge articles. Ensure service level objectives and operational support commitments are achieved. AI, Automation & Analytics Evaluate and implement AI-enabled capabilities within merchandising technology platforms. Identify opportunities to automate repetitive merchandising processes and workflows. Support implementation of machine learning, predictive analytics, and recommendation-based capabilities. Assess emerging AI technologies and vendor capabilities for business applicability. Other duties assigned as needed. Skills Hard Skills: Configuration and administration of enterprise merchandising, planning, or category management platforms. Experience with Anaplan, Blue Yonder, or comparable retail merchandising solutions. Understanding of retail merchandising, category management, assortment planning, pricing, promotions, and rebate processes. System integration concepts including APIs, file-based integrations, middleware, and data exchange frameworks. Data analysis and troubleshooting using SQL, reporting tools, or analytics platforms. Requirements gathering, solution design, testing, and release management methodologies. Data governance, master data management, and hierarchy management principles. Application lifecycle management and change control processes. Understanding of AI, machine learning, automation, and predictive analytics concepts. Technical documentation, process modeling, and workflow design capabilities. Soft Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. Ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions. Effective communication with business stakeholders, technical teams, and leadership. Strong organizational and prioritization skills in a fast-paced environment. Ability to influence decisions through data-driven recommendations. Continuous improvement mindset focused on efficiency and business value. Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills across cross-functional teams. Ability to manage ambiguity and adapt to changing business priorities. Customer-focused approach to solution delivery and support. Intellectual curiosity regarding emerging retail technologies and AI capabilities. Typical Physical Demands Requires prolonged sitting, some bending and stooping Occasional lifting up to 25 pounds Manual dexterity sufficient to operate a computer keyboard and calculator Requires normal range of hearing and vision Love's is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Veterans encouraged to apply. #J-18808-Ljbffr Love's Travel Stops