Retail Merchandising and Planning - Strategy Manager

Retail Merchandising and Planning – Strategy ManagerAccenture'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 AreA 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 WorkAs 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 LeadershipLead a workstream or project within a broader transformation programCoordinate delivery within your workstream, partnering with adjacent process, data/technology, and change management teams as neededMaintain day-to-day client relationships within your scope and escalate issues to engagement leadership as neededEnsure workstream quality and timelinessMerchandising & Planning TransformationSupport assessments of current-state merchandising, planning, and inventory management capabilities against industry-leading practicesContribute to future-state operating model design spanning category management, merchandise financial planning, assortment planning, allocation, replenishment, demand planning, and supply planningDevelop components of capability strategies, transformation roadmaps, and value cases that quantify the impact of changeApply sub-industry nuance across apparel, hardlines, and/or grocery to tailor recommendations to client-specific dynamicsAI & Technology EnablementBring current knowledge of AI, analytics, and emerging planning technologies to identify where they can solve merchandising and planning business problemsSupport clients in evaluating planning platforms and AI-enabled decision-making tools as part of broader transformationContribute to the design and delivery of GenAI- and agentic-enabled planning capabilities where applicable to client roadmapsBusiness Development & Practice GrowthContribute to proposal development, solutioning, and the broader business development cycle for consulting engagementsSupport the growth of the Retail Merchandising and Planning practice through asset development and community engagementCoach, mentor, and develop junior team membersBasic 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 PlanningMinimum of 2 years of experience in professional services at a consulting firm (or equivalent internal consulting experience)Bachelor's degreePreferred Qualifications:Ability to lead large, transformational programs with multiple workstreams and stakeholdersStrong client management skills, including with senior stakeholdersAbility to coach, mentor, and develop junior team membersExcellent written and verbal communication skillsStrong problem-solving ability and sound business judgmentComfort operating in ambiguous, fast-moving situationsAbility to resolve issues and manage risk proactivelyAbility to manage and prioritize multiple workstreams in a dynamic environmentFamiliarity with the operational nuances of one or more retail sub-industries, including apparel, hardlines, or groceryExperience designing or supporting operating model design, process reinvention, capability assessments, roadmaps, and value case developmentExperience solutioning approaches to client problems and supporting the business development/proposal cycleWorking knowledge of current trends in technology, analytics, and AI, and how they apply to merchandising and planning business problemsPrior industry experience in Buying, Planning, or Product DevelopmentHands-on experience leveraging AI tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini in a professional environmentFamiliarity with leading planning platforms such as o9, Blue Yonder, Anaplan, Oracle, or RELEXMBA or equivalent advanced degree