Manager of Space Planning

Req ID: 452101 

BASIC PURPOSE: The Manager of Space Planning is responsible for overseeing that planograms accurately reflect assortment decisions and are consistent with category strategy, visual merchandising standards and planogram optimization targets. Works closely with cross-functional teams to design, build, and maintain planograms. This position is responsible for ensuring the team is creating planograms that meet high quality standards, are localized to each facility, and able to be executed without issues to the field.  This role will create processes and procedures to analyze planograms for sales, profitability, inventory productivity, and make recommendations to optimize the planograms bearing in mind trade-offs for customer experience, facility labor efficiencies, merchandise strategy and visual considerations. This role will present, discuss alternatives, and make final planogram recommendations to the Space Planning and Merchandising teams.  

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee the creation facility specific planograms that can be executed in the field.
• Lead space planning team and ensure all processes and procedures are being followed.
• Oversee the creating and maintaining of fixtures and equipment.
• Manage project timelines to ensure space planning deliverables are met and provide key insights for business customers.
• Create development strategies for space planning analytics to produce actionable insights for merchants that drive space productivity growth.
• Ensure the team is capturing and maintaining images and dimension data for all merchandising products.
• Consults on development needs as it relates to Love’s software process enhancements.
• Guide in implementation, development, and on-going business process support of Facility, Floor and Assortment planning initiatives.
• Builds and maintains collaborative partnerships with internal and external teams across the Love’s organization to gain credibility and earn trust of key business partners.
• Troubleshoot issues as they arise and resolve problems that affect space management applications.
• Manage team members development through training, feedback, and the implementation of developmental plans.
• Other duties assigned as needed.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Education:

• College Degree in Business Related Major Preferred and/or 6 or more Years Equivalent Work Experience

Experience:

• In depth knowledge of space planning practices
• Experience working in the retail industry
• SQL / Tableau Experience Preferred
• Experience managing direct reports is preferred
• Working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite
• Experience managing the design and implementation of strategic projects
• Proven experience with troubleshooting principles, methodologies, and issue resolution techniques
• Able to develop and interpret technical documentation for training and end user procedures
• Knowledge of industry trends in technology and determine “Best Practices”
• Performs work with a high degree of latitude
• Handles the most complex issues and problems
• Possesses expert knowledge of subject matter
• Provides leadership, coaching, and/or mentoring to a subordinate group
• May act as a lead or first-level supervisor

SKILLS AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Skills:

• Excellent Written, oral, and Interpersonal Skills.
• Highly Self Motivated and Directed.
• Strong Analytical and Problem-Solving Abilities.
• Strong Customer Service Orientation
• Experience Working in a Team-Oriented, Collaborative Environment. 

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.

Job Function(s): Corporate 

Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is the industry-leading travel stop network in the United States. For more than 55 years, we’ve provided customers with highway hospitality and “Clean Places, Friendly Faces.” We’re passionate about serving drivers with clean, modern facilities stocked with fuel, food and supplies. We offer meals from popular restaurant chains, trucking supplies, showers and everything needed to get back on the road quickly. The Love’s Family of Companies includes:

• Gemini Motor Transport, one of the industry’s safest trucking fleets
• Speedco, the light mechanical and trucking service specialists
• Musket, a rapidly growing, Houston-based commodities supplier and trader
• Trillium, a Houston-based alternative fuels expert