Position Summary...

The Director, Merchandise Planning - Entertainment is a strategic leader responsible for driving Walmart Canada's financial strategy for the Entertainment Team, ensuring sales, margin, gross profit, and inventory objectives are met. This role leads a team of Senior Merchandise Planning Managers, Merchandise Planning Managers, and Associate Merchandise Planning Managers, fostering a high-performance culture grounded in collaboration, innovation, and Walmart's commitment to Every Day Low Prices (EDLP).
This leader plays a pivotal role in aligning financial planning with business objectives, optimizing assortment strategies, and driving data-driven decision-making to enhance customer value. Through strong cross-functional partnerships with Merchandising, Replenishment, Finance, Space and Store Operations, this role ensures executional excellence and continuous improvement in planning processes.

What you'll do...

Strategic Leadership & Financial Planning

• Develops and executes Annual Operating Plans that support the Entertainment SBU strategy while aligning with Walmart Canada's corporate financial guidelines.
• Provides data-driven insights and scenario planning to guide business decisions, ensuring agility in responding to shifts in consumer demand and market conditions.
• Ensures a Digital-centric approach to Financial Planning and forecasting with focused support to ensure the achievement of Digital growth targets.
• Leads Open-to-Buy (OTB) management, aligning buying strategies, inventory flow, and markdown optimization to maximize profitability and minimize risk.
• Champions Walmart's customer-centric approach, ensuring planning strategies align with consumer demand, seasonal trends, and omnichannel growth opportunities.

Merchandise Planning & Execution

• Directs and guides the end-to-end merchandise planning process, from pre-season financial planning to in-season execution, ensuring assortment optimization, inventory productivity, and markdown strategies drive profitable growth across both Stores and Digital channels.
• Partners with DMMs and Replenishment teams to align merchandise buy plans with customer insights, trend data, and Walmart's EDLP commitment.
• Leads the integration of advanced analytics and technology to optimize planning decisions and drive data-backed execution.
• Oversees sell-through rates and markdown strategies, ensuring a customer-led and data-driven approach to merchandising decisions.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Innovation

• Builds strong partnerships with Replenishment, Finance, Space, Modular Planning, Store Operations and Marketing, ensuring seamless execution of strategic initiatives.
• Drives continuous improvement by identifying and implementing new tools, processes, and automation that enhance ways of working across Merchandising via efficiency, accuracy, and speed to market.
• Acts as a thought leader in merchandise financial planning and retail analytics, driving innovation in Walmart's planning capabilities.

People Leadership & Culture Building

• Leads, coaches, and develops a high-performing team, fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and results-driven culture.
• Champions Walmart's Values—Respect for the Individual, Service to the Customer, Strive for Excellence, and Act with Integrity—embedding them into daily operations and team dynamics.
• Invests in talent development, ensuring associates have clear career growth opportunities, mentorship, and skill-building in financial planning, analytics, and strategic decision-making.
• Drives accountability, empowerment, and ownership within the team, ensuring all associates are aligned, engaged, and motivated to deliver on Walmart's business objectives.

Operational Excellence & Process Optimization

• Identifies opportunities to streamline and standardize processes across Fashion and Home & Hardlines & Entertainment, ensuring best practices in merchandise planning.
• Drives the adoption of new technology solutions, improving forecasting accuracy, inventory flow, and promotional effectiveness.
• Maintains a relentless focus on continuous improvement, efficiency, and agility, ensuring Walmart remains a leader in the competitive landscape.

What You Bring

• 10+ years of experience in Merchandise Planning, Financial Planning, or Retail Strategy, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven ability to lead, develop, and inspire high-performing teams, creating a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation.
• Deep expertise in financial planning, inventory management, forecasting, and Open-to-Buy strategies within a retail or omnichannel environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience leveraging AI, analytics tools, and forecasting models to drive decision-making.
• Exceptional cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across multiple departments.
• Passion for Walmart's mission to help Canadians save money and live better, with a deep commitment to customer-centric decision-making.

Why Walmart?

At Walmart, we are a people-led, tech-powered, and future-driven organization. We believe in fostering a culture where every associate can grow, lead, and make an impact—whether through innovative solutions, best-in-class retail execution, or meaningful customer connections. As a Director, Merchandise Planning - Entertainment, you will have the opportunity to shape the future of Walmart's Entertainment business, driving results that matter for our customers, our business, and our associates.

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Minimum Qualifications...

Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications...

Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.

Walmart will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants and associates as required by law.

Primary Location…

1940 Argentia Rd, Mississauga, ON L5N 1P9, Canada

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