Senior Consultant, Retail Merchandise Planning and Allocation

Clarkston Consulting

Retail MP&A Senior Consultant delivering creative business solutions for clients in life sciences, consumer products, and retail. Collaborating with business and IT stakeholders to define and implement effective solutions.

Posted 5/19/2026full-timePhiladelphia • Pennsylvania, Texas • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

**What You’ll Do**
As a Retail MP&A Senior Consultant at Clarkston you will:
- Collaborate with business and IT stakeholders to define and implement merchandising, planning, and allocation solutions
- Facilitate requirements gathering and design sessions, translating business needs into clear, actionable requirements
- Support end-to-end process design across merchandising functions, including planning, allocation, and forecasting
- Contribute to system implementation efforts from design through testing and go-live
- Develop process documentation, including process maps and standard operating procedures
- Support testing efforts, including scenario development, test case creation, defect tracking, and resolution
- Provide insights on system capabilities and leading practices across merchandising and planning platforms
- Help drive alignment across stakeholders and support change management activities

Requirements

What you’ll need

*What We’re Looking For*
- Working knowledge of end-to-end retail merchandising processes and how they connect across the value chain, including: Product Development (PLM, PIM, and item data processes), Costing and Procurement, Assortment Planning, Merchandise Financial Planning, Allocation and Replenishment, Demand Planning and Forecasting, Pricing and Promotion, Size and Pack Optimization
- 5+ years of experience working across both business and IT teams within a retail organization or consulting environment
- Experience supporting or participating in software implementations, from design through go-live
- Ability to facilitate discussions and ask insightful questions to clarify business requirements
- Experience with process design, process mapping, and documentation
- Experience with testing activities, including test planning, execution, and defect management
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at multiple levels
- Ability to navigate ambiguity and adapt in a dynamic project environment
- Ability to influence and align stakeholders, with or without direct authority
- Experience with merchandising, planning, or allocation systems such as Anaplan, Blue Yonder, o9, Toolio, or ToolsGroup
- Familiarity with how AI/ML is applied in retail merchandising, planning, forecasting, or pricing
- Team Lead experience
- Flexibility and adaptability - our consultants work on everything from design to hands-on configuration and can stretch into new roles
- Thorough client services orientation and accustomed to taking an active role in executing engagements and project plans/tasks
- Excellent analytical skills and the ability to present and write at publication quality level to communicate findings and recommendations
- 4-year degree from an accredited college or university

Benefits

Comp & perks

*Our benefits include:*
- Comprehensive Health and Wellness Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, and more)
- 401k with company contributions
- Paid vacation, personal days, holidays, and sick leave
- Paid Parental Leave and Family Building Benefits (Adoption, Surrogacy, and Infertility Support)
- Life and Disability Insurance
- Training and Professional Development investments, Tuition Assistance, and more

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

merchandising processesplanningallocationforecastingprocess designprocess mappingtest planningdefect managementAI/ML in retailanalytical skills

Soft Skills

strong communicationfacilitationinfluenceadaptabilityclient services orientationteam leadershipproblem-solvingstakeholder engagementflexibilitynavigating ambiguity

Certifications

4-year degree