Senior Planner, Central Planning
Claire's
Senior Planner, Central Planning
Claire's
Global retailer of jewelry and accessories
ob Description
Title:Sr. Planner, Central PlanningFLSA Status: Exempt
Comp Target:$120,000
Reports to: Director, Planning
Department:Planning & Allocation
Job Profile: Manager I, Planning & Allocation
Direct Reports: 1
Location:RosemontDate Revised:September 14, 2026
General Summary
The Senior Planner, Central Planning plays a key role in managing Claire's total-company financial planning process across sales, margin, inventory, and OTB. This role translates enterprise financial targets into actionable planning guardrails, consolidates category plans into a total-company view, and identifies risks, opportunities, and recommended actions for leadership.
As a key connection point between Finance, Category Planning, and the Director of Central Planning, this role drives cross-category alignment and owns recurring enterprise planning processes, reporting, and analysis. The Senior Planner will also help build the tools, processes, and operating cadence of a newly forming Central Planning function.
Key Responsibilities
Function Build-Out: Help build the framework, cadence, and tools for a newly forming Central Planning function, including the seasonal planning calendar and process governance that don't yet exist today
Monthly Plan Review (MPR): Own the mechanics of the Monthly Plan Review, consolidating category performance and forecast updates into one enterprise view each month
Top-Down Target Setting: Translate enterprise sales, margin, and inventory targets into department and category-level guardrails each season
Total Company OTB: Own the total company OTB roll-up; reconcile category-level plans against enterprise targets and flag gaps
Cross-Category Reconciliation: Partner with category Planners and Senior Planners to align their plans to guardrails; escalate conflicts and trade-offs to the Director
Enterprise Weekly Business Review: Consolidate category-level WBR inputs into one total company narrative for leadership
Quarterly Hindsighting: Own quarterly hindsighting analysis, evaluating plan-to-actual performance across categories to inform future seasonal strategy
Inventory Investment Strategy: Partner with Finance on inventory investment and capital allocation decisions across categories
Oracle Merchandising Platform: Serve as the Central Planning lead on requirements, testing, and readiness for the Oracle transition
Leadership Partnership: Act as a thought partner to the Director, Central Planning, surfacing trends, risks, and recommendations at the enterprise level.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in business, finance, or a related field, or equivalent experience
5-7 years of experience in merchandise planning, financial planning, or FP&A, ideally with exposure to total company or enterprise-level planning
Deep retail math fluency (OTB, turn, sell-through, margin) and comfort reconciling plans across multiple categories
Strong Excel and planning systems skills (Oracle experience a plus)
Executive-ready communication skills; comfortable presenting a consolidated, enterprise-level view to senior leadership
Highly organized and process-oriented; able to own a recurring, cross-functional cadence independently
Curious and collaborative, energized by building a new function from the ground up
General Summary
The Senior Planner, Central Planning plays a key role in managing Claire's total-company financial planning process across sales, margin, inventory, and OTB. This role translates enterprise financial targets into actionable planning guardrails, consolidates category plans into a total-company view, and identifies risks, opportunities, and recommended actions for leadership.
As a key connection point between Finance, Category Planning, and the Director of Central Planning, this role drives cross-category alignment and owns recurring enterprise planning processes, reporting, and analysis. The Senior Planner will also help build the tools, processes, and operating cadence of a newly forming Central Planning function.
Key Responsibilities
Function Build-Out: Help build the framework, cadence, and tools for a newly forming Central Planning function, including the seasonal planning calendar and process governance that don't yet exist today
Monthly Plan Review (MPR): Own the mechanics of the Monthly Plan Review, consolidating category performance and forecast updates into one enterprise view each month
Top-Down Target Setting: Translate enterprise sales, margin, and inventory targets into department and category-level guardrails each season
Total Company OTB: Own the total company OTB roll-up; reconcile category-level plans against enterprise targets and flag gaps
Cross-Category Reconciliation: Partner with category Planners and Senior Planners to align their plans to guardrails; escalate conflicts and trade-offs to the Director
Enterprise Weekly Business Review: Consolidate category-level WBR inputs into one total company narrative for leadership
Quarterly Hindsighting: Own quarterly hindsighting analysis, evaluating plan-to-actual performance across categories to inform future seasonal strategy
Inventory Investment Strategy: Partner with Finance on inventory investment and capital allocation decisions across categories
Oracle Merchandising Platform: Serve as the Central Planning lead on requirements, testing, and readiness for the Oracle transition
Leadership Partnership: Act as a thought partner to the Director, Central Planning, surfacing trends, risks, and recommendations at the enterprise level.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in business, finance, or a related field, or equivalent experience
5-7 years of experience in merchandise planning, financial planning, or FP&A, ideally with exposure to total company or enterprise-level planning
Deep retail math fluency (OTB, turn, sell-through, margin) and comfort reconciling plans across multiple categories
Strong Excel and planning systems skills (Oracle experience a plus)
Executive-ready communication skills; comfortable presenting a consolidated, enterprise-level view to senior leadership
Highly organized and process-oriented; able to own a recurring, cross-functional cadence independently
Curious and collaborative, energized by building a new function from the ground up
Claire’s is committed to adhering to all applicable company policies and federal, state, and local laws and regulations. All positions will be compensated at or above the legally mandated minimum wage for the location in which work is performed. The final compensation will be determined by various factors such as relevant work experience, education, certifications, skills, and geographic location.
Benefits for full-time employees included medical, dental, and vision insurance, voluntary welfare plans, bonus plan eligibility, 401(k) match, vacation time, sick time* and paid leave.
Benefits for part-time employees included voluntary welfare plans, 401(k) match, vacation time, sick time* and paid leave in required states.
*Sick Time: For the State of Washington, all employees will accrue paid sick time at the rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked.
Claire's is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and we encourage applications from members of all underrepresented groups, including those with disabilities. We will accommodate applicants' needs, upon request, throughout all stages of the recruitment process. Please inform us of the accommodation(s) that you may require.
Information received relating to accommodation will be addressed confidentially. To request accommodation, please email [email protected]. Only messages sent for this purpose will be considered.
Claire's is a global retailer offering fashionable jewelry, accessories, cosmetics, and a specialized piercing service. Customers shop in stores or online, and piercing is performed by trained staff using sanitary procedures while products include exclusive designs and trend-driven items. It differentiates itself with specialist piercing expertise, two brands (Claire's and ICING), a broad store network across North America and globally, and a family-friendly toy shop. Its goal is to be the go-to destination for self-expression through affordable jewelry and services, expanding its stores and online presence while maintaining leadership in piercing services.
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