The posting
Important:
This role is based at our Westlake Village, CA corporate offices and follows a hybrid schedule (2–3 days onsite per week).
The Merchandising Operations Analyst supports the Merchandising Operations organization by owning analytical, planning, governance, and strategic execution across vendor operations, business systems and reporting, pricing and promotional operations, and inventory-related processes. The role translates complex business needs and data into scalable processes, reporting, controls, and recommendations; partners closely with Merchandising, Planning, Finance, Accounting, Distribution, Technology, and Vendor partners; and helps ensure critical merchandising programs are accurate, timely, and operationally effective.
RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES
Vendor Funding, Partnerships & Terms
- Own analytical and operational support for vendor funding across Co-Op, MDF, Rebates, Prompt Pay Discounts, Financing, Scanbacks, New Store Discounts, and other funding programs, including annual budgets, monthly forecasts, gap analysis, and performance reporting.
- Coordinate accruals, deductions, invoicing, vendor disputes, reconciliations, and month-end support in partnership with Merchandising, Finance, and Accounting.
- Support Joint Business Planning (JBP) through vendor plans, targets, commitments, reporting, and partnership tracking; provide analysis that helps identify risks, opportunities, and progress against commitments.
- Maintain and govern vendor terms and support enterprise vendor-funding systems, vendor profitability/AGM reporting, and related data requirements.
- Develop reporting and analysis that improves transparency into vendor contribution, profitability, funding performance, and partnership commitments.
Vendor Compliance
- Own ongoing analysis and governance for vendor compliance programs, including vendor scorecards, shipping/routing standards, on-time and in-full performance, infraction reporting, and issue resolution.
- Partner with Distribution Centers, Transportation, Merchandising, and vendors to investigate compliance exceptions, identify root causes, and improve operational adherence.
- Support RFID enablement and compliance by tracking supplier readiness, adoption, performance, and exceptions; help drive scalable vendor onboarding and compliance practices.
- Develop vendor compliance reporting, operating cadences, and escalation processes that improve visibility and accountability.
Business Systems, Reporting & Planning
- Own or co-own reporting governance for core merchandising reporting, including enterprise reporting, recurring merchant reporting, operational analytics, and data validation.
- Support Open-to-Buy (OTB), Merchandise Financial Planning (MFP), seasonal strategy, forecast, and planning processes through reporting, analysis, timeline coordination, issue resolution, and process controls.
- Translate business requirements into reporting, automation, system enhancements, and future-state workflows; partner with Data/BI and Technology teams on data migration, reporting modernization, and scalable solutions.
- Analyze large datasets to identify performance trends, anomalies, risks, and opportunities, and convert findings into actionable recommendations for business partners.
- Provide analytical support across merchandising systems and tools, including o9, SO99+, Board, Relex, VC Pro, Cost Update Tool, Vendor Portal, Product Lifecycle tools, and related platforms.
Store Fulfillment, Inventory & Assortment Operations
- Provide analytical ownership and process oversight for new store, remodel, and relocation fulfillment, with a focus on in-stock readiness, inventory sufficiency, issue identification, and performance tracking.
- Analyze and govern store inventory requests, intercompany transfers, assortment rationalization, and other inventory movement or assortment processes; identify opportunities to improve service, productivity, and inventory effectiveness.
- Support reserve review, aged/slow-moving inventory analysis, and reverse-logistics/MIT processes through reporting, risk identification, cross-functional coordination, and recommendations.
- Support drop-ship and assortment-related initiatives where analysis, governance, or cross-functional problem solving is required.
Process Excellence, Collaboration & Special Projects
- Lead or support cross-functional initiatives that improve Merchandising Operations processes, reporting, systems, controls, and scalability.
- Establish clear business requirements, success measures, process ownership, and operating cadences for new or changing workflows.
- Partner with Specialists to ensure recurring processes, documentation, training, and execution standards remain aligned with business intent.
- Provide ad hoc analytics and decision support to Merchandising leadership and business partners; perform additional duties and special projects as assigned.
What You’ll Bring
- Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent relevant work experience), preferably in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, Analytics, Merchandising, or a related field.
- 3+ years of relevant experience in Merchandising, Planning, Inventory, Vendor Operations, Business Operations, Analytics, or a related field.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including complex formulas, pivot tables, data modeling, and large-data analysis; experience with automation tools, SQL, Access, or similar tools is strongly preferred.
- Experience with Business Intelligence/reporting platforms and the ability to translate business requirements into scalable reports, dashboards, or system solutions.
- Strong financial and analytical acumen, including the ability to reconcile data, evaluate variances, understand business drivers, and communicate recommendations clearly.
- Experience supporting enterprise systems, UAT, issue resolution, process improvement, or system implementation is preferred.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to organize complex work, influence cross-functional partners, and manage multiple priorities.
- Other duties as needed.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Analytical Skills: Explores data, reports, and business processes to identify issues, isolate root causes, and produce meaningful insights and recommendations.
Collaboration: Builds productive partnerships across functions, shares information openly, and works effectively toward common business outcomes.
Initiative: Identifies opportunities and risks, prioritizes action, and follows through with a strong sense of ownership.
Communication: Communicates complex information clearly and appropriately across technical, operational, and leadership audiences.
Organizational Skills: Manages deadlines, projects, recurring deliverables, and competing priorities with accuracy and discipline.
Technology Skills: Learns and navigates business systems, reporting tools, databases, and automation solutions needed to improve operational performance.
Pay Rate: $77,000 – $85,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. Actual compensation may vary based on experience, education, and other factors. Pay ranges are provided in accordance with state laws and may differ by location.
About Guitar Center
At Guitar Center, we live and breathe creativity, collaboration, and the power of music. Our mission is to inspire and equip musicians and music lovers to find their sound and share it with the world. Whether in our stores, contact centers, distribution hubs, or corporate offices, our team is united in one goal: to fill the world with more music.
Join Us
Guitar Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on valid job-related criteria and are made without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws.
If you require reasonable accommodation to apply for or perform this job, please contact [email protected].
