Skills & Competencies for Merchandise Planner - Bakery

Merchandise Planner - Bakery job profile

JOB SUMMARY for Merchandise Planner - Bakery

Develops strategies and techniques to increase sales of baked goods.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Merchandise Planner - Bakery

Analyzes department profits and profit margins of individual items. Controls ordering, inventory, and quality of baked goods. Responsible for increasing business with new and existing customers.

Merchandise Planner - Bakery SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$62,405
TOTAL 50%
$62,405
Job Level
P02
Job Code
SM15000283
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Supervisor or Manager

Merchandise Planner - Bakery Skills and Competencies List

Proficiency Levels and Behavioural Indicators
Salary.com identifies five increasing levels of proficiency for each skill/competency. Some jobs require only a relatively low level of proficiency in each skill/competency, while other jobs will require a more advanced level of proficiency in the same skill/competency. These levels rate the degree of proficiency (skill level, expertise) we expect the incumbent to perform in the given skill/competency for the given job. Note that we intentionally do not associate timeframes or years of experience in performing the skill/competency because that can be misleading. Proficiency levels identify what the incumbent knows and can do rather than how long they have been doing it. Also, note that the proficiency levels are cumulative, e.g., a level 4 proficiency implies the ability to perform all the behaviors at the lower levels.
Check each Merchandise Planner - Bakery skill and competencie below to view definitions.

8 hard skills or competencies (industry competencies) for Merchandise Planner - Bakery

1 Industry Competency – FDA Food Code Compliance
Proficiency Level -1
Skill definition-Maintaining adherence to FDA guidelines and regulations to reduce the likelihood of foodborne diseases and promote public health.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Cites how the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensures proper handling, storage, cleaning, and sanitation procedures.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Follows cleaning and sanitization protocols for equipment, utensils, and surfaces that come into contact with food.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Assesses food records, logs, and other documentation to confirm adherence to food safety guidelines.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Analyzes data on food-related illnesses, inspection outcomes, and safety indicators to identify compliance failures.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops a monitoring system to track critical control points, such as food storage temperatures and cleaning schedules.
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2 Industry Competency – Food Quality Assurance
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Maintaining the desired level of quality during food handling and preparation to prevent defects, ensure safety, and meet customer expectations.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains how food processing techniques such as thermal and packaging methods affect food quality.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in planning food safety inspections to ensure alignment with the audit scope.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Assesses quality data, trends, and customer feedback and recommends improvement opportunities.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Collaborates with manufacturing teams to define and update quality assurance standards.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Advocates for traceability systems to aid in product identification and recalls for safety or quality concerns.
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3 Merchandise Planner - Bakery - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandise Planner - Bakery
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandise Planner - Bakery
Proficiency Level - 5

3 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for Merchandise Planner - Bakery

1 Job Family Competencies – Financial Planning
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Allocating financial resources and developing business strategies.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Documents and maintains information used for the ongoing financial planning process.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Collects data necessary for the preparation of financial planning recommendations.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Partners with finance team counterparts to improve the effectiveness of the financial planning.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Creates financial scenario models for future business and financial planning decisions.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Champions continuous efforts to improve financial planning.
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2 Job Family Competencies – Promotion
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Developing and implementing promotional activities to attract and increase the awareness of customers in buying products.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes the significance of brand image development to promotion efforts.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Documents information needed for promotional activities such as product details and features.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Generates reports that outline customers’ interest levels and questions asked at various events.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Leads market research studies and evaluates findings to understand customer and market opportunities.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Creates engaging promotions including deals to encourage target market purchases.
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3 Merchandise Planner - Bakery - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandise Planner - Bakery
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandise Planner - Bakery
Proficiency Level - 5

8 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Merchandise Planner - Bakery

1 Core Competencies – Business Acumen
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Insight into our organization's business, goals, and values. Ability to design and implement initiatives that facilitate successful outcomes.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes the market conditions that impact the business.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Collects and compiles competitor information for competitive analysis.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Communicates financial insights that positively influence the business plan development process.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates and explains the financial aspects of a business initiative to different teams.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Champions organizational change and digital transformation to drive higher business performance.
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2 Core Competencies – Scheduling
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Ability to plan and organize activities, tasks, and resources to achieve business goals and objectives within timeframe and budget.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Compiles a list of tools used to effectively schedule activities, such as Google Calendar and Canva.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Identifies and resolves scheduling conflicts between employees to ensure a smooth workflow.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Makes adjustments and recommendations for optimizing scheduling to maximize service and quality.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Coordinates with cross-functional teams to align work schedules with project activities.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds integrated database tracking tools for staffing shrinkage patterns to optimize staffing scheduling forecasts.
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3 Merchandise Planner - Bakery - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandise Planner - Bakery
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandise Planner - Bakery
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Merchandise Planner - Bakery skills and competencies

There are 8 hard skills for Merchandise Planner - Bakery, FDA Food Code Compliance, Food Quality Assurance, Retail Industry, etc.
3 general skills for Merchandise Planner - Bakery, Financial Planning, Promotion, Inventory Control.
8 soft skills for Merchandise Planner - Bakery, Business Acumen, Scheduling, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), etc.
While the list totals 19 distinct skills, it's important to note that not all are required to be mastered to the same degree. Some skills may only need a basic understanding, whereas others demand a higher level of expertise.
For instance, as a Merchandise Planner - Bakery, he or she needs to be proficient in Business Acumen, be proficient in Scheduling, and be proficient in Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

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