The posting
Job Description
About the Role
We are looking for a commercially driven Associate Planner to join our Retail Planning team. This role is responsible for developing and delivering merchandise plans that maximize sales, margin, stock productivity, and inventory performance across our retail stores.
The successful candidate will partner closely with Buying, Supply Chain, Store Operations, Finance, and Leadership teams to develop seasonal and annual sales plans, manage OTB, monitor trading performance, and drive inventory optimization strategies. This is an excellent opportunity for a planning professional who thrives in a fast-paced retail environment and enjoys turning data into business decisions.
Responsibilities
Functional Roles and Responsibilities
- Develop and manage seasonal, annual, and departmental merchandise plans.
- Drive sales, gross margin, sell-through, and inventory performance against commercial targets.
- Own and manage the Open-to-Buy (OTB) process to ensure effective stock investment and inventory control.
- Review trading performance and provide recommendations to maximize sales and profitability.
- Identify risks and opportunities through sales, stock, and trend analysis.
- Lead markdown and promotional planning to reduce aged stock and protect margin.
- Monitor inventory levels, stock cover, and replenishment strategies across stores.
- Partner with Buying teams on range planning, forecasting, and buying decisions.
- Manage stock allocation, replenishment, and inter-store transfers to optimize inventory productivity.
- Collaborate with Supply Chain and vendors to improve delivery performance and stock availability.
- Produce planning reports and communicate performance updates, forecasts, and action plans to key stakeholders.
- Drive continuous improvement across merchandise planning processes and decision-making.
People Management Roles and Responsibilities
- Assumes responsibility for the outcomes of others. Promotes a sense of urgency and establishes and enforces individual accountability in the team. Works with people to establish explicit performance standards. Is completely on top of what is going on and knows where things stand. Provides balanced feedback at the most critical times.
- Proactively develops relationships with a wide variety of people. Builds immediate rapport, even when facing difficult or tense situations. Understands interpersonal and group dynamics and reacts in an effective manner. Engages input from others constantly and listens with empathy and concern.
- Readily distinguishes between what’s relevant and what’s unimportant to make sense of complex situations. Looks beyond the obvious and doesn’t stop at the first answers. Analyzes multiple and diverse sources of information to define problems accurately before moving to solutions.
- Delivers messages in a clear, compelling, and concise manner. Articulates messages in a way that is broadly understandable. Adjusts communication content and style to meet the needs of diverse stakeholders.
- Takes consistent action to develop new skills. Finds ways to apply strengths to new issues. Is aware of the skills needed to be successful in different situations and levels. Seeks assignments that stretch him/her beyond comfort zone.
- Decisively makes high-quality decisions, even when based on incomplete information or in the face of uncertainty. Actively seeks input from pertinent sources to make timely and well-informed decisions. Skillfully separates opinions from facts. Is respected by others for displaying superior judgment.
Qualifications
What We're Looking For
- 7-8 years of experience in Merchandise Planning, Retail Planning, Demand Planning, or Commercial Planning within a retail environment.
- Minimum 2 years of hands-on Open-to-Buy (OTB) management experience.
- Strong experience managing sales forecasting, inventory planning, stock optimization, and trading analysis.
- Proven experience working closely with Buying and Merchandising teams.
- Strong understanding of KPIs including sales, margin, sell-through, stock turn, cover, and markdown performance.
- Experience planning across multiple stores, categories, or regions.
- Advanced Excel and analytical capabilities.
Ideal Candidate
- Experience within Fashion, Sportswear, Lifestyle, Department Store, Beauty, or Specialty Retail sectors.
- Experience using planning tools, forecasting systems, or retail ERP platforms.
- Strong stakeholder management and presentation skills.
Why Join Us?
You'll play a key role in shaping inventory and commercial performance within a dynamic retail environment, partnering with cross-functional teams to drive profitable growth while influencing strategic planning decisions across the business.
