SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:
ENVIRONMENT: A leading School Supplies Retailer is looking for a Retail Planning Lead which is a critical new role that will build the planning infrastructure required to deliver profitable growth and optimal stock deployment across 55–60 branches nationwide. This role owns all financial and merchandise planning disciplines—Open-to-Buy (OTB), Weekly Sales and Stock Intake (WSSI), forecasting, allocation, pricing mechanics & markdown governance, and markdown cadence. As the company builds this national planning capability, the role will enable the organization to internalize analytics currently outsourced to DotActiv, retaining intellectual property and building sustainable competitive advantage through data-driven decision-making. The Retail Planning Lead has final decision authority on OTB, WSSI, allocation rules, and pricing mechanics \/ markdown governance, while collaborating closely with the Head of Retail Merchandising, who owns the category P&L, customer proposition, and pricing strategy\/intent (price ladders and promo objectives). This is the backbone of retail execution and directly supports their aggressive sales growth goals. DUTIES: OTB & WSSI Ownership Build, manage, and govern Open-to-Buy (OTB) for all categories across retail branches Own weekly WSSI (Weekly Sales and Stock Intake) reviews to monitor stock flow and sales performance Drive forecast accuracy and set cover targets and inventory guardrails to optimize stock levels Lead weekly trade meetings with Retail Merchandisers to align on stock deployment and category performance Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) Own the Sales and Operations Planning business process, integrating demand, supply, inventory, financial targets, and operational capacity into one agreed plan Collaborate with Supply Chain and Merchandising functions to align cross-functional priorities and resolve conflicts Ensure S&OP rhythms support seasonal peaks and business growth objectives Forecasting & Allocation Policy Define forecasting hierarchies, clustering rules, and allocation\/replenishment policies for optimal stock distribution Approve major in-season pivots to respond to demand shifts or market changes Lead central allocation and replenishment processes to ensure branches receive appropriate stock levels based on performance and capacity Pricing & Markdown Governance (Revenue Growth Management) Own pricing architecture in collaboration with Head of Retail Merchandising Deliver margin targets through price optimization and strategic pricing decisions Build promotional and markdown plans that maximize sell-through while protecting margin Track margin leakage and implement corrective actions to close gaps Inventory Health & Cash Management Manage weeks of cover and distribution centre\/store balance to optimize inventory investment Monitor and manage aged stock, building exit strategies to reduce write-offs and free up working capital Reduce overstocks while protecting availability and customer satisfaction Partner with Retail Merchandising on SKU rationalization to streamline assortments Sign off on planogram capacity assumptions to ensure space-to-range alignment Planning Capability Building & Analytics Internalization Build a high-performing planning team capable of delivering analytics currently outsourced to DotActiv Develop internal capability in space planning, planogram optimization, and retail analytics Retain intellectual property and planning methodologies within the Group. Establish planning rhythms, tools, and processes that support national retail operations Weekly Trade Leadership Publish actionable decisions on pricing, promotions, allocation, DC inflow, and store execution blockers Drive accountability for execution across merchandising, supply chain, and retail operations teams Resolve cross-functional conflicts and ensure alignment on trade priorities Cross-Functional Alignment Partner with Supply Chain on stock optimization and logistics efficiency Collaborate with Retail Merchandising and Sourcing on assortment planning and financial targets Work with DotActiv on capacity constraints and space-to-range planning (transition period) Align with Retail Operations on store execution and replenishment issues Coordinate with Finance on cash flow forecasting and stock budgeting Support Marketing on promotional planning and campaign timing Engage with Property on store opening, closing, or relocation timing People Leadership Set objectives and establish planning rhythms for the team Build capacity and pipeline for seasonal peak demand (back-to-school) Coach direct reports (including Planning Assistant and Demand Planning Specialists) and foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and analytical rigor Manage transition of existing headcount into consolidated national structure, retaining IP and upskilling talent REQUIREMENTS: Technical Skills Retail Merchandise Planning (OTB, WSSI, Allocation) Demand Forecasting & Statistical Analysis Pricing Strategy & Revenue Growth Management (RGM) Markdown Optimization & Promotional Planning Inventory Management & Working Capital Optimization Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) Space Planning & Planogram Optimization Advanced Excel Business Intelligence Tools (Power BI, Tableau) Inventory Planning Systems (e.g., Netstock or similar) Leadership Skills Team leadership and development Cross-functional leadership Strategic planning Performance management Change management Capability building Domain Knowledge Retail planning best practices FMCG, stationery, and lifestyle product categories Multi-site retail operations Seasonal demand planning Retail analytics and business intelligence Qualifications & Experience Education: A relevant tertiary qualification in Supply Chain Management, Retail Management, Business Administration, Finance, Industrial Engineering, Data Science, or a related field is typically expected for this role Postgraduate qualifications in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, or Data Analytics may be advantageous but are not essential Professional certifications in retail planning, demand forecasting, inventory management, or supply chain optimization (such as APICS, CSCP, CPIM, or similar industry credentials) may also be beneficial where relevant Experience: The role typically requires extensive experience in retail merchandise planning, including leadership responsibility for OTB, WSSI, forecasting, allocation, and inventory optimization within a multi-site retail environment Experience managing demand planning, pricing governance, and markdown strategies is important, with a proven ability to deliver forecast accuracy, margin targets, and inventory productivity improvements Exposure to stationery, lifestyle, FMCG, or similar categories is particularly relevant given their product range and retail model. Experience with seasonal demand planning and building planning capability within a growing retail organization is also valuable Relevant Operational Exposure: Building and managing Open-to-Buy (OTB) and Weekly Sales and Stock Intake (WSSI) processes for multi-site retail operations Leading Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes that integrate demand, supply, and financial planning across functions Defining allocation rules, clustering strategies, and replenishment policies that optimize stock distribution Implementing pricing optimization, promotional planning, and markdown governance strategies (Revenue Growth Management) Using inventory planning systems (Netstock or similar) and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau) for data-driven decision-making Managing cross-functional trade meetings and driving accountability for execution across merchandising, supply chain, and operations teams Building planning teams and developing internal capability in forecasting, allocation, and retail Analytics ATTRIBUTES: Analytical thinking and problem-solving Commercial acumen Decision-making under uncertainty Communication and influencing skills Collaboration and stakeholder management Strong attention to detail
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