Senior Merchandise Planner

Contact person for this position:
Rayleen Lentz

**Purpose**:
Essential duties and responsibilities

**Financial**
- Effectively manage stock levels to ensure that they are in line with expected volumes in conjunction with the sales plan for all channels.

**Stock management**
- Ensure Timeous ordering of stock in line with forecast.
- Display quick reaction to change in trading patterns and update future orders accordingly.
- Develop and maintain effective clearance strategy, liaising with each channel to determine Deals / Sales planning.
- Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the production / buying process e.g. Lead times, costing etc.
- Constantly reassess current systems and processes and propose enhancements.
- Strive for best practice, constantly benchmarking against competitors locally and internationally.
- Identify specific action steps and accountabilities.

**Systems and processes**
- Reassess current systems and processes and propose enhancements for optimisation in the area.
- Benchmark against competitors locally and internationally to ensure best practice.
- Drive innovation to enhance productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency.
- Develop order source information to accurately reflect the order source across each marketing campaign

**Reporting**
- Produce timeous, accurate, and concise monthly reports
- Communicate clearly both verbally and in writing.
- Ensure data integrity and consistent use of agreed variables.
- Effective weekly reporting in weekly sales meeting and other ExCo related reporting

**Analysis and range planning**
- Develop effective analytical tools to drive area performance.
- Effectively utilize information and systems to develop and implement plans.
- Consistent and logical use of appropriate information to back up ideas and proposals
- Logically rationalise testing of product

**Product knowledge & trade instinct**
- Ensure balanced range across newness and bestselling formulas
- Critically appraise past success and failures
- Keep up to date on local and international retail trends and anticipate changes.
- Drive appropriate and effective testing of concepts and products

Any other duties which the Supervisor may require.

**Minimum requirements / Experience**
- 5 Years
- Proven working experience as a Demand/Merchandiser Planner
- Interest in and sound knowledge of current issues facing the retail industry
- Entrepreneurial, creative merchant-style of thinking with strong business acumen / trader mentality.

**Education**
- School - Matric
- Tertiary - bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain and/or Finance

**Skills**
- Verbal and written communication - Advanced - effectively communicating and collaborating with stakeholders across the business to ensure the success and contribution to business KPIs.
- Computer literacy - Advanced - Proficiency with office
- Excel - Advanced - Excel formulas, pivot tables, data extraction and formatting
- Problem solving - Advanced - investigate unusual variances and advise as to actions.
- SEO /SEM and CRM - Advanced - In depth understanding and hands on experience.
- Ordering systems - Advanced -Ensure up to date
- Negotiation - Advanced - Assisting with buying plan.
- Understanding of Retail Math and Numeracy - Advanced - How to convert to profit.
- Market research, data analysis and forecasting techniques -Advanced -Determine trends.

**Traits**

Is:

- Detail oriented - Able to show Initiative.
- Able to Deal with pressure - Energetic and Engaging - Results Focused
- Able to show personal integrity, business ethics and values An - Analytical thinker.

Salary - R 50 000 CTC