Planning Manager - 12m FTC

Overview:

We’re looking for a dynamic Planning Manager to drive strategy and performance across multiple product categories. In this pivotal role, you’ll turn data into action, balancing sales, inventory, financial goals, and emerging trends to maximize growth and profitability. Partnering closely with Merchandising, you’ll forecast future product performance, guide in-season strategies, and optimise product distribution across the region.

As the guardian of our largest financial asset...our product inventory, you’ll play a key role in unlocking business potential and shaping the success of an entire gender category (Mens)

What You'Ll Be Doing:

Preseason

• Create preseason sales, margin and inventory plans for full gender across category, department, class, style and color.  Analyse previous quarter results; identify “missed sales” and growth drivers over prior year.  
• Summarise the opportunity and risk of a product plan as it relates to trend and financial metrics: initial mark-up, average unit retail, average unit cost, net margin pounds/dollars and rate.  
• Present financials to cross-functional team in all Commercial Process Milestones. 
• Recommend Gender style count, cc count and flow of product for optimal margin results within a quarter; maximising productivity season over season. 
• Collaborate with Head of Planning for the Region to develop & present the financial strategy associated with grow, maintain, decline categories to cross-functional team in Commercial Process Milestones based on current trend, historical findings or related categories.  

In Season

• Provide daily and weekly updates on business as it relates to last forecast, identifying trends, and highlighting selling that exceeds or falls short of expectation.  
• Initiate conversations with cross functional partners regarding potential risk or opportunities and suggest changes to course of action for both current and future quarters.  
• Prepare sales, margin and inventory forecast and partner with Head of Planning in monthly OTB forecast meetings for current year; provide sales trend opportunity for future quarters, validate stock-to-sales relationships, maximise receipt flow to improve turn, reconcile receipts and suggest pricing strategies to drive profitability.  
• Monitor core style selling trends and partner with merchandising on receipt flow plan. 
• Oversee Gender allocations ensuring in store instock accuracy at the category, style, color and size level with the right weeks of supply to drive uninterrupted commercial results. 
• Generate and manage style level weekly unit sales plans in season to inform total gender sales expectation by week/month/quarter and identify styles contributing +/- to forecast.  
• Partner with Head of Planning to propose markdown and promotional strategies to maximise profitability on the life of an item or category; provide pricing and margin pound/dollar gain/loss scenarios.  

What You'Ll Need:Essential Criteria:

• Previous experience in merchandise planning, allocation, merchandising, financial planning, strategy or business analytics 
• Strong analytical, financial modeling and problem-solving skills 
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills 
• Ability to manage multiple work streams/projects with tight deadlines
• Strong technical aptitude, including advanced competency in Microsoft Excel and ability to quickly master new applications and systems 

This is a hybrid role and would require the successful candidate to attend at least 3 days a week in GSIQ, Solihull, UK.

CLOSING DATE: Thursday 16th October 2025