Merchandising and Planning Manager – Fast Growing Premium Fashion Brand at Ares Holdings

Roles and responsibilities

Merchandising

• Understand the business strategy and drive the development of product strategies by channel and range
• Ensure optimal samples are ordered in accordance with planned merchandising strategies
• Ensure that the buy-plans are well detailed and clearly understood by all relevant stakeholders
• Evaluate customer sales through data and trading patterns
• Manage a consumption tool to react early to effectively plan across channels
• With the sales and marketing functions, manage the full GTM sales process from planning, co-ordinating and developing sales tools that directly support the sell-in process for both existing and new accounts (catalogues, pricelist lists, order forms, delivery dates, showroom prep, catering, trade marketing support)
• Ensure segmentation of the product line to address account needs and to differentiate between WS and PTC channels

Planning

• Implement the integrated planning process that deals with customer demand, upselling opportunities, EOL and stock management
• Manage planning tool to establish quantities to be purchased for the season per channel
• Evaluate all order or cancellation opportunities
• Ensure purchase orders are placed with company suppliers in line with companies OTB budgets
• Ensure stock turn objectives and profit targets are met
• Ensuring that Retail buy-plans are well detailed and clearly understood by team members and relevant stakeholders
• Management of the Retail range assortments and replenishment
• Analysis of Retail sell through with necessary systems (Excel, Cictech and SAP B1) to optimize seasonal orders and replenishment to stores.
• Communicating with Stores where necessary to understand trading patterns
• Monitoring in season trade and react accordingly
• Ensuring product plan meets location plan targets and correct stock allocations meet sales targets
• Ensuring sufficient inflows of product to meet acceptable in stock percentages in order to maintaining agreed replenishment service levels
• Ensure space optimization per store in accordance with sell through information (Gender, Silhouette, colour etc.)
• Providing accurate and timeous reporting to ensure the business can react to situations and management has the necessary information to minimise risk and optimise business opportunities. 

Supply Chain

• Meet range development deadlines in order to ensure supplier deadlines are met
• Ensure accurate requested ship dates to ease cash flow pressures
• Establish and maintain realistic supply-chain based performance deadlines, lead times etc.
• Manage the reconciliation of OOR against purchase order identifying irregularities and highlighting this to the Planners
• Manage the delivery of samples to Head Office as necessary maintaining responsibility for this inventory until signed over to the relevant merchant
• Split Purchase Orders to reflect shipping inventory and communicate this to all parties
• Establish shipment plan and identify consolidation opportunities for cost reduction based on OOR reconciliation

Stockholder Management

• Build relationships with key stakeholders (Group Planning Lead etc.), customers, supplier and partners

Reporting

• Develop and continually evaluate all reports in order to monitor stock arrival in SA, sales, history, seasonal sales analysis, aged inventory etc.
• Provide monthly reports as required by management from time to time.

People Management

• Ensure role clarity and effective goal-setting
• Mentor and coach the Planners, Junior Planner and Inventory Controller to ensure to ensure an optimal team strategy is achieved
• Handle IR issues and performance management and discuss disciplinary requirements with HCM
• Manage the GOLP process of for all team members
• Monitor the application of the HR Value Chain and adherence to people-related SOP’s

Requirements:

• Relevant Degree (B-Com) or related Diploma in Retail Management/Planning/Supply Chain/Merchandise Management
• 3 - 5 years’ experience in a similar role
• 3 - 5 years’ Management experience
• Knowledge of an ERP system
• A strong understanding of fashion retail and the market opportunities within the retail, wholesale and e-commerce sector
• Ability to dissect large/complex data into meaningful and easy to understand reports
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Capacity to collaborate, integrate & facilitate teamwork (ability to network, build and sustain stakeholder relationships internally as well as with external stakeholders is critical)
• Business and commercial acumen
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills
• Highly organized and deadline driven
• Advanced Report Writing
• High attention to detail
• Advanced Excel
• Own vehicle