Senior Merchandise Planner - Level Shoes (1 year contract)

INSPIRE | EXHILARATE | DELIGHT

For over six decades, Chalhoub Group has been a partner and creator of luxury experiences in the Middle East. The Group, in its endeavour to excel as a hybrid retailer, has reinforced its distribution and marketing services with a portfolio of eight owned brands and over 300 international brands in the luxury, beauty, fashion, and art de vivre categories. More recently, the Group expanded its expertise into new categories of luxury watches, jewellery, and eyewear.

Every step at Chalhoub Group is taken with the customer at heart. Be it constantly reinventing itself or focusing on innovation to provide luxury experiences at over 750+ experiential retail stores, online and through mobile apps, each touch point leads to delighting the customer.

Today, Chalhoub Group stands for 14,000 skilled and talented professionals across seven countries, whose cohesive efforts have resulted in the Group being ranked third in the Middle East and first in Saudi Arabia as a Great Place to Work.

To keep the innovation journey going, the Group has set up “The Greenhouse”, which is not just an innovation hub, but also an incubator space and accelerator for start-ups and small businesses in the region and internationally. This is just one of the several initiatives taken by the Group to reinvent itself, catalysed by forward thinking and future-proofing. The Group has also been embedding sustainability at the core of its business strategy with a clear commitment towards people, partners and the planet.

What you'll be doing

We are seeking a highly analytical and strategic Senior Merchandise Planner to join our dynamic merchandising team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for driving sales and profitability through effective inventory management, strategic planning, and forecasting. This role requires a strong understanding of data analytics, market trends, consumer behaviour, and omnichannel operations.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Define the sales plan and OTB by partnering with Buying, Finance, Retail, and Ecommerce business to develop the merchandise strategy, using data-driven input from sales trends, market conditions and supplier demands to drive profitable decision making.
2. Develop and maintain Monthly Sales and Stock Intake (MSSI) plans to ensure optimal stock levels and maximize sales and margin.
3. Lead forecasting and re-forecasting efforts to adjust to market trends and sales performance.
4. Conduct detailed margin analysis to identify opportunities for profitability improvement and managing risks with a proactive approach.
5. Drive seasonal markdowns by item in collaboration with Buying and Retail, maximizing sales and gross margin while managing inventory levels.
6. Manage OTB to ensure effective budget utilization and inventory control, highlighting areas of risk and opportunities.
7. Oversee inventory management, ensuring accurate stock management and alignment with sales and stock forecasts.
8. Lead efforts to reduce aging stock and improve liquidation processes utilizing advanced problem-solving skills.
9. Develop and provide Buying with comprehensive range planning strategies by Channel / Region / Store.
10. Conduct trade analysis to understand market trends and consumer preferences, communicating sales or stock risk and opportunities to the wider teams.
11. Assess and highlight risks and opportunities on sales, gross margin and inventory, recommending solutions and actions.
12. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align merchandising strategies with overall business objectives.
13. Manage the growth and development of junior members of the team.
14. Lead planning meetings and strategic decisions, driving continuous improvement initiatives.

What you’ll need to succeed

1. Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, or related field.
2. Minimum of 8 years of experience in merchandise planning, with a minimum of 2 years at the Merchandiser level, preferably in a luxury or multi branded environment.
3. Strong analytical skills with a deep understanding of retail math and inventory management principles.
4. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with merchandise planning and reporting software such as SAP, Oracle and Tableau.
5. Excellent problem-solving abilities and attention to detail.
6. Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
7. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities.

What we can offer you

With us, you will turn your aspirations into reality. We will help shape your journey through enriching experiences, learning and development opportunities and exposure to different assignments within your role or through internal mobility. Our Group offers diverse career paths for those who are extraordinary, every day.

We recognise the value that you bring, and we strive to provide a competitive benefits package which includes health care, child education contribution, remote and flexible working policies as well as exclusive employee discounts.

We Invite All Applicants to Apply

It Takes Diversity Of Thought, Culture, Background, Differing Abilities and Perspectives to truly Inspire, Exhilarate and Delight our customers. At Chalhoub Group, we are committed to inclusion and diversity.

We welcome all applicants to apply and be part of our exciting future.