Senior Merchandise Planner - North America

We're Pentland Brands; a dynamic, global family business, and proud owners and licensees of many iconic active and footwear brands. With a community of over 1,300 team members worldwide, we embrace diversity and inclusion, and champion growth and development. Our success is built on teamwork, courage, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

WHAT'S THE MISSION FOR THIS ROLE?

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Merchandise Planner to oversee the North America market for a Direct-to-Consumer business. This role will focus on driving inventory planning, Open to Buy (OTB) management, assortment planning, and pricing strategies. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical abilities combined with proven leadership and management experience. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including Ecommerce, Regional Planning, Supply chain, and Marketing to ensure the successful execution of inventory and merchandise plans that support business objectives and sales growth.

WHAT DOES THIS ROLE DO?

As our Senior Merchandise Planner, you will be responsible for:

1. Inventory Planning & Management:
   • Develop, implement, and manage inventory plans that align with sales forecasts, product lifecycle, Returns and market demand.
   • Optimize inventory levels to balance product availability, minimizing stock-outs while avoiding excess inventory.
   • Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as turnover rates, stock levels, and inventory accuracy, and take proactive actions to improve these metrics.
2. Open to Buy (OTB) Management:
   • Lead the OTB process, ensuring effective management of purchasing budgets aligned with sales trends and financial goals.
   • Regularly review and adjust OTB to reflect changes in sales performance, market trends, and inventory levels.
   • Work with merchandising teams to ensure alignment between product purchases and category/brand performance goals.
3. Assortment Planning:
   • Partner with buyers and merchandisers to develop and refine the product assortment, ensuring it meets consumer demand and market trends.
   • Analyse historical data and market trends to create balanced assortments that optimize profitability across categories.
   • Monitor performance of categories, brands, and SKUs to make recommendations on new product introductions, re-orders, or discontinuations.
4. Pricing Strategy:
   • Develop competitive pricing strategies in collaboration with the pricing and merchandising teams to maximize profitability and market share.
   • Analyse market trends, competitor pricing, and internal sales data to determine optimal price points for new and existing products.
   • Conduct regular price reviews and recommend adjustments based on market conditions, promotional strategies, and inventory levels.
5. Leadership & Team Management:
   • Lead, mentor, and develop a team of merchandise planners, providing guidance and support in daily activities and long-term career growth.
   • Foster cross-functional collaboration between planning, merchandising, finance, and supply chain teams to ensure smooth execution of strategies.
   • Act as a key stakeholder in senior management discussions, providing insights and recommendations to drive business growth and operational excellence.
6. Analysis & Reporting:
   • Perform detailed sales, inventory, and financial analysis to assess performance, identify trends, and recommend actions for improvement.
   • Prepare and present regular reports on sales, margin, inventory, and assortment performance to leadership.
   • Continuously evaluate market conditions and industry trends to inform planning strategies and keep the business agile and responsive.

WHAT DO I BRING TO THE ROLE?

You just might be our next superstar if you have the following skills and experience:

1. Qualifications:
   • Bachelor's degree in business, finance, supply chain, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
   • 7+ years of experience in merchandise planning, inventory management, or financial planning, with a focus on the retail or consumer goods sector.
   • Strong analytical skills and experience with OTB, demand forecasting, and inventory management systems.
   • Proven leadership skills with experience managing and developing teams.
   • Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.
   • Proficiency in Excel, inventory management software, and data analysis tools.
2. Desired Skills:
   • Experience in the North America market with a deep understanding of consumer behavior and retail trends.
   • Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with competing priorities.
   • Strong business acumen and a strategic mindset.

We want you to live our company principles, bringing a strong consumer focus, while always looking for ways to improve and grow in your role. Take ownership of your work and be proactive in solving problems whilst communicating openly and treating everyone with respect and kindness. And, of course, let your creativity shine by bringing your unique style and individuality to the Pentland Brands Team.

Senior Merchandise Planner | Farringdon, London | Permanent, full time

WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?

1. Competitive salary + discretionary bonus
2. 25 Days Holiday: Increases with length of service and the option to purchase additional days to suit your needs.
3. Discounts: Brand discounts (including friends and family and JD Sports), Sample Sales, and other retail discounts and perks.
4. Family-Friendly Benefits: Generous enhanced parental leave policies
5. Health Perks: Choose from a variety of health-related perks including medical cash plan, critical illness cover, life assurance, gym and fitness discounts, dental insurance, eye care, and health screening to maintain your wellbeing.
6. Travel Perks: Take advantage of our season ticket loan, cycle to work schemes, electric car schemes, and discounts on home charging units to support eco-friendly commuting.
7. Flexible Working: We offer hybrid working and flexible working hours, allowing you to start your day earlier or later to help with commute costs or personal commitments.
8. Chance to join our Charity, D&I and Sustainability employee networks.

As an equal opportunity employer, we're committed to fostering diversity and creating an inclusive culture across our business, stores, and office environment.

We warmly welcome your application.