Planner, General Merchandise

About The Role

As a Merchandise Planner, you will be focused on creating, optimising, and delivering plans for supplier ordering and stock replenishment that result in the right amount of stock, in the right place, at the right time, building on the demand forecasts.

Planning activity is an integral part of the work of each Category Proposition Group to deliver the trade plan, and it has a direct impact on the delivery of key stock KPIs (availability, explained wastage, stock holding).

The successful candidate would be expected to work in our Bracknell office once a week. There will be occasional travel to our London office.

Please note that the pay range from 1st April will be £41,900 - £69,100.

Some of your key Responsibilities include:

• Optimize stock availability for all Food & Grocery customers to reach sales category targets and control wastage and working capital costs.
• Using insight from the Category Proposition Group and analysis of historical performance, plan all items for promotions, deals and events to meet targets.
• Providing data and experienced-based insight to enable evidence-based decision making in the Category, using this to produce a Sign Off pack in line with the critical path.
• Long term planning & forecasting sales at SKU level, managing stock holding within category targets.
• Forecasting weekly sales, stock and intake at Category level.
• Working closely with the Commercial teams & John Lewis to deliver the Category Strategy.
  
  

Essential Skills

• Previous forecasting & planning experience with Far East sourced products.
• Experience working with OPD & Landed supply base working with longer lead-time sourcing
• Evidence of using data for analysis and decision making
• Collaborating on projects to deliver solutions for business success
• Influencing and managing supplier and customer relationships
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel & Google Apps
  
  

About The Partnership

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Important points to note:

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting. If required, you’ll find out more about vetting throughout the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays.

We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.