Planning Manager Job in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Role Overview:
The Planning Manager will lead the development, execution, and communication of strategic merchandise planning. This role involves partnering with the Buying team to drive and optimize sales and margins. The Planning Manager will collaborate with the Head of Buying (HOB), Operations Manager, Brand Partners, and cross-functional teams as a key stakeholder. By leveraging analytics and formulating strategies, the Planning Manager will play a crucial role in advancing the business.

The ideal candidate will transcend standard problem-solving templates, offering creative and innovative ideas that translate into actionable business insights.

Key Responsibilities:
Seasonal Merchandise Planning: Collaborate closely with Buying and Sales Operations to manage six-month Seasonal Merchandise Plans, ensuring alignment with the company’s financial goals and targets—guide Planners in developing, presenting, and defending these plans.
Monthly Business Review (MBR) Management: Oversee the MBR process for designated areas, directing Planners in creating sales, margin, receipt, and inventory forecasts. Support these forecasts with unit projections and report unit performance, forecasts, and receipt issues during MBR meetings.
Top-Line Results Presentation: Present comprehensive, cross-channel results and forecasts at MBR meetings.
Inventory and Receipt Management: Monitor receipts and inventory against targeted weeks of supply objectives—partner with merchandising to recommend actions that drive sales and maximize gross margin through optimal receipt flow.
Assortment Development: Guide Planners in creating ideal assortments for each buying period to maximize sales and margin. Ensure appropriate costs, retail prices, and customer choice quantities to meet targets. Review and approve Planners’ unit quantities for purchasing and reordering to maximize sales and margin.
Markdown and Promotional Strategy: Manage markdown and promotional strategies, ensuring effective exit strategies for seasonal lines to minimize aged inventory.
Conceptual Assortment Plans (CAP): Develop CAP for design needs and finalize Customer Choice (cc) counts by store level for assortments.
Cross-Channel Inventory Management: Direct Planners to collaborate across channels to optimize inventories, ensuring they meet customer needs and maximize overall sales and margin. Share inventories as necessary.
Weekly Business Meetings: Prepare and present cross-channel department overviews. Create comprehensive monthly hindsight recaps and present them at monthly meetings.
Business Trend Analysis: Guide the application of lessons learned towards future deliveries and responses to current business trends.
Weekly Unit Plans and Key Item Programs: Direct the development of Weekly Unit Plans and Key Item programs to capitalize on category opportunities, driving sales and margin.
Store Visits: Regularly visit stores to observe merchandise performance, review markdown racks for future purchasing decisions, understand the customer base, store layouts, and back stock space, and build strong relationships with store teams.
Sales Performance Oversight: Monitor sales against weekly targets, previous years, and projections. Coordinate with other departments to take corrective actions as needed.

Required Skills for Success:
Exceptional analytical and financial acumen.
2-4 years of proven experience in team leadership.
In-depth knowledge of industry practices and current trends.
Qualifications and Experience:

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or a related field.
Experience:
At least 5-8 years of experience in specialty retail.
A minimum of 7 years in Planning or Space Planning