Senior Location Planner Power Fashion Talent Pool

Under general direction create the department's astute pre-season & in-season store sales plans that meet the store's needs in terms of the correct buy shape per store profile & maximize store sales, clearance and space.

1. Current Trade:

· Extract & analyse store KPI's by sub department season.

· Complete a draft report highlighting all issues impacting performance.

· Lead a discussion to develop an action plan that will maximize store sales, clearance & space.

· Collaborating with the merchant planner re-forecast in-season store sales to adjust for the current trade variances.

· Convert the store sales plan to a stock plan in OTS (Open to Ship) in order to adjust SAS (Strategic Allocation System) allocations.

· Report variances & action plan in store size service levels & store cover ratios.

2. Post Mortem:

· Collaborating with the merchant planner to review the previous season's zero-based plan (ZBP) in order to conclude the previous seasons missed opportunities.

· Summarize in a post-mortem the previous seasons performance (sub department. store season KPI's, grade & portfolio) based off current trade reports & compile key lessons learnt.

· Complete store grading in APS (Assortment Planning System) in order to provide the merchant planning team with unit buy recommendations which will inform their strategy.

3. Seasonal Strategy:

· Collaborating with the merchant planner develop a seasonal strategy for the sub department which will include strategic objectives & a top line financial plan which is aligned to the previous seasons post mortem & growth opportunities in comparable, new, enhanced stores as well as reduced & discontinued stores.

· Contribute to the strategy discussion & aggregate the seasonal strategy to be presented to the management team ensuring it is aligned to key company growth initiatives.

4. Building an Assortment:

· Collaborating with the merchant planner build the assortment plan in order to balance the assortment back to key strategic store requirements.

· Amend where required store grading & unit buys in order to finalize assortment to buy.

· Contribute to the preparation of the required presentation documents in order to articulate variances to strategy in respect of profiles, grades & stores.

5. Product Allocation/Stock Allocation:

· Collaborate with Trainee Location Planner &/or Junior Location Planner to ensure all store performance deviations are actioned prior to final allocation finalization.

· Adjust & balance the forward allocations checking that required units per store are met & that the strategic assortment shape is executed as per the OTS (Open to Ship) plan.

· Monitor units being accrued for new store openings & report on variances.

· Perform store consolidations in order to optimize store stock levels.

6. Coaching & Development:

· Provide direction & mentorship to Trainee's, Juniors and Location planners

1. Education:

· University or Diploma Qualification with 2-3 related quantitative or supply chain subjects

2. Experience:

· At least 3 years' experience as a Location planner (excluding time as a Trainee/Junior)

· Experience mentoring and coaching in Location

· Proven track record with the success in development of Trainees & Juniors within Location

· Completed all available planner classroom training

· Deep functional expertise in Location planning

· Proven performance and experience in variety of products

3. Knowledge/ Skills:

· Knowledge on Current Trade.

· Skills pertaining to Post Mortem reports.

· Skills and ability to build a Seasonal Strategy & Assortment.

· Candidate must be computer literate & have knowledge on planning systems.

· Candidate should possess retail knowledge, brand and product understanding, customer & retail market.