Assistant Planning Manager (Merchandising)

About the role

The Assistant Planning Manager supports the Planning function by developing accurate financial, sales, and inventory plans across multiple channels and markets. This role forecasts sales, margin, markdown and inventory requirements to ensure strong business performance and effective stock management.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the annual business plan by market and business unit, and deliver weekly warehouse sales and stock intake reports.
• Support seasonal and annual sales planning for retail, e‑commerce and omnichannel, building weekly, monthly and seasonal forecasts.
• Assist the Planning Manager with business‑unit sales planning, monitoring performance, and recommending corrective actions.
• Manage markdown planning, price phasing and promotional analysis to protect margin while achieving sell‑through targets.
• Prepare weekly and monthly performance reports, analyse product and category results, and provide risk‑based recommendations.
• Collaborate with Finance, Buying and Merchandising teams to validate forecasts and support cross‑functional planning.
• Maintain accurate planning data, product hierarchies and develop templates, dashboards and presentations for reviews.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Retail Management or a related field.
• 3‑5 years of experience in merchandise planning, financial planning or retail analysis, preferably in fashion or multi‑category retail.
• Proven ability to work under pressure in a fast‑paced retail environment and to manage multiple priorities.

Required skills

• Advanced Excel and reporting tools.
• Experience with planning systems such as JDA, Power BI, Tableau, SAP.