General Manager_Planning_Planning Concept.Home Centre.UAE_JAFZA_Home Centre

Landmark Group; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company located in the United Arab Emirates is seeking a General Manager for Planning. This role requires strong strategic planning capabilities and at least 8-10 years of experience, including 5 years in a retail planning position. The candidate will oversee budgeting processes, manage inventory strategies, and ensure optimal stock flow across departments. The ideal candidate is a leader who can develop and mentor a planning team while aligning strategies with overall business goals.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of relevant experience in a retail planning role.
• At least 5 years in a planning role within the home retail industry.
• Strong understanding of supply chain management and inventory control.

Responsibilities

• Formulate strategic guidelines for the planning department.
• Manage budgets to achieve financial targets and stock flow.
• Conduct in-season management to monitor and adjust orders.
• Prepare post-season analysis and SWOT assessments.

Skills

Strategic planning

Team leadership

Budget management

Forecasting

Education

Postgraduate or Graduate degree

Job description

General Manager_Planning_Planning Concept.Home Centre.UAE_JAFZA_Home Centre

United Arab Emirates

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Responsibilities

• 1. Strategic Role

  Formulate and agree on the Concept/Territory strategic guidelines in conjunction with senior.

  Oversee the smooth day to day running of the planning department, working to ensure that we have the right amount of quantity, in the right place at the right time.

  Developing and coaching the planning team in order to ensure they understand the fundamentals of the planning function and use these fundamentals to drive the business strategy.

  Work with the heads of the other departments internally such as buying, supply chain, marketing and VM to develop new efficiencies and processes that can help drive the long term strategy of the business.

  Work hand in hand with Concept planning and LMIT to help develop and introduce new system solutions that can improve the efficiency of the planning department in line with the unique requirements of the long term Home Centre strategy.

  In line with the territories and concept finance, develop realistic and achievable budgets in line with the overall home centre strategy. Manage these budgets over the season to ensure that financial targets such as sales, profit and margin are achieved.

  Work with buying and supply chain to develop more cost effective and efficient sourcing strategies in the long term.

  In line with supply chain and logistics, manage the smooth flow of stock, ensuring that sales targets are achieved without an unnecessary high stock holding within the supply chain.

  Ensure that availability is maintained on all critical (K) lines across all territories, as identified in the long term buying strategy.

  Determine and agree on high-level Concept Strategic Plan Targets with the CEO and Finance manager in the following areas: Sales, Sales Margin, Stock Holdings, Stock Turn, Promotional events, Price Inflation, New Stores Planned and Merchandise Strategy

  Work with other departments within the business to develop and maintain a business Calendar and ensure discipline and implementation of critical patch deadlines

• 2. Planning (Seasonally)

  Prepare a Post Seasonal Analysis of past performance at Concept/Territory and Department levels down to Class/Sub-Class and Item levels.

  Manage, Guide and approve each of the Planning activities below.

  Propose Seasonal Strategies on Sales, Price point, Supplier, Brands, Size, Colour and Assortment Dimensions (Where applicable) at Concept/Territory levels down to Class/Sub-Class levels together with the Buyers

  Prepare and Propose Seasonal Budgets derived and validated on MFP at Concept/Territory levels down to Class/Sub-Class levels based on the approved Strategy to match the Financial targets set for Sales, Opening/Closing Stocks, Inflows, Forward covers and Sales Margins

  Prepare Store Grading at Class/Subclass levels to determine the Width and Depth of Ranges for Large, Medium and Small stores with Order quantities (where applicable) in line with the range frame tool.

  Prepare and share a Theoretical Range Plan with the Buyers to finalise a Buy Plan (Range Plan) by month at Class/Subclass levels to match the Strategy Plans for Quantities, Options, Prices, Suppliers and financial parameters (OTB/Inflows) set by Month.

  Prepare reports to measure actuals against plan for In Season management of all of the above.(where applicable)

  Ensure adherence to Merchandise standards and procedures

  Prepare a Post Seasonal Analysis of past performance at Concept/Territory and Department levels down to Class/Sub-Class and Item levels.

  Discuss and prepare a SWOT analysis of the above and document action plans in preparation for the Strategic Planning Process

• 3. In Season Management (Daily / Weekly)

  Monitor Orders being placed against Open to Buy targets by the month on the Buy Plan ensuring that the Orders are placed timeously and according to assortment plans. (Daily/Weekly)

  Weekly forecasting on MFP down to Territory/subclass level in order to identify exceptions to be addressed i.e performance/ underperformance in sales pattern. Stockholdings, Forward Covers, and Inflows and propose actions on out-of-line situations to the Buyers in a weekly Department meeting with action to be taken by the Planner (where Applicable)

  Monitor Good and Bad selling Items to agreed parameters and propose actions to be taken on Reorders or Price Adjustments for Slow sellers.(Weekly) .

  Ensure the availability of all replenishment items and that a scheduled review of Replenishment Orders take place to ensure availability and that there are no stockouts. (Weekly)

  Check that all stock received in Territories is allocated to Stores and is selling, discuss out of line situations with the Buyers and inform Territories of out of line situations for action to be taken (Weekly).

• 4. In Season Management (Monthly)

  Monitor Seasonal Budget performance against Plan and forecast taking into account past performance and trends for Sales, Opening and Closing Stocks, and monthly Inflows/Open to Buy (monthly) (Where Applicable).

  Agree with the buying department on any adjustments to be made or actions to be taken in order to maintain a profitable operation. These workings are to be presented to Management at the monthly trading meetings.

  Prepare and attend a Monthly Management Trading Meeting to give feedback on Department performance and actions to be taken on out-of-line situations together with the buyer to management.

• 5. Store/Competitor Visits.

  Visit Terr/Stores on an agreed frequency to be abreast with Product performance and trends.

  Be in tune with Territory /Store-specific requirements with regard to Quantity, Range, Price, and Customer base

  Visit Competitors to identify their Range Composition, Options and Prices.

  Report findings and out-of-line situations to the buyer and as a team put together an action plan to resolve the situation

• 6. Systems Maintenance and Enhancement.

  Ensure that there are adequate reports to measure performance to plan for all of the above
  Ensure that planning applications are used and data integrity is sound.
  Ensure that any additional System requirements are communicated to the Central Planning Dept manager.
  All planning applications to be utilized effectively.

• 7. People Management

  Manage and Support Team Recruitment and development.

  Set responsibility areas for direct reports and conduct performance appraisal

  Review and provide regular feedback on staff’s performance against expectations

  Oversee staff development and drive motivation level of the team

Qualifications

Postgraduate or Graduate, 8-10 years relevant experience of which at least 5 years should have been in a Planning role in the home retail industry.