Strategic Merchandise Planner | Open-to-Buy & Inventory

Liwa Trading Enterprises LLC; Dubai; On-site; AED 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Liwa Trading Enterprises LLC is seeking an experienced Merchandise Planner to join the Dwell team in Dubai. This hands-on role focuses on forward commitments, POs, open-to-buy planning, and inventory performance to balance availability and costs.

The ideal candidate has strong Excel modeling skills, open-to-buy expertise, and hands-on experience with complex product categories such as furniture or homeware, working with multiple stakeholders across functions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Merchandising, Business, Finance, Supply Chain, Retail Management, or a related field.
• Experience in merchandise planning, inventory planning, demand planning, or a similar role.
• Strong understanding of open-to-buy planning, stock roll-forward logic, forecasting, intake planning, and stock cover.

Responsibilities

• Manage the purchase order book against the critical path, including supplier confirmations, work-in-progress updates, ex-factory dates, shipping timelines, and landed dates.
• Monitor forward commitments and business activity to optimize stock availability across stores and sales channels.
• Plan promotional activity and ensure stock availability supports expected demand.
• Build and manage open-to-buy plans, stock roll-forwards, sales forecasts, intake plans, and inventory projections.
• Develop Excel-based planning models from scratch to support commercial decision-making.
• Identify potential stock shortages, excess inventory, delayed orders, and availability risks.
• Work closely with suppliers and internal stakeholders to address delays and protect delivery timelines.
• Consider cube, container utilization, freight as a percentage of landed cost, and minimum-order quantities when reviewing purchase plans.
• Own aged and terminal stock reduction plans, setting measurable targets and monitoring delivery against agreed timelines.
• Review purchase orders against demand forecasts, current stock, stock cover, open orders, and future business requirements.
• Constructively challenge purchase orders that may create excess stock or unacceptable stock cover.
• Escalate commercial risks appropriately and recommend practical, data-led alternatives.
• Present planning insights, risks, and recommendations clearly to key stakeholders.

Skills

Open-to-buy planning

Forecasting

Stock planning

Stakeholder management

Communication

Influencing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Merchandising/Business

Tools

Excel

Job description

Liwa Trading Enterprises LLC is seeking an experienced Merchandise Planner to join the Dwell team in Dubai. This hands-on role focuses on forward commitments, POs, open-to-buy planning, and inventory performance to balance availability and costs.

The ideal candidate has strong Excel modeling skills, open-to-buy expertise, and hands-on experience with complex product categories such as furniture or homeware, working with multiple stakeholders across functions.