Merchandise Planner

Baby Bunting; Greater Dandenong; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training pathways

Employee discount

Family discount

Paid parental leave

Annual flu shots

Hybrid working

dynamic, friendly team environment

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Baby Bunting is seeking an experienced Merchandise Planner to join our Merchandise Planning team in Australia. You will own financial plans, forecast demand, and align stock to sales targets across ANZ, collaborating with Buying, Supply Chain, Store Ops, Marketing, Digital and Finance to turn data into action.

The role requires strong analytical capability, commercial instinct and 5+ years in planning, with Excel, RELEX/FSR and BI tools experience.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in merchandise planning or related retail planning.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen across sales, margin, OTB, forecasting and inventory management.
• Advanced Excel capability with large data sets.
• Experience with planning and forecasting systems (RELEX, FSR).
• Experience with BI tools such as Power BI or Tableau.

Responsibilities

• Own merchandise financial plans, managing sales, margin, inventory, OTB and reforecasting as trading conditions change.
• Drive forecasting and replenishment across Australia and New Zealand.
• Manage forecasting and replenishment in our Demand Forceating tool, ensuring settings reflect trading performance, demand and lead times.
• Partner with Buying on ranges, product mix, markdowns and trading opportunities to drive sales and profitability.
• Optimise stock flow and availability across stores, digital and our distribution network, partnering closely with Supply Chain and Store Operations.
• Plan for key promotions and trading events, forecasting stock requirements and using performance insights to continually improve.
• Turn data into action, providing clear commercial insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Coach and develop a Planning Assistant while contributing to strategic projects and continuous improvement across Planning.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Forecasting

Analytical thinking

Commercial acumen

Leadership

Tools

RELEX

FSR

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

We’re looking for an experienced Merchandise Planner to join our Merchandise Planning team at Baby Bunting.

Reporting to our Head of Planning, you’ll take ownership of the financial and inventory performance of your categories, developing merchandise plans that balance sales, margin, availability and stock productivity.

This is a role for a commercially curious Planner who loves getting into the detail, but can also step back and see the bigger picture. You’ll work closely with Buying, Supply Chain, Store Operations, Marketing, Digital and Finance to turn data into action, respond to trading performance and make sure we have the right product, in the right place, at the right time.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll have real ownership of your categories and plenty of opportunity to influence how we plan and trade.

You’ll:

• Own merchandise financial plans, managing sales, margin, inventory, OTB and reforecasting as trading conditions change.
• Drive forecasting and replenishment, using data and trading insights to optimise availability and inventory productivity across Australia and New Zealand.
• Manage forecasting and replenishment in our Demand Forceating tool, ensuring settings reflect trading performance, demand and lead times.
• Partner with Buying on ranges, product mix, markdowns and trading opportunities to drive sales and profitability.
• Optimise stock flow and availability across stores, digital and our distribution network, partnering closely with Supply Chain and Store Operations.
• Plan for key promotions and trading events, forecasting stock requirements and using performance insights to continually improve.
• Turn data into action, providing clear commercial insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Coach and develop a Planning Assistant while contributing to strategic projects and continuous improvement across Planning.

About you

You’re an experienced Planner who combines strong analytical capability with commercial instinct. You know the numbers matter, but more importantly, you know how to turn them into decisions.

You’ll bring:

• 5+ years’ experience in merchandise planning or a related retail planning role.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen across sales, margin, OTB, forecasting and inventory management.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel capability and confidence working with large volumes of data.
• Experience with merchandise planning and forecasting systems. RELEX and FSR experience would be particularly valuable.
• Experience working with BI tools such as Power BI or Tableau.
• A proven track record of improving inventory performance and supporting sales growth.
• The confidence to challenge, influence and collaborate across Buying, Supply Chain, Operations and other business functions.
• Previous experience coaching, mentoring or developing junior team members.
• A proactive mindset. You’re comfortable operating at pace, solving problems and taking ownership of the outcome.

We're accelerating our growth across Australia and New Zealand – when we grow, you grow!

• Training pathways designed to encourage personal growth and professional development
• Employee discount – enjoy great savings across our range
• Family discount to support the people who matter most
• Paid parental leave for both primary and secondary carers
• Annual flu shots to help keep you healthy
• Hybrid working – 3 days in the office, 2 days from home for better balance
• dynamic, friendly team environment where you’ll be challenged and supported to achieve personal and business goals
• Employee Assistance Program for additional wellbeing support

Please note;

• Every employer in Australia has the obligation to ensure that employees have the relevant working rights. All successful applicants will need to undergo a Right to Work check.
• Due to the intimate and personal nature of our work, successful applicants will also need to undergo a National Police Criminal History check.