Senior Merchandise Planner

JIVARO Recruitment; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

4pm Friday finishes

50% product discount

Birthday leave

Paid parental leave

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

JIVARO Recruitment is partnering with a leading Australian fashion group to recruit a Merchandise Planner. You will own category planning from seasonal budgeting through to in-season trading and collaborate across Design, Buying and Stores to optimise stock, sell-through and profitability.

You will lead a small team, drive insights with BI tools and shape future ranges while enjoying a hybrid working model, Friday finish at 4pm, and generous employee discounts.

Qualifications

• Strong analytical capability with commercial judgement.
• Ownership of merchandise planning and end-to-end category ownership.
• Experience in stakeholder management and coaching juniors.
• Proficiency with BI tools for planning insights.
• Interest in AI-assisted planning and process improvement.

Responsibilities

• Build seasonal budgets across sales, purchases, markdowns, stock, margin and stock turn.
• Own category OTB and WSSI; manage forecasts, intake and inventory flow.
• Lead weekly trade analysis with clear recommendations to improve sales and margin.
• Collaborate with Design and Buying to shape future ranges through analysis.
• Optimize allocations, replenishment, size curves, store grading and stock cover.
• Manage aged stock, promotions and markdown strategies to protect profitability.
• Coordinate with eCommerce, Retail Ops, VM, Logistics and Finance on stock plans.
• Coach and develop an Assistant Planner; deputise for Planning Manager.

Skills

Analytical capability

Commercial judgement

Ownership

Stakeholder management

Coaching

Leadership

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

Style Arcade

Job description

Own the numbers. Influence the range. Shape commercial performance.

• Take ownership of merchandise planning across stores and eCommerce
• Mentor an Assistant Planner and deputise for the Planning Manager
• Enjoy hybrid working, 4pm Friday finishes and generous product discounts

The opportunity:

JIVARO is partnering with an established Australian fashion group to recruit a commercially driven Merchandise Planner for one of its leading apparel brands.

With a strong heritage and a collaborative culture, this business offers the opportunity to influence how collections are planned, traded and delivered across stores and digital channels.

Working closely with the Planning Manager, you’ll own your categories from seasonal planning through to in-season trading, translating performance insights into clear actions that maximise sales, margin and stock productivity.

This role offers genuine breadth: category ownership, people development, exposure to planning innovation and the opportunity to step into the Planning Manager’s responsibilities when required.

What you’ll be doing:

• Build seasonal budgets and option plans across sales, purchases, markdowns, stock, margin and stock turn.
• Own category OTB and WSSI, proactively managing forecasts, intake and inventory flow against financial targets.
• Lead weekly trade analysis, presenting clear recommendations to improve sales, gross profit and stock performance.
• Partner with Design and Buying to shape future ranges through core-line analysis, in-season insights and post-season reviews.
• Optimise allocations, replenishment, size curves, store grading and stock cover across stores and online.
• Manage aged stock, promotional activity and markdown strategies to improve sell-through and protect profitability.
• Work closely with eCommerce, Retail Operations, VM, Logistics and Finance to align stock plans with customer demand and trading priorities.
• Coach and develop an Assistant Planner, providing direction, feedback and support.
• Deputise for the Planning Manager, leading meetings and maintaining trading momentum.
• Contribute to planning projects and measurable improvements, including forecasting tools, AI-assisted analytics and system integration.

What you’ll bring:

You’re an experienced apparel planner who combines strong analytical capability with commercial judgement. You can identify what the numbers are telling you, make confident recommendations and bring stakeholders with you.

You’ll also have:

• At least five years’ experience in merchandise planning, demand forecasting or inventory management within retail, ideally fashion or apparel.
• Strong ownership of OTB, WSSI and core retail measures, including margin, stock turn, sell-through and stock cover.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience using planning or BI tools such as Power BI, Tableau or Style Arcade.
• Exposure to omnichannel or eCommerce planning.
• Confident communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience coaching or developing junior team members.
• An interest in improving planning processes and adopting new tools, including AI-assisted planning.

What’s on offer:

• Hybrid working and a thoughtfully designed studio and office environment.
• 4pm Friday finishes.
• 50% product discount across the group’s brands.
• Birthday leave and regular team social events.
• Paid parental leave.
• An Employee Assistance Program for you and your family.

Ready to make your next move?

If you’re looking for category ownership, meaningful commercial influence and the opportunity to build your leadership capability within an established fashion business, we’d love to hear from you.