Senior Production & Planning Leader – Multi-Site

Mera Chemicals Pty; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounts on products and services

Work-life balance policies (including親

Birthday leave

Novated leasing

Job summary

Bapcor Ltd is embarking on a significant transformation within its Merchandising team and is expanding to invest for growth in Melbourne. The Merchandise Planning Manager will lead development and execution of strategic merchandise planning across Burson and Precision sites, partnering with Supply Chain to optimise inventory and profitability.

You’ll mentor the team and drive capability development. Join a dynamic, safety‑conscious organisation with extensive retail reach and a focus on

Qualifications

• Significant experience in merchandise planning, demand planning, inventory management or supply chain analytics.
• Strong commercial and analytical capability, with experience working with large, complex datasets.
• Proven experience in forecasting, inventory optimisation and planning methodologies.
• Advanced systems capability across ERP and forecasting/optimisation tools.
• Demonstrated ability to partner cross-functionally across Merchandise, Supply Chain, Finance and Operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of merchandise planning and demand forecasting across Trade.
• Build and maintain forecasting models using sales data, market insights and statistical methods.
• Partner with Merchandise, Marketing and Supply Chain teams to align forecasts, inventory and promotional activity.
• Ensure optimal inventory levels, balancing availability, working capital and risk.
• Identify and resolve supply and demand gaps, driving improved planning outcomes.
• Establish and embed a Trade Demand Planning capability, including governance and KPI tracking.
• Provide clear reporting and insights on forecast accuracy, inventory performance and trends.
• Translate data into actionable insights to support commercial decision-making.
• Maintain high standards of inventory data quality and drive continuous improvement in processes and systems.
• Contribute to system enhancements and capability uplift across planning and inventory tools.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Demand forecasting

Inventory management

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Retail / automotive knowledge

Tools

ERP software

Forecasting tools

Job description

Bapcor Ltd is the leading automotive aftermarket provider of accessories, equipment and service. We host one of the widest ranges of car parts in the world, with brands including Burson, Autobarn, Midas, Truckline, and Premier Auto.

We’re more than just automotive — we’re a dynamic, purpose‑led organisation powered by people. Our Melbourne‑based corporate team plays a critical role in shaping the strategy and success of the Bapcor Group.

In joining our team, you’ll be welcomed into a supportive business that spans more than 1,000 locations with over 5,000 team members across Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. We are passionate about our team, with safety and inclusivity at the forefront of everything we do. We’re also passionate about our customers, products, and living our values of:

• Doing the right thing
• Being in it together
• Giving a hand
• Getting it done

Job Description

We are embarking on a significant transformation across our Merchandising team and are expanding our team as we invest for growth.

This is a unique opportunity to join Bapcor at a pivotal time — to help build a high‑performing team, influence how we operate, and deliver meaningful commercial outcomes.

About the role

The Merchandise Planning Manager is responsible for leading the development and execution of strategic merchandise planning across Burson and Precision sites, working in close partnership with Supply Chain to optimise inventory management. The role leverages sales data and market insights to inform purchasing decisions, maintain appropriate stock levels, and drive overall profitability.

In addition to strategic planning, this position plays a key role in team leadership, supporting performance and growth through mentoring, coaching, and capability development.

What you’ll do

• Lead the development and execution of merchandise planning and demand forecasting across Trade
• Build and maintain forecasting models using sales data, market insights and statistical methods
• Partner with Merchandise, Marketing and Supply Chain teams to align forecasts, inventory and promotional activity
• Ensure optimal inventory levels, balancing availability, working capital and risk (under/overstocking)
• Identify and resolve supply and demand gaps, driving improved planning outcomes
• Establish and embed a Trade Demand Planning capability, including governance and KPI tracking
• Provide clear reporting and insights on forecast accuracy, inventory performance and trends
• Translate data into actionable insights to support commercial decision‑making
• Maintain high standards of inventory data quality and drive continuous improvement in processes and systems
• Contribute to system enhancements and capability uplift across planning and inventory tool

Qualifications

• Significant experience in merchandise planning, demand planning, inventory management or supply chain analytics
• Strong commercial and analytical capability, with experience working with large, complex datasets
• Proven experience in forecasting, inventory optimisation and planning methodologies
• Advanced systems capability across ERP and forecasting/optimisation tools
• Demonstrated ability to partner cross‑functionally across Merchandise, Supply Chain, Finance and Operations
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to influence outcomes
• Ability to translate data into insights that drive business performance
• Experience in retail, B2B or trade environments (automotive highly regarded)
• A continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to operate in a fast‑paced, evolving environment

Additional Information

At Bapcor, we focus on what matters most for our customers, team members and the communities we serve. We go the extra mile to get the job done and always live our values.

In joining our team, you can access:

• Diverse career opportunities within the Bapcor Group
• Discounts across Bapcor products and services, including our Retail and Trade brands
• Industry leading policies to support your work‑life balance (gender neutral parental leave, purchase leave, volunteer leave etc.)
• Paid birthday leave
• Novated leasing and more

We pride ourselves on our inclusive work environment, and encourage applications from people of all ages, cultures, gender identity, abilities and backgrounds, providing a recruitment experience that’s fair, free from bias and accessible. If you need to inquire about reasonable accommodation for the application process, please email (emailprotected)

While we understand that recruitment agencies would love to offer their support, we kindly request all agencies to refrain from contacting us regarding this job posting. All applications should be submitted directly by candidates.