Lead, Business Planner, EMEA

Nike; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading sports brand is seeking a Lead Business Planner in Greater London. This role involves managing seasonal business plans, analyzing performance, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. Ideal candidates should have over 5 years of experience in retail or planning, with strong skills in influencing and analytical thinking. Proficiency in Excel, Tableau, and supply chain dynamics is essential. This position offers the opportunity to shape strategic objectives and contribute to marketplace health.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in retail or planning with stock/sales knowledge.
• Expertise in end-to-end supply chain and retail metrics.
• Ability to connect demand and inventory effectively.

Responsibilities

• Own seasonal business plans and manage all seasons post-bookings.
• Review performance against plan and create action plans.
• Develop strategies to achieve financial goals.

Skills

Planning

Analytical and problem-solving skills

Influencing and communication

Growth mindset

Verbal and written communication

Tools

Excel

Tableau

PowerBI

Job description

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

You will work closely with Integrated Teams—including Business Planners, Assortment Planners, and cross-functional partners—as well as cross-functional leadership. Your primary stakeholders are the Commercial and Planning teams for Sport and Marketplace Units (MPO) Partners.

Other key partners are:

• Finance
• Merchandising
• Central /GEO Business Planning & Assortment Planning
• Marketplace Supply Chain
• Partner Management
• Supply & Inventory Management

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Join a dynamic team of planners dedicated to sales planning, where you'll play a key role in shaping the future of the Nike Marketplace Partner (NMP) business. As Lead Business Planner, you will collaborate across a wide network of teams, including Merchandising, Finance, Sports & Business planning, and S&IM. You'll serve as the NMP partner lead in multiple forums, coordinating and consolidating key deliverables for the NMP team.

The ideal candidate should demonstrate the below criteria;

• Expertise in planning, including finance, merchandising, and end-to-end supply chain; understands interdependencies and retail metrics.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with advanced Excel, Tableau, and planning systems (SSP, o9); connects demand, supply, and inventory.
• Ability to influence and communicate effectively with diverse audiences, from peers to Lead leaders; combines data and storytelling to drive alignment.
• Growth mindset, leveraging statistical forecasting, scenario planning, and data science for decision-making.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; simplifies complexity without losing accuracy.

BUSINESS SKILLS

• Planning & Scenario Management - +5 years in retail or planning with strong stock/sales planning, P&L understanding, and KPI knowledge. Anticipates change, balances short-term priorities with long-term strategy, and creates reliable plans.
• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Optimizes trade-offs, applies market insights, and challenges assumptions with evidence-based recommendations.
• Risk Assessment & Decision-Making - Evaluates risks holistically, makes fact-based recommendations, and presents clear options aligned with business goals.
• Analytics & Data-Driven Planning - Applies forecasting models, uses Excel/PowerBI/Tableau for visualization, and turns data into actionable insights connected to consumer and financial impact.
• Consumer & Market Focus - Grounds plans in consumer needs and market trends; understands product lifecycle and growth opportunities.
• Proven record of managing multiple workstreams.
• Excellent stakeholder management.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

• Influencing & Communication - Builds trust and relationships across teams; uses persuasion and negotiation techniques. Crafts compelling narratives, adapts messaging to audience, and builds influence through consistent, value-driven communication.
• Self-Awareness & Growth Mindset - Open to feedback, acknowledges mistakes, and continuously improves.
• Curiosity & Continuous Learning - Demonstrates curiosity about upstream/downstream impacts; seeks innovation and combines quantitative and qualitative insights for objective recommendations.
• Active Listening & Alignment - Listens actively, asks clarifying questions, and uses storytelling plus data to drive decisions and alignment.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

Shape and contribute multi-season, Business Plan (Order Books to Net Ship and inventory) for Sport x MPU including management of Risks & Opportunities.

This Means You Will:

• Maintain Business Plans - Own seasonal business plans (e.g., banner, account, account group) and manage all seasons post-bookings broadcast.
• Analyze & Act - Review performance against plan and forecast monthly, assess risks and opportunities, and create action plans—escalating when needed.
• Drive Strategic & Financial Goals - Develop strategies to achieve Win Now objectives and guide in-season optimization.
• Drive Marketplace Health - Partner with key stakeholders across Geo to ensure marketplace business health and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Influence In-Season Performance - Execute inventory sell-through actions within the marketplace and support weekly trade processes and decisions.
• Optimize Trade-Offs - Align planning rolling forecasts to Sport and execute cross trade-off actions to drive consumer demand, margin, and market share.

Application deadline: 17 December 2025.