Merchandise Planning Analyst

Olsam Group; London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading brand management company in London seeks a Merchandise Planning Analyst to enhance inventory planning processes and drive efficiency. The ideal candidate has over 3 years of experience in demand planning, strong analytical skills, and proficiency in Excel. This hybrid role requires working in the office 2 days a week, offering a competitive salary of up to £50,000 per year and numerous benefits including generous holiday allowance and international travel opportunities.

Benefits

30 days holiday + 8 UK bank holidays

Pension contribution Scheme – 5% from you, 3% from us

Private Medical Insurance

Work from Abroad – One month per year

Bonus Scheme – Discretionary bonus

Mental Health Support – Free confidential therapy

Opportunity for International Travel

Flexi-Fridays – Finish early one Friday per month

Olstar Events – Quarterly meetups and socials

Qualifications

• 3+ years' experience in Demand Planning and/or Merchandise Planning.
• Strong analytical and forecasting skills with attention to numerical accuracy.
• Experience managing small teams is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain sales forecasts with Brand Managers.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and highlight key trends.
• Manage the PO process and ensure timely stock availability.

Skills

Demand Planning

Analytical Skills

MS Excel

Communication Skills

Job description

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At Olsam, we are on a mission to grow brands and develop products that customers love, trust, and value. We specialize in acquiring and scaling category-leading brands, unlocking their full potential by expanding them across international marketplaces and channels, streamlining operations, and driving product innovation.

With a fantastic team across three continents and 15 nationalities, we bring together over 50 years of e-commerce expertise. We’re not just building brands, we’re shaping the future of global consumer goods. We are looking for ambitious, driven individuals to be part of it.Ready to make an impact? Let’s talk.

Your Role at a Glance

As a Merchandise Planning Analyst at Olsam, you will play a crucial role in strengthening our end-to-end inventory planning processes and driving strategic inventory efficiency. This is a key strategic role that spans all brands and sales channels, playing a vital part in driving brand growth, improving working capital efficiency, and supporting operational scalability as we continue our rapid expansion.

This role is ideal for someone with strong experience in demand planning or merchandising and a strategic, analytical mindset, who is excited to work in a fast paced, growing start up with a talented team. Your core focus will be demand forecasting and purchase planning, working closely with the Merchandise Planning Manager and Brand Managers to ensure our brands are consistently stocked to support growth. You will take ownership of optimising inventory flow end to end, from suppliers in China to our 3PL warehouses and ultimately to Amazon FBA.

Location & Flexibility

Full-time, permanent role based at our modern office in Runway East, London

40 hours per week, 9 am to 6 pm with a one-hour lunch

This position is hybrid, with the expectation to go to the office 2 days per week

Key responsibilities

Develop and maintain sales forecasts by partnering with Brand Managers to account for seasonality, promotions, and growth plans

Monitor forecast accuracy by tracking actual sales vs. plan and highlighting key trends or outliers

Build and update inventory purchase plans in collaboration with Procurement to meet forecasted demand

Manage the PO process and timelines with Procurement to ensure timely stock availability

Support inventory-related cash flow planning with the Merchandise Planning & Procurement Manager

Monitor overall inventory health, escalating overstock or understock risks and coordinating timely deliveries

Maintain and share key inventory KPIs, providing visibility across functions

Lead cross-functional communication and manage one direct report to optimise inventory across 3PL, Amazon, and in-transit locations

About you

3+ years' experience Demand Planning and/or Merchandise Planning, ideally within an ecommerce or marketplace environment

Strong analytical and forecasting skills, with exceptional attention to numerical accuracy and a highly numerate mindset

Highly proficient in MS Excel and other analytical tools

Strong commercial mindset, able to understand tradeoffs and working capital impact

Experience managing small teams is desirable

Experience managing purchasing and/or sales budgets

Excellent communication and coordination skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally across all levels of the business

Competitive Salary: up to £50,000 per year

30 days holiday + 8 UK bank holidays

Pension contribution Scheme – 5% from you, 3% from us.

Private Medical Insurance – Includes travel, vision & dental (through Vitality)

Work from Abroad – One month per year, anywhere in the world*

Bonus Scheme – Discretionary bonus, based on individual and company performance

Mental Health Support – Free, confidential therapy via Spill

Opportunity for International Travel – Our team members have been to New York, Vegas, Amsterdam… and Birmingham!

Flexi-Fridays – Finish early one Friday per month

Olstar Events – Quarterly meetups, celebrations & socials

Olsam is proud to be a disability-committed employer registered in the UK. If you identify as having a disability and meet all of the criteria set out in the job description, we would like to support you through the interview stage. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment where all employees and applicants can flourish.

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