Planning Manager - 12 Month FTC

MICHAEL KORS; London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading fashion retailer seeks a Planning Manager for a 12-month FTC in London. The role involves driving commercial performance through strategic planning, team leadership, and cross-functional collaboration. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in merchandise planning, financial forecasting, and retail environments, with strong analytical and leadership skills.

Qualifications

• Strong background in merchandise planning and financial forecasting (at least 7 years).
• Experience managing a multi-category and multi-channel business.
• Commercially astute with the ability to drive performance through data-led decisions.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage planning across multiple departments to drive commercial performance.
• Lead and develop a multi-tiered team, providing direction and performance appraisals.
• Act as the Full Price business lead and own the monthly Open-to-Buy (OTB) process.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Financial forecasting

Leadership

Strategic mindset

Strong Excel skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Tools

EP

WSSI

OTB tools

BI tools

Qlik

Power BI

Zebra Pricing Tool

Job description

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Michael Kors is always interested in hearing from talented, globally-minded individuals with a passion for fashion.

If you enjoy working in a creative, fast-paced environment, then we would love to hear from you!

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Job Title: Planning Manager 12-month FTC
Reports To: Director of Planning
Location: London Office

Oversee and manage planning across multiple departments and channels, driving commercial performance through strategic planning, effective trading, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver financial targets and operational excellence.

Lead and develop a multi-tiered team, providing clear direction, regular performance appraisals, and tailored development plans to build capability and support individual growth.

Key Responsibilities:

Set and manage financial targets by department and category, aligned with business objectives.

Lead strategies to grow the full-price business and protect/drive comp sales.

Act as the Full Price business lead—consolidating department insights and providing short- and long-term topline forecasts.

Own the monthly Open-to-Buy (OTB) process and ensure regular in-season forecasting and trade reactivity.

Analyse WSSI data to identify commercial opportunities and minimise business risks.

Deliver reports and business recaps, analysing sales, inventory, markdowns, and profit performance at both topline and regional/classification levels.

Conduct pre-sign financial meetings with Planning and Buying teams ahead of market to review budgets, align on financial targets, assess prior performance, and ensure investment decisions are data-driven and commercially sound.

Merchandise & Assortment Strategy

Partner with the Buying team to shape seasonal merchandise assortments in line with financial plans.

Analyse key metrics (ROS, sell-through, sales density) and present findings to senior management to inform actionable strategies.

Recommend seasonal buys based on deep commercial analysis to optimise sales, profitability, and sell-through rates.

Collaborate with Field team, Allocation and Buying to manage product flow and assortment by classification.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with Retail, Buying, Finance, and Store Operations to develop and execute commercial strategies.

Support New Store Openings in collaboration with Buying and Branch teams supporting with financial planning, stock builds, and forecasting.

Develop financial strategies in partnership with Field to monitor and exceed planned performance.

Manage and develop a multi-tiered team, providing coaching, clear expectations, and regular performance feedback.

Build a high-performing, commercially focused planning team, fostering accountability, curiosity, and continuous learning.

Identify rising talent and support the career development of direct report

Inventory Management & Exit Strategies

Monitor stock levels, weeks of supply, and sell-through rates to ensure alignment with stock targets.

Develop and implement exit strategies for aged and underperforming stock to protect margin and improve inventory efficiency.

Skills & Experience Required:

Strong background in merchandise planning and financial forecasting (at least 7 years).

Experience managing a multi-category and multi-channel business.

Proven leadership in developing and coaching teams.

High proficiency in planning systems (e.g. EP, WSSI, OTB tools) and strong Excel skills.

Commercially astute, with a strategic mindset and the ability to drive performance through data-led decisions.

Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across levels and functions.

Experience in a luxury or premium retail environment.

Familiarity with systems like BI tools (e.g. Qlik, Power BI), Zebra Pricing Tool, or other analytical platforms.

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At Capri, we are all responsible for creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We try to inspire change and growth within each other and believe success is a result that comes from our differences.Capri is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusivity regardless of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic characteristics, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship, disability, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other legally-recognized protected basis prohibited by applicable law. M/D/F/V