Director Brand Planning & Operations Europe

Global Sports Jobs Limited; Perugia; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

PUMA seeks a Director of Brand-Planning & Operations Europe to lead planning, governance, and execution across Marketing and Merchandising. You will translate global strategies into regional plans and drive alignment with Sales, Retail, eCommerce, Finance, SCM, and D&T.

You will build and manage a high-caliber European Planning & Operations team, optimise processes, and ensure data-driven decision-making to support sustainable growth. Fluency in English is required.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in Planning or Operations within marketing/merchandising
• Experience in international matrix organisations
• Strong commercial understanding and strategic thinking
• Leadership and talent development track record
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication
• English proficiency; other European languages a plus

Responsibilities

• Lead annual and seasonal planning for Marketing and Merchandising in Europe.
• Act as the central point of contact for driving the Europe Go-to-Market process across Merchandising, Marketing, and Sales.
• Drive cross-functional alignment across Marketing and Merchandising and coordinate with Sales, Retail, eCommerce, Finance, SCM, and D&T.
• Translate global strategies into regional execution plans and governance models.
• Oversee range guidance, budget processes, and One Europe Brand Calendar.
• Develop KPI dashboards and actionable insights for decision-making.
• Build and inspire a high-performing Planning & Operations team across Europe.

Skills

Planning

Operations

Merchandising

Marketing Operations

Commercial Planning

Analytics

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Budgeting

Tools

ERP systems

Planning systems

BI/reporting tools

Job description

About the Role

The Director Brand-Planning & Operations Europe leads the planning, operational excellence, and business governance agenda across Marketing and Merchandising for Europe. The role translates global strategies into actionable regional plans and ensures alignment across Marketing, Merchandising, Sales, Retail, eCommerce, Clusters, Finance, SCM, and D&T. By driving integrated planning processes, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making, the position enables strong execution of commercial and brand priorities across the region. The director also leads a team of planning and operations professionals and drives process optimisation, resource allocation, and cross-functional collaboration to support sustainable business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the annual and seasonal planning processes across Marketing and Merchandising in Europe.
• Act as the central point of contact for driving the Europe Go-to-Market process across Merchandising, Marketing, and Key Account/Sales, ensuring readiness and alignment across key Go-to-Market milestones, seasonal launches, and commercial initiatives.
• Drive cross-functional alignment across Marketing and Merchandising, and orchestrate alignment within Europe Brand and with Sales, Retail, eCommerce, Finance, SCM, and D&T.
• Translate global strategies, priorities, and business objectives into regional execution plans and operational frameworks.
• Serve as the point of contact for eCommerce in the buying and ranging process, orchestrating Merchandising teams across business units to deliver a horizontal range to eCommerce.
• Provide and co-develop range guidance, range frameworks, and targets based on global strategies.
• Act as the go-to contact for Cluster Marketing leads on process and budget questions, and own the One Europe Brand Calendar as the basis for the budget process and budget decisions.
• Drive and own the One Europe Marketing Budget in close collaboration with the Senior Director and Finance.
• Establish and continuously improve planning processes, governance models, tools, and ways of working, and oversee Merchandising and Marketing data needs.
• Manage regional planning and operations budgets, performance reporting, and business controlling activities, and drive data governance, system integrity, and operational excellence across planning platforms and business tools.
• Develop KPI frameworks and performance dashboards to generate actionable business insights and support decision-making.
• Lead strategic projects and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, transparency, and organisational effectiveness.
• Build, develop, and inspire a high-performing Planning & Operations team across Europe.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Extensive experience (10+ years) in Planning, Operations, Merchandising, Marketing Operations, Commercial Planning, or related business functions.
• Proven track record in managing complex cross-functional planning and operational processes within an international matrix organisation.
• Strong commercial understanding combined with analytical and strategic thinking capabilities.
• Experience leading teams and developing high-performing talent.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills across different functions and organisational levels.
• Advanced knowledge of planning systems, reporting tools, ERP environments, and business analytics.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Professional proficiency in English.
• Ability to present and work across different levels of the organisation, including board level.

Preferred Skills

• Sales and/or consulting experience.
• Additional European languages.

About the Company

PUMA is a global sports brand creating footwear, apparel, and accessories that inspire athletes and everyday movers. The PUMA Group owns PUMA, Cobra Golf, and stichd, operates in 120+ countries, and has around 22,000 employees worldwide. The company seeks candidates who embody its SPEED & SPIRIT values — being driven in performance, vibrant in sporting legacy, and together in team spirit, while letting individual talent and experience shine.