Product Owner (Merchandise Planning)

Hunkemöller; Hilversum; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days of annual leave

Hybrid work model

Work from abroad for up to 2 weeks per

International work environment

Travel allowance

Hunkemöller Academy access

25% employee discount

Job summary

Hunkemöller in the Netherlands seeks a Product Owner/PM to own the Merchandise Planning platform (Centric Planning) and align it with buying, assortment, and inventory goals across our international retail business.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, drive agile delivery, and translate business needs into epics and user stories, ensuring measurable value and increased adoption.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as Product Owner / Product Manager in retail planning.
• Strong understanding of merchandise planning, assortment, allocation and replenishment.
• Experience with Merchandise Financial Planning (MFP) solutions such as Centric Planning.
• Proven backlog management and working in Agile environments.
• Analytical mindset with ability to translate data into decisions.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own and optimize Merchandise Planning processes across the business.
• Drive planning, forecasting, and KPI monitoring; collaborate with planning teams.
• Prioritize the product backlog based on value, impact, and dependencies.
• Translate business requirements into epics, features, and user stories.
• Lead Agile product delivery and participate in sprint ceremonies.
• Ensure platform stability, performance, and operational excellence.
• Build strong partnerships across Merchandising, Buying, Supply Chain, and Tech.

Skills

Product ownership

Product management

Merchandise planning

Agile / Scrum

Analytical mindset

Stakeholder management

SAP S/4HANA

Centric Planning

Tools

Centric Planning

Centric Software

MFP solutions

Job description

In this role, you'll be at the heart of the business, connecting Buying, Merchandising, Supply Chain, Retail Operations, and Technology. You'll own the roadmap of our Merchandise Planning platform (Centric Planning), ensuring it delivers tangible business value and supports critical planning and inventory management processes across our international retail business.

If you're passionate about retail planning, product ownership, and turning complex business challenges into scalable solutions, we'd love to hear from you.

What You’ll Do

Own and Optimize Merchandise Planning Processes

· Act as the business owner for Merchandise Planning, Assortment Planning, Assortment Strategy, and Allocation & Replenishment capabilities.

· Drive standardization and continuous improvement across countries, channels, and departments.

· Ensure processes support business objectives and future growth.

Drive Planning & Forecasting Excellence

· Partner with planning teams to improve forecasting accuracy and inventory decisions.

· Support strategic and operational merchandise planning activities.

· Optimize stock allocation, replenishment, inventory productivity, and product availability.

· Define and monitor KPIs around sales, margin, stock levels, service levels, and inventory performance.

Own and Prioritize the Product Backlog

· Manage and prioritize the roadmap and backlog based on business value, customer impact, operational needs, and technical dependencies.

· Translate business requirements into epics, features, and user stories.

· Define acceptance criteria and support development teams throughout delivery.

· Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders, development teams, and external suppliers.

Deliver Business Value

· Measure product success through KPIs, analytics, and user feedback.

· Drive continuous improvement through experimentation, insights, and data-driven decision-making.

· Ensure solutions create measurable value and increase adoption across the business.

Lead Agile Product Delivery

· Participate in Sprint Planning, Reviews, Demos, and Retrospectives.

· Clarify requirements and make decisions during development.

· Validate completed work against business expectations and acceptance criteria.

Ensure Operational Excellence

· Safeguard the stability, availability, and performance of planning applications.

· Support incident management, root cause analysis, and continuous service improvements.

· Work closely with internal teams and external vendors to maintain platform health.

Build Strong Stakeholder Relationships

· Act as the primary point of contact for both business stakeholders and Centric Software.

· Create strong partnerships across Merchandising, Buying, Supply Chain, Retail Operations, and Technology teams.

· Align priorities and drive successful project delivery across the organization.

What You’ll Bring

· 5+ years of experience as a Product Owner, Product Manager, Merchandise Planner, Planning Manager, or a similar role.

· Strong understanding of retail merchandise planning, assortment planning, allocation, replenishment, and buying processes.

· Experience working with Merchandise Financial Planning (MFP) solutions such as Centric Planning or similar platforms.

· Proven experience managing product backlogs and working in Agile environments.

· Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into actionable business decisions.

· Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

· Experience within retail, fashion, omnichannel, or consumer-focused environments.

· Experience with SAP S/4HANA is a plus.

· Experience with integration between multiple applications is a plus.

Success in This Role

You'll be successful when you deliver measurable improvements in:

· Inventory productivity

· Stock availability and service levels

· Forecasting accuracy

· Reduction of markdowns

· User adoption and engagement

· Reduction of manual planning activities

· Overall business value delivered through the planning platform

What we offer

• 25 days of annual leave, with the option to buy or sell up to 4 additional days
• Hybrid work model, combining office and remote working
• Possibility towork from abroad for up to 2 weeks per year
• Aninternational work environment, working with teams across different countries
• Travel allowanceto support commuting costs
• Access to theHunkemöller Academyfor professional development
• 25% employee discounton all Hunkemöller products