Category Planner

DotActiv (Pty) Ltd; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Category Planner to enhance retail experiences and drive sales. This role involves creating strategic assortment and floor space plans, analyzing data to provide insights, and supporting clients with innovative solutions. The ideal candidate will possess a degree in Consumer Science or Commerce and demonstrate strong analytical and communication skills. Join a dynamic team where your contributions will significantly impact the retail landscape, and enjoy a supportive environment that fosters professional growth. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a forward-thinking company dedicated to transforming retail strategies.

Benefits

Laptop Allowance

Training and Development

Transparent Job Grading System

Career Growth Opportunities

Qualifications

• A degree in Consumer Science or Commerce is essential.
• Strong analytical and communication skills are crucial for success.

Responsibilities

• Create strategic assortment plans and data-driven floor space plans.
• Analyze cluster plans and deliver insights to clients.
• Maximize customer and category performance.

Skills

Strategic Planning

Problem Solving

Customer Satisfaction

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Education

Consumer Science or Commerce Degree

Tools

DotActiv Software

MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Google G-Suite

Job description

Category planners play a pivotal role in the success of any business that has its roots in the retail industry. In the case of DotActiv, they help us to transform the instore experiences of our customers, drive sales and profit, analyze and profile clusters, as well as use this information to recommend a customer-centric assortment plan to our customers.

With a starting Cost to Company of between R15 000 and R20 000 per month, we are searching for people who value strategic planning, problem-solving, customer satisfaction, and working in an innovative environment.

Who Is DotActiv

In order to explain who DotActiv is, it’s first important to explore the topic of category management. That’s because category management is a core part of our business and has been for the past 25 years.

The idea behind category management is straightforward: it’s the process used to manage product categories to deliver value to shoppers in a bid to increase both the sales and profit for a retailer. In short, it is the science behind how retailers decide on which products to stock as well as how to organize these products instore so as to please their customers.

Our history dates back to 1991 when we launched as a Category Management consultancy. In 1997, we became the first company to establish a formalized and collaborative management process between a retailer and supplier when we signed Pick n Pay as a client. That wasn’t our only first. In 2001, when we relaunched under the name of DotActiv, we became the first company to create a data-driven category management system. The fact that we have since expanded and evolved that system means today we have more than 2000 retail professionals using our planogram software in over 110 countries.

Role Type: On Site Full time.

Location: Fourways

What You Can Expect From This Job

As a Category Planner working at DotActiv, your responsibilities will include:

• Creating strategic assortment plans;
• Designing data-driven floor space plans;
• Planning and building data-driven shelf plans;
• Conducting floor and space plan analytical reviews;
• Developing optimized cluster plans per product category using the cluster optimizer and maintenance tools in the DotActiv software;
• Analyzing the cluster plan and profiling each cluster to deliver strategic insights to clients;
• Maximizing customer and category performance by considering category strategies and plans, product financial performance, shopper psychology, and aesthetic appeal;
• Supporting, advising, and guiding retail customers where required.

You’ll have access to DotActiv’s all-in-one category management software to complete all of the above.

Skills And Requirements

• A Consumer Science or Commerce degree or similar degree at a recognized and accredited university;
• A good understanding of English (You must be able to speak, read, and write at a business proficiency level);
• While not required, 1 to 2 years of experience in a retail environment is advantageous;
• A valid driver’s license and vehicle are a requirement for this role as you may be required to travel onsite to meet with clients;
• A working laptop - It is important that your laptop has Windows as our software is not supported with Mac PCs. We do offer a laptop allowance included in the CTC.

Knowledge and Computer Skills

• General retail business experience within a retail environment;
• Understand the principles of category management and more specifically clustering and assortment planning (beneficial);
• Understand the process of space planning and how this connects to clustering and assortment planning (beneficial);
• Understand merchandising principles and techniques (beneficial);
• Have the necessary product knowledge and understand product ranges;
• Computer literate with special attention to:
• Intermediate MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint);
• Google G-Suite / Google Docs for business;
• Understand the computer packages and systems currently used by DotActiv and customers (training will be provided).

Soft Skills

• You must have excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Must have strong analytical skills and be able to use data analysis techniques and how to apply these to business situations;
• You must have excellent interpersonal skills;
• You must have a high capacity to represent the DotActiv brand as a specialist;
• You must have a high degree of internal client engagement;
• You must have the ability to multitask and work cross-functionally;
• You must be able to remain attentive in an often busy environment;
• You must be naturally calm while still having a strong sense of urgency and be focused (Detail-oriented);
• You must be a team player;
• You must be versatile enough if participation in other types of activities is required;
• Must be adaptable to change as different product categories present different challenges and opportunities.

Commitment To Balance Out DotActiv's Investment

To balance out the investment of your three-month training, we have attached a cost of training agreement. This means that you undertake not to resign for a period of three years from the date of your successful deployment. If this agreement is not upheld, you will be liable to repay the total actual value sponsored immediately on termination of service.

What You Can Expect From DotActiv

Here’s what you can expect from DotActiv when joining the team as a Category Planner:

• You’ll receive a Cost to Company of between R15k and R20k depending on your qualifications and experience;
• You’ll receive guidance, support, and training from your line manager to ensure that you succeed as a category planner and can grow in your career at DotActiv;
• We offer you a transparent job grading system;
• We offer you a developmental path specific to your circumstances allowing you to track your progress.

Employment Type: Full Time

Experience: years

Vacancy: 1