Junior Demand Planner

Clicks Group Limited; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Clicks Group is seeking a Junior Demand Planner in Cape Town to ensure accurate forecasting and optimal inventory levels for assigned categories. You will collaborate with Category Managers on pre-season plans, promotions, and margins to drive profitability and working capital efficiency.

You will analyze forecast performance, reconcile exceptions, and prepare management reports. The role requires strong analytical skills, collaboration across teams, and aptitude for retail and FMCG planning

Qualifications

• Strong planning and buying experience with solid understanding of financial and statistical analysis
• 1-3 years’ experience with in Demand Planning in a retail / FMCG environment
• Distributions requirement planning and other supply chain processes such as production planning, scheduling and transportation
• Supply chain software knowledge (BY/EP) advantageous (Desirable)

Responsibilities

• Own forecast accuracy within allocated categories and optimize inventory levels
• Partner with Category Managers on pre-season sales, markdown, margin, and inventory plans
• Analyze and propose category level assortment investments and top line shifts
• Monitor projections, inventory flow and seasonal sell-off plans; validate monthly forecast for OTB management
• Identify forecast exceptions and manage sales vs forecast to ensure inventory optimization
• Lead consensus forecast meetings with stakeholders to derive insights for decisions
• Execute range review process to determine optimal product range

Skills

Forecasting

Data analysis

Communication skills

Financial math

Decision making

Presentation skills

Excel proficiency

Education

Diploma in Purchasing/Business Management

Bachelor's in Statistics/Math/Decision Science

Tools

BY/EP (supply chain software)

Job description

Clicks is on the hunt for a Junior Demand Planner, to ensure effective demand and statistical forecasting for assigned categories in order to drive profitability through increased sales, improved margins, and working capital productivity.

• To be accountable forforecast accuracy within the allocated categories
• To be accountable foroptimized inventory levels within the allocated categories and minimum order quantity within the allocated categories
• To partner with the CategoryManagers on the development of pre-season sales, markdown, margin, and inventory plans
• To analyze and propose to the merchandising department top line shifts in the assortment investment at the category level
• At the category level monitor projections, inventory flow and seasonal sell-off plans as well as validate monthly forecast for open to buymanagement
• To recognize and reconcile forecast exceptions to track and manage sales against forecast and validate forecast for OTB management
• To determine causal factors impacting forecasts and respond appropriately, (weather, moving events, promotions etc.)
• To ensure effective stakeholder management and engagement in order to determine trends, identify new products, evaluate risks and determine inventory and replenishment requirements
• To generate and deliver accurate and timely management reports and maintain key metrics against goals in order to analyze forecast performance and ensure forecast accuracy and inventory optimization
• To effectively analyze post promotional and event data to determine opportunities andimprove future forecasts
• To effectively lead and prepare for the consensus forecast meetings with key stakeholders in order to enhance key insights and decisions taken
• To ensure the effective execution of the range review process and decision making in order to assist the Category Team to determine optimal range

EDUCATION

• Diploma in Purchasing/Business Management Financial/Retail Management (Desirable)
• Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Math, Decision Science, Marketing, Business, related area or equivalent experience

JOB EXPERIENCE

• Strong planning and buying experience with solid understanding of financial and statistical analysis of both
• 1 - 3 years’ experience with in Demand Planning in a retail / FMCG environment
• Distributions requirement planning and other supply chain processes such as production planning, scheduling and transportation
• Supply chain software knowledge ( BY / EP) advantageous (Desirable)

JOB RELATED KNOWLEDGE

• Retail / FMCG Demand Forecasting, Supply Chain and Logistics
• Data analysis models
• Ability to understand and fine tune algorithms for optimal forecast performance
• Execution of the new stores / lines / products process using required commercial acumen
• Understanding of the consistent management and planning of the supplier base performance metrics, promotional planning cycle, product lifecycle, supply chain optimization for their products, business analysis and reporting
• Financial planning models and methodologies (Desirable)
• Understanding of customer needs and wants, trends, competitive environment and market share (Desirable)

JOB SKILLS

• Causal factor determination and event driven adjustments
• Deep analytical skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, to build relationships and drive consensus and collaboration across functional groups
• Business math acumen and analysis to comprehend financial information and reporting to make business decisions
• Forecasting consumer trends and buying habits 9 – 24 months in the future
• Complex decision making based on statistics, trends and opinions
• Presentation skills with focus being on oral and written communication skills
• Proficiency on MS Office Excel, Word, Outlook and Power Point, spreadsheets, databases
• Complex Problem solving
• Retail financial & mathematical calculations (e.g. variance to last year, percent of total, turn, Open-to-Buy)
• Strong negotiating and influencing skills

COMPETENCIES

• Deciding and Initiating Action
• Persuading and Influencing
• Presenting and Communicating Information
• Analysing
• Planning and Organising
• Delivering Results & Meeting Customer Expectations