Promotions Planning Manager

Clicks Group Limited; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Clicks Group Limited is seeking a Promotions Planning Manager to lead the Promotional demand and forecasting team at the Cape Town head office. You will drive accuracy, collaborate with senior leaders, and align promotional strategies with merchandise plans to improve stock efficiency and working capital.

You will oversee weekly and monthly forecasting, open-to-buy validation, and promotional analytics, guiding decision making across stakeholders and suppliers to deliver the business plan.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent with emphasis on business/finance.
• Strong analytical and forecasting capabilities required.
• Experience in promotions planning and retail forecasting advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead a high performing Promotions Planning team.
• Collaborate with category and senior leadership on forecasting improvements.
• Partner with Merchandise Executives on promotional sales tracking and OP.
• Manage promotional forecast volume changes and tracking.
• Provide forecasts aligned to open-to-buy and budgets.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Financial analysis

Forecasting

Data analysis

MS Office Excel

Problem solving

Retail math

Change management

MS Word

PowerPoint

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in business/finance

Tools

JDA

Job description

We are looking to recruit a Promotions Planning Manager to work within the Planning department of Clicks. The role will be based at Clicks Head Office in Cape Town and will report to the Demand Portfolio Manager.

Job Purpose

To lead and manage a high performing team in Promotional demand and statistical forecasting by developing business strategies aligned to merchandise plans within the Total Frontshop portfolio in partnership with all relevant stakeholders to drive profitability through increased sales by improved promotional forecasting driving better stock efficiency and working capital.

Job Objectives

• To be accountable for Promo forecast accuracy within the Frontshop Portfolio
• To actively collaborate with category and senior leadership to provide input into determining improved promotional forecasting.
• To partner with the Merchandise Executives & Portfolio Managers on the development of promotional sales and tracking to OP
• To manage, analyse and execute promotional forecast volume changes.
• To provide input to the Demand Planning Team in achieving Total forecasting Accuracy Targets through weekly / monthly forecasting reviews and formalise concepts are aligned to targets and budgets.
• To monitor future projections, inventory flow and validate monthly forecast for open to buy management in consultation with the demand planning managers.
• To conduct promotional planning analytics on past and future promotions to provide valuable insights to the business
• To partner and consult with the Portfolio Managers by reviewing promotional forecasting and looking ahead with local and long lead time suppliers.
• To build a high performing team through effective people management and development in order to ensure delivery of the business operating plan
• Weekly tracking communication feeding back on promotional timeline adherence, plan roll‑up and past promotional performance.
• Provide constant communication and updates on promotions readiness tracking, adherence to timelines and promotions performance to the general business and hold promotions within S&OP.

Knowledge

• FMCG, Supply Chain and Logistics
• Data analysis models
• Finance and budgeting
• IT Data base/ Data warehouse (understanding how data flows from various systems)

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
• Requires proficiency on MS Office Excel
• Complex problem solving
• Retail mathematical and financial calculations/analysis (e.g. variance to last year, percent of total, turn, Open-to-Buy
• Change management
• Word, Outlook and Power Point

Experience

• A minimum of 3 – 5 years merchandise planning and financial/business analysis, modelling and forecasting experience.
• A minimum of 5 years experience in a retail environment
• A minimum 2 years in managing a project or team
• Strong planning and buying experience with solid understanding of financial and statistical analysis or both
• Leadership experience applying business and financial analysis skills and knowledge to solve business problems and influence decision making
• BI analysis and reporting
• Understanding of customer needs and wants, trends, competitive environment and market share
• Deep 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
• JDA knowledge

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or similar 3 year qualification with an emphasis on business, management, finance, related field or equivalent experience.
• Deciding and Initiating Action
• Leading and Supervising
• Persuading and Influencing
• Presenting and Communicating Information
• Analysing
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts
• Planning and Organising
• Delivering Results & Meeting Customer Expectations