Senior Merchandise Planner & Team Leader

TFG; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 520,000 - 780,000; Full time

Job summary

TFG in South Africa seeks a Planner III to mentor the Merchandise Planning Team, forecast future sales across key categories, and optimize planning processes to improve range assortments, replenishment, and inventory efficiency.

You will partner with Buying, Sourcing, and Supply Chain to deliver category objectives, review weekly performance, and develop category financial plans. The role requires a minimum of a diploma or degree and 5 years of experience.

Qualifications

• Minimum completed National Diploma or Degree in Business Management, BCom or a related field, with majors in Finance, Statistics, Economics or Mathematics.
• Minimum of 5 years' proven Merchandise Planning experience within a retail environment.
• Must possess strong numerical, analytical and strategic thinking capabilities.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Must demonstrate strong commercial acumen, a trader mentality and proven inventory management capability.

Responsibilities

• Mentor the Merchandise Planning Team, providing guidance, coaching and support to team members.
• Drive planning performance across the categories through commercial decision-making, trading insight and data-led analysis.
• Manage and optimise a high-value category portfolio, ensuring sales, profitability and inventory objectives are achieved.
• Influence and implement the merchandise strategy, developing and managing category financial plans across sales, stock, margin, GP, closing stock and markdown.
• Project future sales and develop accurate forecasts to support category performance and business objectives.
• Demonstrate a strong trading mindset by identifying opportunities and risks and implementing actions to maximise category performance.
• Analyse sales, stock and trading performance to identify trends, opportunities and risks, implementing corrective actions where required.
• Drive inventory management strategies to optimise stock productivity, availability and working capital investment.
• Manage OTB allowances across in-season and forward planning cycles.
• Develop category strategic, tactical and operational plans to achieve sales, profit, inventory and stock turn targets.
• Manage range assortments and replenishment strategies to ensure the right product is available in the right place at the right time.
• Implement distribution and allocation strategies to maximise product availability and sales performance.
• Optimise planning processes and drive continuous process improvement initiatives.
• Review weekly trading performance with the Buying team and recommend actions to improve category results.
• Partner closely with Buying, Sourcing, Supply Chain and Operations teams to deliver category objectives.
• Prepare and present category performance, forecasts and recommendations in trade and planning meetings.
• Foster collaboration across key stakeholders to ensure effective execution of category plans and business objectives.
• Conduct regular store visits to evaluate trading performance, identify opportunities and enhance commercial decision-making.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Commercial acumen

Inventory management

Strategic thinking

Numerical ability

Trader mentality

Education

National Diploma or Degree in Business/Commerce (Finance, Statistics, Economics or Mathematics)

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

TFG in South Africa seeks a Planner III to mentor the Merchandise Planning Team, forecast future sales across key categories, and optimize planning processes to improve range assortments, replenishment, and inventory efficiency.

You will partner with Buying, Sourcing, and Supply Chain to deliver category objectives, review weekly performance, and develop category financial plans. The role requires a minimum of a diploma or degree and 5 years of experience.