Head of Planning – Outdoor Department at Cape Union Mart

Purpose of the Role

• The Head of Planning is responsible for leading the merchandise planning strategy, processes, and performance across all Outdoor brands and categories. This role ensures that financial targets, stock productivity, and customer availability goals are met through effective assortment, allocation, and inventory management. The incumbent will partner closely with Buying, Operations, and Finance to drive profitability, optimize inventory investment, and support the delivery of the Outdoor department’s strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Merchandise Planning

• Work with the Head of Product to develop and lead the merchandise planning strategy that is aligned with the Outdoor department’s financial and brand objectives.
• Define and manage category and sub-category financial frameworks, including sales, margin, markdowns, stock, and OTB (Open-to-Buy).
• Oversee the effectiveness of system performance and adoption. Including size optimisation, allocations, replenishment, and promotional management.
• Drive long-term assortment and space productivity planning in partnership with Buying and VM teams.
• Lead strategic planning reviews, ensuring robust analysis of historical performance, seasonal trends, and growth opportunities.

Financial and Performance Management

• Translate company and departmental financial goals into actionable merchandise plans.
• Ensure effective stock management to achieve optimum stock turn, sell-through, and profitability.
• Oversee markdown planning and margin optimization strategies.
• Monitor and report on performance KPIs including sales, GP%, ROS, sell-through, stock cover, and forward OTB.

Operational Excellence

• Oversee the planning calendar to ensure timely delivery of all key milestones (pre-season planning, in-season trading, and post-season review).
• Implement and continuously improve planning processes, systems, and tools to enhance accuracy and efficiency.
• Review allocations to ensure optimal store grading, replenishment, and flow of merchandise.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain to ensure effective inbound and outbound stock management aligned with trading requirements.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Merchandise Planners and Allocators to deliver high performance and growth.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships with Buying, Finance,  Operations, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams to ensure alignment on trading and financial objectives.
• Champion a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and commercial decision-making.
• Ensure succession planning, skills development, and talent retention within the Planning team.

Commercial & Market Insight

• Stay abreast of market trends, competitor activity, and customer insights to influence planning strategies.
• Work with the Buying and Marketing teams to align product and promotional strategies to maximize commercial opportunities.
• Contribute to departmental reviews, business cases, and strategic initiatives as part of the Outdoor leadership team.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience Required

• Degree in Commerce, Business, Retail Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 8–10 years’ merchandise planning experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role within retail apparel or outdoor categories.
• Proven experience in strategic planning, financial management, and team leadership within a multi-brand or multi-category retail environment.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills with expertise in planning systems (e.g., Just Enough, Oracle, Blue Yonder, BI tools). Strong excel skills are essential.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret data, identify trends, and translate insights into actionable business strategies.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and influencing skills.
• A passion for retail, the outdoors, and customer-centric decision-making.

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking and commercial acumen
• Leadership and people development
• Analytical and problem-solving capability
• Collaboration and relationship management
• Decision-making and agility
• Attention to detail and process excellence