Planner: Protein & Dairy at Woolworths

Introduction

Maximise trading opportunities by providing accurate forecasts of customer demand through management by exception, optimising inventory management through the supply chain and store catalogues within defined parameters.

Job description

• Optimise the continuous availability of product in the department to meet customer demand
• Contribute to the department plan with a specific focus on planning objectives and requirements
• Develop and manage the department plan in line with planning principles to ensure Food Range (depth & breadth of range) delivers availability, sales and profitable growth
• Communicate and ensure adherence to all key objectives and priorities from the Category Operating Plan to the department teams
• Assist department team to prioritise objectives and resources to deliver operating plan, both from a product and people perspective
• Define, set and monitor product flow models and integrate with Supply Chain and cross functional team to ensure delivery of the department plans
• Contribute to the Category Scorecards to ensure stretch budgets and targets are set for the department
• Review department performance against Department Scorecards
• Integrate with team to set and achieve operational KPI’s –sales, waste, availability, financial accountable contribution of the Foods Department.
• Set, Monitor and Deliver inventory plans and achieve all inventory targets (Sales, Service levels, Stock cover, Forecast accuracy, Waste, Availability) in line with customer availability objectives for the Category Operating Plan
• Provide input and influence the replenishment processes and forecasting algorithms and key inventory levers
• Complete and maintain the analysis of historical and future performance (KPAs sales, stock margin, stock turn, sell throughs, promotion activity including key business indicators) to feedback to trading team to ensure if any, risks are considered in the development of future plans
• Participate and influence in all department reviews by ensuring that the Planning KPI’s analysis is ready for the reviews
• Drive profitability together with the matrix team
• Set, Monitor and Deliver product plan for special occasions/events
• Build key relationships with stores to drive process within the category 

Minimum requirements

• Preferably B.Com Degree / Relevant Retail qualification
• Ideally 3 – 5 years planning experience with emphasis on perishables planning, and with some measure of specialisation within a discipline
• Good computer literacy, with an above average grasp of all office applications,
• Must have good knowledge of supply chain operations i.e. Suppliers, DC, Stores and understands the supply chain concepts
• Very good analytical and numerical ability
• Very good planning and organisational ability
• Very good business acumen, judgement and problem-solving skills
• Very good team player, demonstrates integration skills in all interactions
• Ability to deliver good results under stressful situations
• Proven ability to effectively use a statistical forecasting tool, lever management and root cause analysis
• Proven ability to evaluate availability and waste metrics and implement integrated solutions that deliver category profitability targets
• Good understanding of supply chains/ inventory management systems and their processes together with order management
• Good understanding of stores, customer and product profiles, and their relationship to range/ catalogue and space planning
• Contribute to the development of an integrated category/ department plan that delivers a product range that in turn delivers profitable growth, whilst being mindful of planning principles