Retail Planning Lead – Germiston at Datafin Recruitment

ENVIRONMENT:

• A leading School Supplies Retailer is looking for a Retail Planning Lead which is a critical new role that will build the planning infrastructure required to deliver profitable growth and optimal stock deployment across 55–60 branches nationwide.
• This role owns all financial and merchandise planning disciplines—Open-to-Buy (OTB), Weekly Sales and Stock Intake (WSSI), forecasting, allocation, pricing mechanics & markdown governance, and markdown cadence.
• As the company builds this national planning capability, the role will enable the organization to internalize analytics currently outsourced to DotActiv, retaining intellectual property and building sustainable competitive advantage through data-driven decision-making.
• The Retail Planning Lead has final decision authority on OTB, WSSI, allocation rules, and pricing mechanics / markdown governance, while collaborating closely with the Head of Retail Merchandising, who owns the category P&L, customer proposition, and pricing strategy/intent (price ladders and promo objectives).
• This is the backbone of retail execution and directly supports their aggressive sales growth goals.

DUTIES:

OTB & WSSI Ownership

• Build, manage, and govern Open-to-Buy (OTB) for all categories across retail branches
• Own weekly WSSI (Weekly Sales and Stock Intake) reviews to monitor stock flow and sales performance
• Drive forecast accuracy and set cover targets and inventory guardrails to optimize stock levels
• Lead weekly trade meetings with Retail Merchandisers to align on stock deployment and category performance

Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)

• Own the Sales and Operations Planning business process, integrating demand, supply, inventory, financial targets, and operational capacity into one agreed plan
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and Merchandising functions to align cross-functional priorities and resolve conflicts
• Ensure S&OP rhythms support seasonal peaks and business growth objectives

Forecasting & Allocation Policy

• Define forecasting hierarchies, clustering rules, and allocation/replenishment policies for optimal stock distribution
• Approve major in-season pivots to respond to demand shifts or market changes
• Lead central allocation and replenishment processes to ensure branches receive appropriate stock levels based on performance and capacity

Pricing & Markdown Governance (Revenue Growth Management)

• Own pricing architecture in collaboration with Head of Retail Merchandising
• Deliver margin targets through price optimization and strategic pricing decisions
• Build promotional and markdown plans that maximize sell-through while protecting margin
• Track margin leakage and implement corrective actions to close gaps

Inventory Health & Cash Management

• Manage weeks of cover and distribution centre/store balance to optimize inventory investment
• Monitor and manage aged stock, building exit strategies to reduce write-offs and free up working capital
• Reduce overstocks while protecting availability and customer satisfaction
• Partner with Retail Merchandising on SKU rationalization to streamline assortments
• Sign off on planogram capacity assumptions to ensure space-to-range alignment

Planning Capability Building & Analytics Internalization

• Build a high-performing planning team capable of delivering analytics currently outsourced to DotActiv
• Develop internal capability in space planning, planogram optimization, and retail analytics
• Retain intellectual property and planning methodologies within the Group.
• Establish planning rhythms, tools, and processes that support national retail operations

Weekly Trade Leadership

• Publish actionable decisions on pricing, promotions, allocation, DC inflow, and store execution blockers
• Drive accountability for execution across merchandising, supply chain, and retail operations teams
• Resolve cross-functional conflicts and ensure alignment on trade priorities

Cross-Functional Alignment

• Partner with Supply Chain on stock optimization and logistics efficiency
• Collaborate with Retail Merchandising and Sourcing on assortment planning and financial targets
• Work with DotActiv on capacity constraints and space-to-range planning (transition period)
• Align with Retail Operations on store execution and replenishment issues
• Coordinate with Finance on cash flow forecasting and stock budgeting
• Support Marketing on promotional planning and campaign timing
• Engage with Property on store opening, closing, or relocation timing

People Leadership

• Set objectives and establish planning rhythms for the team
• Build capacity and pipeline for seasonal peak demand (back-to-school)
• Coach direct reports (including Planning Assistant and Demand Planning Specialists) and foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and analytical rigor
• Manage transition of existing headcount into consolidated national structure, retaining IP and upskilling talent

REQUIREMENTS:

Technical Skills

• Retail Merchandise Planning (OTB, WSSI, Allocation)
• Demand Forecasting & Statistical Analysis
• Pricing Strategy & Revenue Growth Management (RGM)
• Markdown Optimization & Promotional Planning
• Inventory Management & Working Capital Optimization
• Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)
• Space Planning & Planogram Optimization
• Advanced Excel
• Business Intelligence Tools (Power BI, Tableau)
• Inventory Planning Systems (e.g., Netstock or similar)

Leadership Skills

• Team leadership and development
• Cross-functional leadership
• Strategic planning
• Performance management
• Change management
• Capability building

Domain Knowledge

• Retail planning best practices
• FMCG, stationery, and lifestyle product categories
• Multi-site retail operations
• Seasonal demand planning 
• Retail analytics and business intelligence

Qualifications & Experience

Education:

• A relevant tertiary qualification in Supply Chain Management, Retail Management, Business
• Administration, Finance, Industrial Engineering, Data Science, or a related field is typically expected for this role
• Postgraduate qualifications in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, or Data Analytics may be advantageous but are not essential
• Professional certifications in retail planning, demand forecasting, inventory management, or supply chain optimization (such as APICS, CSCP, CPIM, or similar industry credentials) may also be beneficial where relevant

Experience:

• The role typically requires extensive experience in retail merchandise planning, including leadership responsibility for OTB, WSSI, forecasting, allocation, and inventory optimization within a multi-site retail environment
• Experience managing demand planning, pricing governance, and markdown strategies is important, with a proven ability to deliver forecast accuracy, margin targets, and inventory productivity improvements
• Exposure to stationery, lifestyle, FMCG, or similar categories is particularly relevant given their product range and retail model. Experience with seasonal demand planning and building planning capability within a growing retail organization is also valuable

Relevant Operational Exposure:

• Building and managing Open-to-Buy (OTB) and Weekly Sales and Stock Intake (WSSI) processes for multi-site retail operations
• Leading Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes that integrate demand, supply, and financial planning across functions
• Defining allocation rules, clustering strategies, and replenishment policies that optimize stock distribution
• Implementing pricing optimization, promotional planning, and markdown governance strategies (Revenue Growth Management)
• Using inventory planning systems (Netstock or similar) and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau) for data-driven decision-making
• Managing cross-functional trade meetings and driving accountability for execution across merchandising, supply chain, and operations teams
• Building planning teams and developing internal capability in forecasting, allocation, and retail Analytics

ATTRIBUTES:

• Analytical thinking and problem-solving
• Commercial acumen
• Decision-making under uncertainty
• Communication and influencing skills
• Collaboration and stakeholder management
• Strong attention to detail