Jimmy Choo Regional Senior Merchandise Planner

Jimmy Choo operates in 190+ directly operated stores across 11 regions in 14 currencies as well as a growing E-commerce platform and Omni-channel services. Buying and planning is organised through 4 teams in Europe, USA, Japan and Asia. Each region operates an Open to Buy based on financial budgets and is divided into twice yearly seasonal plans and monthly forecasting and reordering of continuative styles.

Key Accountabilities

• Achieve and drive assigned business goals and objectives including sales, inventory, and gross margin.
• Work with the Branch Planner to product Building Blocks that reflect and validate store level budgets understanding sales curves through use of history and forward strategies.
• Create Open to Buys, in conjunction with Merchandising lessons learnt, summarising plans for the Global team.
• Control stock levels across the region, proposing and monitoring country stock targets and KPIs.
• Identify and recommend opportunities to improve sales performance through stock transfers or reorders.
• Work closely with the regional Merchandise Buying teams to determine the topline Seasonal OTB strategy prior to the seasonal buying campaign, presenting the key targets to the CEO / CFO and Global Merchandising Teams.
• Determine the OTB requirement by store and set up the Seasonal Option Plan for all departments ahead of the Seasonal Buying Campaign.
• Oversee the Sizing strategy with Branch Planner for the Seasonal buys and Continuity reorders, incorporating changing market and client profile needs.
• Collaborate with Demand & Branch Planning function to ensure that auto refill requirements are aligned and up to date with current assortment objectives.
• Ensure Markdown strategies align with store needs and that proactively ensure inventory is available.
• Responsible for the monthly reordering and forecasting of continuative lines, ensuring stock availability is balanced with stock turn.
• Manage all Product Reports and Sales Analysis for regional business.
• Produce trade commentary on a weekly and monthly basis.
• Collate comprehensive hindsight analysis to develop product and inventory strategies.
• Ad-hoc sales analysis for senior management.
• Utilise Merchandise Planning Tool and Power BI systems for efficient working practices.

Qualification/Education

• Graduate calibre.

Experience Required

• 5 years merchandising planning experience within a fashion retail background, preferably within a luxury brand.
• Experience of an Omni-channel retailer would be advantageous (e.g. in store ordering and fulfilling e-commerce orders from store).
• Experience working with a Merchandise Planning tool would be advantageous.

Particular skills/knowledge required

• Advanced Excel skills essential, with the ability to handle large data sets.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills with exceptional reporting capabilities and attention to detail.
• Commercial awareness to maximise sales and profit opportunities.
• Knowledge of supply chain processes, particularly replenishment systems.
• Excellent communication skills.

Characteristics required

• Inspirational, courageous, passionate and open-minded.
• Full of energy and drive.
• Driven to grow shareholder value.
• Good interpreter of information and story teller.
• Strategic, detail conscious, decision maker, problem solver.
• Consumer centric.
• Persuasive influencer and challenger.
• Coach, approachable, articulate, succinct and effective communicator to all parties.
• Objective organized thinker.
• Able to represent Jimmy Choo internally and externally with passion.
• Culturally aware, personally resilient, able to handle pressure.
• Deadline and delivery driven, independent, rational/logical, tenacious.