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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Collaborate on space strategy and optimise store performance through data-driven insights.
- Company: Join the dynamic team at Marks & Spencer, a leader in retail innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy 20% discount, competitive holidays, and a range of wellbeing support.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in retail while developing your skills in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Strong analytical skills and knowledge of space planning processes required.
- Other info: Inclusive culture with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
We are looking for a BU Grading Planner to join the team on a 12-month fixed-term contract. Working closely with the Space Planning Manager, the BU Grading Planner partners with Business Units to develop and deliver the BU Space Strategy. The role is accountable for BU space allocation across Seasonal and All-Year-Round (AYR) ranges, identifying opportunities to drive store and category performance in sales, margin, and controllable contribution. You will translate BU and Department strategies into a clear grading framework for each phase, ensuring space and stock are deployed to deliver a profitable return. This role plays a key part in optimising space use, supporting commercial decision-making, and enabling the delivery of customer-led, performance-driven space plans.
To stay close to customers, our support teams are in the office three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected.
What's in it for you
Being a part of M&S is exactly that - playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We’re an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever-evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, service to every customer, whenever, wherever, and however they want to shop with us. Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special:
- After completing your probationary period, you’ll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.
- Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
- Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
- A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
- A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
- Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
- Industry-leading parental, adoption, and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
- Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.
- A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you’re passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.
What you’ll do
Your key accountabilities will include:
- Supports the development and delivery of the space strategy for the BU, fully aligned to the overall C&H strategy and works with the Space planning manager on the development and delivery of the BU strategy.
- Ensure delivery of the Space planning critical path aligning to the Buying critical path.
- Drive space productivity through the use of space data, insight, and analytics to inform grading optimisation, densities, ratios, space %TTs and SDG space allocation.
- Share Space performance data with BU’s on a weekly basis calling out opportunities for improvement.
- Ensure this information is the most optimal view of space, working with the other BU grading planners to improve when required.
- Works collaboratively with the Space and template planner to drive the accuracy, optimisation, and delivery of space planning for their BU.
- Ensures work is appropriately prioritised and resourced to meet the demands of Transformation.
Who you are
Your skills and experience will include:
- Strong understanding of the Space/Merchandising critical path, process flows, competencies and activities.
- Good knowledge of the Space and Merchandising.
- Strong numerical and analytical skills.
- Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint to a high standard.
- All relevant C&H, Space & Retail reporting, and merch systems, specifically: JDA floorplanning, RP, MP, GMOR, PowerBI, Blue Yonder.
Everyone's welcome. We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating, and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted, and admired by our colleagues, customers, and suppliers. Join us and make change happen. We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together. If you feel you’d benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.
BU Grading Planner in City of London employer: Marks and Spencer
Contact Detail:
Marks and Spencer Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land BU Grading Planner in City of London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees on LinkedIn and ask about their experiences. This can give you insider info and might even lead to a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by researching M&S's values and recent news. Show us that you're not just interested in the role, but also in being part of our mission to bring magic to customers.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your answers to common interview questions, especially those related to space planning and analytics. We want to see how you think and solve problems, so be ready to showcase your skills!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can keep you fresh in our minds and show us that you’re genuinely interested in joining the team.
We think you need these skills to ace BU Grading Planner in City of London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight how your skills align with the BU Grading Planner role. Use keywords from the job description to show that you understand what we're looking for.
Showcase Your Analytical Skills: Since this role involves a lot of data analysis, don’t forget to mention any relevant experience you have with tools like Excel or PowerBI. We want to see how you can drive space productivity through insights!
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward. We appreciate clarity, so make sure your points are easy to read and get straight to the point about your achievements and experiences.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Marks and Spencer
✨Know Your Space Strategy
Before the interview, make sure you understand the BU Space Strategy and how it aligns with the overall C&H strategy. Familiarise yourself with key terms like space productivity, grading optimisation, and space allocation to show that you're ready to contribute from day one.
✨Showcase Your Analytical Skills
Prepare to discuss your experience with data analysis and how you've used insights to drive performance in previous roles. Bring examples of how you've optimised space or improved sales through analytical thinking, as this will resonate well with the hiring team.
✨Collaborative Mindset
Since the role involves working closely with various teams, be ready to share examples of how you've successfully collaborated in the past. Highlight your ability to communicate effectively and work towards common goals, as teamwork is crucial in this position.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions about the company's approach to space planning and how they measure success. This not only shows your interest in the role but also gives you a chance to demonstrate your understanding of the industry and the specific challenges they face.
