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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Support inventory management and financial planning in a dynamic merchandise planning team.
- Company: Join a leading retail company with a focus on innovation and growth.
- Benefits: Gain hands-on experience, develop skills, and enjoy a collaborative work environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on business performance while building your career in planning.
- Qualifications: Experience in merchandise planning and strong analytical skills required.
- Other info: Fast-paced environment with opportunities for professional development.
The predicted salary is between 28800 - 43200 ÂŁ per year.
Join our Merchandise Planning team as an Associate on a 12-month fixed-term contract and support the management of one of the company’s largest financial assets: product inventory. In this role, you’ll work closely with your Planning Lead and wider team to support forecasting, analysis, and allocation across your category. You’ll gain hands‑on experience interpreting sales and inventory data, supporting financial planning decisions, and contributing to cross‑channel strategies. This is a great opportunity to develop strong foundational planning skills while making a meaningful contribution to business performance.
What you’ll be doing
- Pre‑Season
- Support the Planning Lead with building sales, margin, and inventory plans across departments, styles, and colours.
- Analyse previous season performance to identify growth opportunities, missed sales, and key financial drivers.
- Assist in evaluating product opportunities and risks using financial and trend metrics (IMU, AUR, AUC, margin).
- Support recommendations for style and colour counts and product flow to maximise margin and productivity.
- Help prepare financial strategy materials for grow/maintain/decline categories and quarterly investment reviews.
- Maintain and update pre‑season forecasting tools and planning trackers.
- Support daily and weekly trading updates by preparing performance reports and highlighting trends vs. forecast.
- Flag potential risks and opportunities and assist with proposed actions for current and future trading periods.
- Help prepare sales, margin, and inventory forecasts, including support for monthly OTB meetings.
- Support allocation and replenishment to maintain healthy in‑stock levels across stores and channels.
- Maintain weekly style‑level sales plans to support department‑level forecasting.
- Assist with markdown and promotional analysis by modelling pricing and margin scenarios.
What you’ll need
- Experience within Merchandise Planning
- Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with attention to detail.
- Clear and confident written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
- Strong technical skills, including advanced Microsoft Excel and the ability to quickly learn new systems and tools.
Associate Planner - 12m FTC employer: The Inside Job
Contact Detail:
The Inside Job Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Associate Planner - 12m FTC
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and showcasing your analytical skills. Use examples from your past experiences to demonstrate how you’ve tackled challenges in merchandise planning.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t just apply and wait! Follow up on your applications with a friendly email. It shows your enthusiasm and keeps you on their radar. Plus, it’s a great way to ask if they need any more info from you.
✨Tip Number 4
Check out our website for the latest job openings and apply directly. We love seeing candidates who are proactive and genuinely interested in joining our team!
We think you need these skills to ace Associate Planner - 12m FTC
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Associate Planner role. Highlight any relevant experience in merchandise planning and showcase your analytical skills. We want to see how you can contribute to our team!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role and how your skills align with what we’re looking for. Keep it concise but impactful – we love a good story!
Show Off Your Technical Skills: Since strong technical skills are key for this position, don’t forget to mention your proficiency in Microsoft Excel and any other tools you’ve used. We’re keen to know how quickly you can adapt to new systems!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates!
How to prepare for a job interview at The Inside Job
✨Know Your Numbers
Brush up on your analytical skills and be ready to discuss key financial metrics like IMU, AUR, and margin. Being able to interpret sales and inventory data will show that you understand the core of the Associate Planner role.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare examples from your past experiences where you've identified growth opportunities or mitigated risks in merchandise planning. This will demonstrate your ability to think critically and contribute to financial planning decisions.
✨Communicate Clearly
Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and confidently. Since the role requires collaboration with the Planning Lead and wider team, strong verbal and written communication skills are essential. Consider doing mock interviews to refine your delivery.
✨Familiarise Yourself with Tools
Make sure you're comfortable with advanced Microsoft Excel and any other planning tools mentioned in the job description. If you can, try to learn about forecasting tools beforehand, as this will give you an edge during the interview.
