Junior Planner

This position reports to the Head of Planning

Your responsibilities will include:

• Oversee the In-stock function including demand planning, ordering and capacity management in line with department strategy.
• Deliver accurate insights and reports on a timely basis on which department managers can base commercial decisions and deliver on revenue and margin plans.
• Create sustainable In-stock systems and processes in partnership with central analytics, technical and product teams.
• Planning management to support department procurement cycles including but not limited to seasonality, promotion planning, reaction, import purchasing & continual replenishment.
• Develop the bottom-up budgeting plan cycle and reviews in line with performance, margin, stock turn & departmental strategy objectives.
• Own and compile the annual retail sales budget, quarterly plan, working plan as well as on-going.reforecasting at category and product levels to ensure budgets are achieved.
• Manage end to end inventory availability and inventory health including improved in-stock rates (availability), inventory planning at categorisation, systematic forecasting, markdown and clearance provisions, return to supplier activities and warehouse space management.
• Drive process improvement and operational excellence within our supplier base by reducing costs, defects, and lead times, while increasing innovation, automation, and economies of scale.
• Drive complex business analysis that identifies opportunities to improve cost structure and profitability, focusing on continual contribution margin improvements.
• Support the operations team in delivering a world-class customer experience – monitor and scrutinise department returns, defects and write offs, supporting the customer service team on product queries and resolving any customer complaints.

Qualification & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma (Commerce, Finance, Mathematics or Economics degree preferable).
• 1 to 3 years retail planning experience
• Proven track record in spend management (OTB, Margin management, mark down controls).

Attributes Required:

• Proven track record in planning, and inventory management.
• Competencies and forecasting.
• Strong willingness to learn.
• Entrepreneurial / Commercial mindset.
• Proven track record in spend management (OTB, Margin, management, mark down controls).
• Strong numerical and analytical aptitude, and high proficiency creating and managing advanced stock managment and inventory models.
• Strong proficiency in using analytical tools (Microsoft Excel, SQL) and statistical software.

The Environment:

• takealot.com employees are entrepreneurial and dynamic, smart, customer- centric, fun and have the shared ambition of takealot.com being the leading e- commerce company in Africa.
• We have fun, work hard, take ownership, work in teams to create solutions, and are always open to direct feedback/new ideas on where we can improve.
• We are short on ego and high on output.
• We are doers and not only thinkers, its all in the execution after all.
• We love what we do and what we are creating.
• We seek to employ an Extra Ordinary Mind who is Smart, has Integrity, and is Hardworking.