Business Planner France

Business Planner France

Position Overview -_ scroll below for in French_

The Business Planner plays a critical role in driving sales and profitability across multiple merchandise categories within our global retail company. Working closely with Divisional Product Managers and their buying teams, the Business Planner is tasked with meeting or exceeding sales and profit objectives. This involves overseeing the development and successful execution of topside and store financial plans, assortment/buy plans, and product allocation and size planning strategies.

This role sits at the forefront of our Retail Operations team, ensuring strategic allocation of products to various stores and channels in alignment with customer demand, sales trends, and inventory availability. Expertise in demand forecasting, inventory management, and data analysis is essential to optimize product allocation strategies, directly contributing to the company's growth and profitability.

Collaboration with cross-functional teams is paramount, as the Business Planner works to maintain optimal stock levels, enhance product availability, and maximize sales performance across our retail network. This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the management of product assortment and inventory, making a significant impact in the dynamic and competitive retail landscape.

**Exceptional proficiency French, Business English and in Excel is a must.**We are looking for someone who is not just good, but truly a wizard with advanced Excel functionalities, able to build, analyze, and optimize complex models with ease.

**Responsibilities**:
Financial Planning, Demand Forecasting, and Wage Factor Analysis:
Collaborate with Divisional Product Managers to conduct comprehensive Business Reviews.

Assist in developing and reviewing recommended vendor and store matrices, ensuring effective communication to stores.

Contribute to the development of sales targets, including wage factor analysis.

Assist in formulating department-level store sales plans and review topside plans monthly, considering wage factors.

Participate in formal departmental topside plan reviews and support group-level topside planning incorporating wage factor insights.

Coordinate with Regional Planning to communicate topside and store plans to stores, accounting for wage considerations.

Contribute to the development of key item plans, taking into account wage-related dynamics.

Participate in process enhancements related to planning and open-to-buy with a focus on wage factor analysis for better decision-making.

Purchasing, Allocation, and Replenishment:
Provide insights into assortment planning and review allocation strategies.

Contribute to creating and reviewing assortment matrices and buy plans.

Monitor allocation tables, sizing contribution grids, and store volume clusters.

Support allocation strategy sessions and incorporate store demographics into assortment and allocation strategies.

Assist in size planning and review purchase order placement and maintenance.

Collaborate with buying teams to identify distribution and vendor logistics opportunities.

Support the development of case pack and order flow recommendations.

Contribute to store space strategies in partnership with the retail stakeholders.

Analysis and Insights:
Analyze sales reports, sales target plans evaluating their effectiveness.

Review sales unit performance reports and provide actionable insights.

Stay updated on industry trends and competitive analysis.

Additional R&R:
Collaborate with senior leadership to develop long-term strategic plans for product assortment, inventory management, and sales growth.

Conduct in-depth market analysis to identify emerging trends, consumer preferences, and competitive landscape, providing insights to inform product strategies.

Assist in developing pricing strategies based on market demand, competitive analysis, and profit margin objectives.

Coordinate with cross-functional teams to plan and execute successful product launches, including inventory management, marketing campaigns, and sales forecasting.

Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the effectiveness of product assortment strategies, inventory turnover rates, and sales performance.

Identify opportunities for process improvements and efficiencies in planning, allocation, and replenishment processes, driving continuous improvement initiatives.

Lead or participate in special projects as assigned by senior management, contributing to strategic initiatives aimed at driving business growth and profitability.

Job Requirements:

- Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or related field. Master's degree is a plus. MBA preferred.
- 5-10 years of buying and/or planning experience, retail demand forecasting, inventory management, and product allocation.
- Strong analytical skills with proficiency in data analysis and interpretation.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel,