Senior Planner (Beauty)

takealot.com, South Africa's leading online retailer, is looking for a highly talented Senior Planner (Beauty) to join our Beauty Buying team in Cape Town.

We are a young, dynamic, hyper growth company looking for smart, creative, hard-working people with integrity to join us. We offer a market related, Total Remuneration Package which allows full flexibility according to your needs, a great work environment and a promise that you won’t be bored as long as you are prepared for a challenge and want to build something great.

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 Beauty department strategy.
• Deliver accurate insights and reports on a timely bases 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 & own 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.
• Lead a team of buying assistants; hire, manage and develop a team.
• 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).
• Minimum 5 years Retail experience specifically in Planning.
• Beauty Category experience within Retail/FMCG
• Proven track record in planning, inventory management and forecasting.
• Proven track record in spend management (OTB, Margin management, mark down controls).
• Strong numerical and analytical aptitude, and high proficiency creating and managing advanced models.
• Strong proficiency in using analytical tools (Microsoft Excel, SQL and statistical software).

Attributes Required:

• Decision making, problem assessment, analysis, ability to persuade and influence others (including management), multi-tasking, high excel proficiency, ability to work across multiple departments and multiple buyers and buying managers.
• Strong numerical and analytical aptitude, and high proficiency creating and managing advanced models’ Strong proficiency in using analytical tools (Microsoft Excel, SQL and statistical software).
• Experience with process improvement techniques.
• Strong willingness to learn.
• Proven track record in planning, inventory management and forecasting.
• Proven track record in spend management (OTB; Margin management; mark down controls).
• Entrepreneurial/commercial mindset.   

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. 

If you meet the above you are an Extraordinary Mind so come and join us! 

Takealot Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applicants from the previously disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities, to apply.