Merchandise Planner

**_Grace Loves Lace_** is the largest direct to consumer bridal fashion brand worldwide. With 26 showrooms across the globe and a huge online presence across US and Europe, GRACE has become a global leader in the modern bridal world.

We have an exciting and rare opportunity to join our team as **Merchandise Planner**. The role is providing commercial insights and proposals to maximise business profits through the merchandise planning and data analysis. This role is required to determine merchandise requirements based on historical sales, current inventory levels and forecasted demand, across all channels.

**The role would be full time working 7:30am to 4:00pm Monday to Thursday and 7:30am to 2:00pm Fridays (38 hours per week).**

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Work closely with Production Managers and Inventory Supervisors for merchandise planning across all channels
- Manage open to buy
- Summarize periodical sales performance, assess against budget / forecast and prior periods
- Forecast for future merchandise buys based on historical sales and current inventory levels across all sales channels
- Monitor and improve style efficiency and timing through planning process
- Identify areas for investment and reduction at category, style, lining variation and size level
- Propose actions to meet inventory and margin budgets
- Identify market risks and opportunities
- Work with inventory team to provide recommendations on future aged stock and exit strategy for discontinued styles
- Set safety stock levels at SKU level and prevent excess inventory
- Generate Supply plans for finished goods and raw materials and communicate demand to production managers and inventory supervisors
- Manage product costing and maintain information integrity at SKU level
- ERP system (NetSuite) alignment
- Provide ongoing reporting and analysis of all levels of internal operational drivers such inventory management, WIP & routing, demand forecasting, production and labour metrics
- Complete weekly reports on Production, Development, Procurement and Dispatch key metrics against targets and budgets
- Working with key stakeholders to develop reporting tools that will drive efficiencies and performance
- Provide data validation and maintenance of data sets that are consolidated and create reporting as appropriate to the required weekly, monthly, quarterly timelines
- Complete solutions-based reports as requested by management
- Ad hoc duties as required by management

**Essential Knowledge/Behaviours**:

- At least 5 years previous experience within a similar role
- Bachelor level qualifications in Commerce, Business/Finance Analytics, IT Analytics or similar
- Working knowledge of current merchandise planning methodology
- Experience with industry recognized ERP systems. NetSuite experience highly desirable
- Experience with procurement and inventory analysis and stock movement
- Extensive knowledge and advanced experience using Excel is essential
- Intermediate computer skills and MS office knowledge
- Strong analytical and problem solving ability
- Highest level of integrity and honesty
- Exceptionally high attention to detail
- Passionate and curious about key business drivers and providing support to business owners with key data
- A strong work ethic and 'can do' attitude
- The ability and enthusiasm to go above and beyond
- Highly effective time management skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Ability to meet daily goals and deadlines
- Excellent verbal and written communication
- Alignment with the Grace Loves Lace Mission and Values

**GLL Benefits**:

- Work in beautiful Burleigh Heads based Operations and Production Facility
- Be a member of a highly passionate team in a growing business that is expanding both nationally and internationally
- Continued support and development opportunities
- Employee Assistance Program
- Generous employee discounts on bridal and occasional wear
- Team rewards, monthly employee recognition program, bi-annual team celebrations and much, much more.