The Merchandise Planning Manager is responsible for merchandise planning and inventory management across assigned product categories, while also directly owning planning responsibilities for a smaller category. This role focuses on driving sales and profitability through strategic merchandise planning, open-to-buy management, inventory forecasting, and performance analysis. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical and planning expertise, proven leadership experience, and the ability to collaborate effectively across functions. This role includes the direct management of a team of planners. The Merchandise Planning Manager is responsible for coaching, developing, and guiding their team to achieve performance goals, enhance skillsets, and support career growth within the organization.

• Drive sales and inventory strategies across assigned categories, while also personally managing merchandise planning for a smaller product category.
• Own the open-to-buy process, ensuring optimal inventory levels to support sales, margin, and inventory turnover goals.
• Develop financial plans/ladder plans/vendor plans, and partner with buying team in the development of assortment plans.
• Reforecast in-season plans based on current performance, identifying risks and opportunities and recommending actions to improve results.
• Risk management is a key responsibility; they must be able to identify and surface business risks (Sales/GM/Inv) and make recommendations to proactively manage the issues.
• Lead a team of direct reports, providing regular feedback, coaching, and support to ensure their professional growth and performance.
• Contribute to the evolution of planning tools and processes to drive efficiency and enhance decision-making.
• Develop and manage top-down and bottom-up merchandise plans aligned with strategic business goals and financial targets.
• Partners with buyers, allocators, and MINISO HQ teams to build pre-season financial plans and detailed style-level forecasts.
• Provide business insights through regular pre-, in-, and post-season analysis, identifying key drivers and implementing learnings for future planning cycles.
• Evaluate performance at the product level to inform decisions on reorders, cancellations, or inventory shifts.
• Collaborate with MINISO HQ to deliver accurate seasonal and long-range forecasts that support production and delivery timelines.
• Support the DMM with leadership and organization of ad hoc projects across the division. Must be proficient in quickly delivering accurate analysis, which is both actionable and presentable to senior levels of management.
• Lead role in the presentation of financial plans/assortment plans, and OTB. Must be comfortable presenting and speaking to their business to senior levels of management.

• Strong analytical, mathematical and problem-solving skills and proficiency with retail math.
• Experience managing and developing direct reports.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Prior experience working with planning and inventory systems preferred.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to use sales financial data to make decisions and maximize profitability.
• Ability to maintain highly effective working relationships with cross-functional teams.
• Strong interpersonal skills including ability to influence and negotiate effectively.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain or equivalent experience in related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of merchandise planning experience in a retail environment.