Category Planning Manager

MECCA’s purpose is to help people look, but more importantly feel and be their best self. To ensure that we provide our customers with exceptional service with the right products at the right time, we are are looking for a Category Planning Manager on a 12 month fixed term contract to contribute and strengthen our Supply processes and systems to support the performance across planning with our brands and replenishment for our stores.

The Role You Could Play:   

Leading a team of Demand & Supply Planners, the Category Planning Manager will lead and be a part of driving a world class demand function that connects our brands to their sales targets, and our customers to their products of choice. As a key liaison between Merchandise, Stores, Marketing, Category, Commercial, Supply Chain and Suppliers (Brands), the Category Planning Manager ensures that all forecasts are accurate and supply deadlines are met, in alignment with Store and Customer needs along with having the best-in-class store and DC availability to achieve commercial and operational goals.

Overall, the Category Planning Manager contributes to the business by driving brand improvement and ensuring the smooth end to end supply process between the brand and MECCA to ensure stock availability to store, and the distribution centre is above 98%, and within all performance measures.

This is achieved by:

• Developing effective replenishment plans through balancing the needs and requirements of MECCA with the capabilities of suppliers;
• Implementation and review of supplier development plans and establishing performance targets to drive supplier performance and capability improvements;
• Best in class forecast accuracy, driving a team of demand planners to maximize MECCA’s forecasting system, JE (Just Enough) in order to connect and collaborate with brands to develop effective supply plans for core; events; and any over/under performance
• Facilitating and leading the Replenishment Joint Business Planning process including the collation of information, collaborative formulation of initiatives, and the monitoring of devised action plans;
• Optimising orders through consolidating order deliveries, manipulating orders, adjusting system parameters, etc;
• Clearly articulating MECCA’s expectations and requirements to suppliers to align all stakeholders; and
• Monitoring and communicating supplier breaches to performance, and develop improvement plans to prevent reoccurrence.

What You Will Bring:

There is no doubt that extensive Category Planning experience, ideally in retail, and a commercial mindset are essential to perform this role. In addition, our ideal candidate will be a master relationship-builder and be able to demonstrate the following:

Your Life At MECCA 

• Extensive experience in Category planning in a fast paced, retail or FMCG environment
• Strong experience as a change agent and driving transformation
• Previous experience nurturing and growing talent in a high-performance environment
• Complex problem-solving skills, is solution focused and constantly drives for continuous improvements
• Ability to influence stakeholders across all levels and business functions
• Ability to think critically, adapting quickly to change with a solution-oriented approach
• Hands on approach with the ability to drive continuous improvements

Whilst we are singularly focused on our #CustomerFirst mantra, we know that wouldn’t be possible without an incredible team that is guided by our MECCA values and motivated each and every day to be solutions focused, innovative, collaborative and adaptable, and have a bit of fun along the way!

Some of our other team member benefits include: 

• Professional development programs and first-class digitised learning offering 
• Health and well-being initiatives
• Reward and recognition programs
• Access to bonus and incentive programs 
• Quarterly product allowance 
• Unlimited 40% discount 

There are also so many other ways in which you’ll be made to feel part of the MECCA story as we love to celebrate, surprise and delight our team along the way. 

To learn more about life at MECCA Brands, follow us on LinkedIn at MECCA Brands or @lifeatmecca and for all current opportunities, visit www.mecca.com.au/careers