Lead Planner - Reliance Brands Limited

Job role: The Lead Planner plays a critical role in the Planning & Merchandising function, responsible for driving sales, margin, and inventory performance across key categories. This role requires strong analytical skills, strategic foresight, and leadership capability to guide the planning team and collaborate with buying, supply chain, and commercial teams. Key Responsibilities: Develop and lead the seasonal planning process for assigned categories, including sales forecasts, stock planning, markdown strategy, and OTB management. Partner with buying teams to align on assortment planning, category strategy, and product lifecycle management. Monitor and analyze performance to ensure KPIs such as sales, sell-through, stock turns, and margins are achieved. Lead weekly, monthly, and seasonal business reviews with key stakeholders. Proactively manage inventory levels, recommending actions for slow movers or bestsellers (e.g., rebuys, markdowns, transfers). Drive continuous improvement through analytics, reporting enhancements, and process development. Mentor and coach junior planners/allocators, fostering a culture of ownership and commercial thinking. Contribute to budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities. Key Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Retail Management, or related field. Minimum 8+ years of experience in merchandise planning, ideally within retail, fashion, or baby/children’s products. Strong analytical and numerical skills, with proficiency in Excel and planning tools (e.g., SAP, Oracle, or similar). Demonstrated experience managing Open to Buy and leading planning cycles. Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities.