Manager – Planning & Merchandising

Diamond Home is seeking a commercially focused Manager – Planning & Merchandising to oversee category planning, assortment, inventory management, forecasting, and merchandise performance across both retail stores and e-commerce platforms. The ideal candidate will ensure the availability of the right products, in appropriate quantities, at optimal locations and pricing to drive sales growth, maximize gross margin, and enhance inventory productivity. This role requires close collaboration with multiple departments to maintain alignment throughout the product lifecycle and commercial planning processes.

Key Responsibilities

- Lead category, assortment, and seasonal planning in line with business objectives, customer demand, and store display capacity.
- Develop sales, inventory, and Open-to-Buy (OTB) plans while managing inventory investment by category.
- Oversee demand forecasting, allocation, replenishment, and stock cover across retail and online channels.
- Manage the commercial product lifecycle, including launch, performance tracking, maturity, markdowns, and phase-out.
- Identify top-performing products, slow movers, ageing stock, and declining items; recommend replenishment, continuation, markdown, or discontinuation strategies.
- Monitor and improve key performance indicators such as Sales, Gross Margin, Sell-Through, Inventory Turn, Stock Cover, and Inventory Ageing.
- Support pricing, markdown, and promotional decisions through detailed commercial and performance analysis.
- Develop category mix, opening inventory, and replenishment plans for new store launches.
- Identify excess inventory and recommend corrective actions including transfers, promotions, markdowns, or liquidation.
- Create merchandise dashboards and deliver actionable commercial insights to management.
- Collaborate closely with Design, Product Development, Retail Operations, E-commerce, and Finance teams to ensure alignment across product and commercial cycles.
- Continuously enhance forecasting accuracy, planning processes, and inventory productivity through improved systems, controls, and reporting.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, ACCA, or a related discipline.
- 5 to 8 years of relevant experience in Planning, Merchandising, Category Management, Commercial Planning, or Inventory Planning.
- Strong understanding of retail mathematics, forecasting, OTB, inventory management, and merchandise performance metrics.
- Excellent analytical skills and commercial decision-making capabilities.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel; experience with ERP, POS, and reporting systems is preferred.
- Ability to translate data and market trends into clear commercial actions and recommendations.
- Strong cross-functional coordination, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits

Experience within the furniture, home, lifestyle, fashion, or organized retail sectors will be considered an advantage. The role offers an opportunity to work in a dynamic retail environment with a focus on driving commercial success through strategic planning and merchandising excellence. Diamond Home values innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement, providing a platform for professional growth and impact.