
Apparel Group
Assistant Manager - Merchandise Planning & Inventory
- Permanent
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Experience 2 - 5 yrs
Job expiry date: 14/05/2026
Job overview
Date posted
30/03/2026
Location
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Salary
AED 15,000 - 20,000 per month
Compensation
Comprehensive package
Job description
The Assistant Manager - Planning is responsible for supporting merchandise planning and inventory management functions for assigned departments to ensure achievement of budget targets, like-for-like (LFL) growth, and margin objectives. The role involves reviewing stock-to-sales ratios, responding to changing sales trends, and ensuring planned sales, planned markups, and planned markdowns are achieved by brands. The Assistant Manager - Planning manages inventory levels across stores for assigned departments while ensuring desired first price sell-through performance for each season. The role supports the Planning Manager in preparation of buying budgets and assortment plans by analyzing performance trends and identifying merchandise opportunities. The position requires ensuring realized margin targets are met, maintaining adequate mix of merchandise across stores, and ensuring core product availability at all times. The Assistant Manager - Planning is responsible for launching new products and categories, ensuring timely replenishment, and performing regular inter-store consolidation to maximize sell-through. The role includes coordination and liaison with retail teams and buying teams to align planning and execution. The Assistant Manager prepares weekly reports, reviews performance with buying and retail teams, and develops action plans to address performance gaps. The role also involves flagging inventory concerns to the Planning Manager and buying department heads to ensure efficient resolution and optimal inventory management. The position plays a critical role in optimizing inventory, improving sales performance, and ensuring operational efficiency across retail stores.
Required skills
Key responsibilities
- Review stock-to-sales ratios and analyze changing sales trends to support achievement of planned sales, planned markups, and planned markdowns for assigned departments while optimizing inventory levels and improving sales performance
- Ensure achievement of budget targets and like-for-like (LFL) growth for assigned departments by monitoring performance metrics, identifying trends, and implementing corrective planning actions
- Manage inventory levels for assigned departments across stores by monitoring stock availability, maintaining adequate inventory levels, and ensuring efficient allocation of merchandise
- Ensure desired first price sell-through for each season by reviewing product performance, coordinating with buying and retail teams, and optimizing merchandise planning strategies
- Assist Planning Manager in preparation of buying budgets and assortment plans by analyzing historical sales data, forecasting demand, and recommending merchandise mix improvements
- Ensure realized margin targets are achieved by managing markdown planning, markup planning, and monitoring profitability across assigned departments
- Ensure adequate merchandise mix across stores and maintain availability of core products at all times while supporting product launches and category expansions
- Perform regular inter-store consolidations, coordinate with retail and buying teams, prepare weekly reports, identify inventory concerns, and develop action plans to rectify performance gaps
Experience & skills
- Hold a Bachelor's Degree with knowledge of merchandise planning, inventory management, and retail planning operations
- Demonstrate experience in reviewing stock-to-sales ratios, analyzing sales trends, and managing planned sales, markups, and markdowns
- Demonstrate experience managing inventory levels, ensuring product availability, and maintaining adequate merchandise mix across stores
- Demonstrate experience supporting buying budget preparation, assortment planning, and demand forecasting
- Demonstrate knowledge of margin analysis, sell-through optimization, and pricing strategies
- Demonstrate experience coordinating with retail and buying teams to support product launches and replenishment planning
- Demonstrate experience preparing weekly reports, reviewing performance metrics, and identifying inventory concerns
- Demonstrate ability to perform inter-store consolidation, manage replenishment, and support category expansion initiatives