Merchandise Planning Manager
About the job
In this role you’ll successfully develop an understanding and expertise for your category, manage a category to deliver company sales and margin targets by planning, controlling and monitoring the purchasing, intake and distribution of merchandise.
You’ll be responsible for developing and executing a 3 year category strategy alongside the buying manager and be fully accountable for the departmental performance. It is important to continually anticipate the customers’ expectations whilst developing effective working relationships with suppliers, internal departments and where relevant the personnel management of direct reports. You’ll work collaboratively with key stakeholders and be expected to resolve all issues efficiently and effectively.
Some of your responsibilities will include:
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Develop and maintain positive working relationships with all internal customers
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Knowledge of the customer profile and market trends
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Conduct store visits to view stock, obtain feedback and look to enhance sales and stock packages at store and company level
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Ensure that a competitive and commercial product range, that reflects the strategy, is delivered to the customer with strong availability
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Motivate all members of your business unit in order to potentialise their talent
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Lead the performance of direct reports to create high performing climate
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Building high performing, engaged, diverse teams, focused on service, sales and profitability and driving clear accountability at all levels
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Have a vision for the departments merchandising strategy, planning a commercial product range that is in line with the company stock and sales targets
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Operate an effective and timely sign off process working with the buyer, that is in line with the critical path and merchandising planning cycle
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Ensure all range documents are correctly built for the department ensuring a balanced product mix, challenging the buyer where appropriate and ensure all range documents are kept updated and accurate.
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Prepares and presents a comprehensive stock and sales plans for the season ahead for the department, presenting any supporting documentation and analysis, ensuring the proposal maximises sales and profit potential
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Attend all weekly, monthly and seasonal meetings fully prepared, ensuring all analysis and reports required are completed comprehensively and accurately, taking the lead for merchandising, challenging and influencing where needed
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Be fully conversant with all orders processing through the systems for the department and any new orders being proposed and the effect they could have on stock, sales, margin and budget figures
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Maximising sales and profit for given category to meet agreed targets, through strong planning, analysis and development of global supplier relations
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Manage all stock and intake for the department in line with company targets
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Monitoring and evaluation alongside the buyer of the performance of the category against budget/forecast, constantly reviewing outstanding commitment and opportunities and assessing any issues
This role is based at our fantastic head office in Bradford. Boasting an on-site restaurant, coffee shop, convenience and sample store, prayer room, free parking and regular company-wide events and promotions. Ideally, applicants will live within a reasonable distance of our office.
We’ve built an incredibly diverse business, and we’re working hard to make sure we truly represent the communities we serve. One of the best things about working with so many different people is having the opportunity to listen, learn and connect with lots of different views, perspectives and beliefs. For this role, we’re looking for someone who has:
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Clear understanding of how to serve Customer needs and requirements
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Ability to champion the customer and trade a customer focused range.
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Knowledge of the Morrisons business to ensure 1st class execution
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The ability to create environments where sharing ideas, issues and concerns is the norm
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Ability to champion pace, change and simplicity
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Ability to gain feedback from colleague and customers
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Able to deliver increased sales and profit growth through sound business knowledge and retail experience
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Analytical thinking – manage multiple data sources and make the appropriate decisions for sales, stock, markdown and profit
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Ability to manage OTB
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Experience of pre-season planning to deliver a commercial range with a profitable model
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Carry out In season trading to counter any risks and opportunities.
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Stockflow and stocks in line with targets
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Strong Excel/Google Sheets skills
About us
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15% colleague discount in our stores and online, plus 10% for two friends/family members
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Annual bonus scheme
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Car Allowance
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Generous holiday entitlement
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Company pension contributions
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Private healthcare
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Perks with over 850 retailers
We're Foodmakers and Shopkeepers and together, we make Morrisons. We’re the only UK retailer with our own manufacturing business spread across 18 sites, not to mention nearly 500 stores, we’ve lots of opportunities for you to play your part. So, whether you want to make the freshest food, sell it, or join us in our head office, we’d love to meet you…
Reward & Benefits
We've highlighted below some of our standard Rewards & Benefits that our colleagues receive. Please note, some roles come with additional benefits such as bonus, company car allowance etc. you'll find further details where applicable in our adverts, or you can speak to someone in our resourcing team for more information.
Plan your journey
Head Office, United Kingdom, BD3 7DL
Learning and development is at the heart of our business
As you can imagine, Morrisons is a busy place to be. There’s lots going on - processes, changes, new initiatives, different ways of working. And that’s just on a Monday morning.
It means there’s a lot to learn. But learning isn’t just about understanding what’s involved in day-to-day workloads. It’s also about growing and developing in your career, too. That’s why we’ve made sure that learning and development is at the heart of our business. We’re here to make sure everyone has everything they need to be their best - and to go as far as they want.
Our DE&I workstreams
We're proud to have a diverse group of colleagues working here. We want everyone to feel valued in an environment where we promote respect, where they feel a sense of belonging, and feel celebrated as individuals.
These are the moments that matter to them - and they matter to us, too.
Everyone is welcome to get involved in our Ethnic Diversity, Ability, LGBTQ+, Women, and Family & Carers workstreams, too. They’re designed to help us better reflect our customers, colleagues, and communities so we can become an even more inclusive business.
As a business, we love bringing people together. And we think it’s one of the biggest reasons to be part of our team.
Our Process
We've outlined below what our typical process looks like, this can vary slightly depending upon the role or team you've applied for. Our goal is to provide a positive and accessible experience for all applicants, ensuring everyone has the support they need to showcase their best selves.
Our resourcing team are on hand to help with any questions about your application and you can reach them by e-mailing resourcing@morrisonsplc.co.uk.
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1
Find an opportunity that's right for you
Once you've found a role that's right for you, you can apply via this site. If it's your first time applying with us then we'll need all your essential information and we might ask you to upload your most recent CV. If you've applied for roles with us before then we should recognise you and you won't need to share these details again, unless something has changed that you need to update us on.
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2
Online Assessment (Customer Assistant roles)
After your application, we might send you an e-mail and ask you to complete an online assessment. This is typically a situation judgement test where we'll ask you ten questions with mutliple choice answers and takes around 10-15 minutes to complete. The questions will give you a feel for the types of scenarios you might encounter working in our stores - think customer first.
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3
Let's find out more
For some of our stores and site roles, if you've been successful with your application we might just e-mail and ask you to book a slot for your interview. For other roles our resourcing team will get in touch with you to find out a bit more about you and why you applied. They'll also answer any questions you might have about us and the role. After all, it's a two way process!
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Interview
Our interviews are typically face to face but can sometimes be virtual. Don't worry, we'll advise either way. Your interview can differ depending on the role or team. Part of the interview may include some competency questions against our Ways of Working (listed below).
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Final Stage
With some of our roles there might be a second interveiw. This tends to be for roles in our Head Office and some salaried positions across our stores and sites. As part of this second stage, we might ask you to complete a task, such as a SWOT analysis or something similar, and present it back during the interview. This helps us understand your approach and thinking about the role.
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Decision
Our resourcing team or the store or site you've applied to will be in touch with you as soon as they can to let you know the outcome. If you've been successful we'll share the details of our offer with you and follow up with everything you need on e-mail.
Ways of Working
Our Ways of Working are like a set of values that define our core beliefs, guide decision-making, and shape our culture and how we operate.
Customer First - I care about our customers and do everything I can to meet their needs
Teamwork - I always play my part in the team, and I recognise we go further together
Working Freely in a Framework - I’m trusted to make my own decisions and encouraged to improve things for customers and for us
Care and Respect - We care more and try harder; for each other, for everyone around Morrisons
Listen and Respond - I take the time to talk with and listen to colleagues and customers, and always do the right thing for the them
Grow Sales, Low Cost - I understand my part in the end-to-end process and look for ways to drive improvement
Life at Morrisons offers more than you imagine.
We’re a Yorkshire based food manufacturer and retailer, and our story began with a simple market stall in Bradford all the way back in 1899. Today, we’re still just as committed to delivering on our promise of 'freshness from farm to fork' for every customer. It’s why we’ve grown to become one of the UK’s leading supermarkets. And, with 90,000 colleagues, nearly 500 stores, and 11 million customers every week, there are now more reasons to join us than you can imagine.
Discover Head Office at Morrisons
Our stores aren’t the only place where the magic happens. You’ll find a proper buzz at Head Office in Bradford, too. This is where support for store colleagues begins, from those big board decisions on our business processes, right down to thinking up new ideas to help support our colleagues.
But what we love most about Head Office is that there are more functions than you probably imagine - from trading to marketing, finance to tech, and HR to property. And we all work together to make sure our stores and manufacturing & logistics sites have everything they need to succeed.
Meet the Recruiter
Favourite Morrisons product
The Best Steak & Ale Pie
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