Junior Planner

About the Role

Takealot.com, South Africa's top online retail platform, is seeking a skilled Junior Planner to join their Cape Town office. The company is fast-growing, youthful, and innovative, committed to hiring intelligent, hardworking individuals with strong integrity. They provide a competitive compensation package tailored to individual needs, a supportive work setting, and an engaging role for those eager to face challenges and contribute to building a remarkable business.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the In-stock functions encompassing demand forecasting, purchase ordering, and capacity oversight aligned with department goals.
• Provide timely, precise reports and insights supporting managers in making informed commercial decisions to meet revenue and margin targets.
• Collaborate with analytics, technology, and product teams to develop sustainable In-stock processes and systems.
• Support planning related to procurement cycles including seasonal trends, promotional activities, import buying, and ongoing replenishment.
• Develop and review bottom-up budgeting aligned with performance indicators, margins, stock turnover, and strategic objectives.
• Oversee creation and management of annual retail sales budgets, quarterly and working plans, and continuous reforecasting by category and product to ensure financial goals are met.
• Maintain inventory availability and health, enhancing in-stock rates, forecasting accuracy, markdowns, clearances, supplier returns, and warehouse space utilization.
• Lead initiatives for process improvements with suppliers to reduce costs, defects, and lead times, while fostering innovation, automation, and scaling efficiencies.
• Conduct complex business analyses to uncover opportunities for improving cost structures and profitability with a focus on margin enhancements.
• Support operational teams to deliver excellent customer service by tracking returns, defects, write-offs, handling product inquiries, and resolving complaints.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma in Commerce, Finance, Mathematics, or Economics preferred.
• Between 1 and 3 years experience in retail planning is required.
• Demonstrated success in managing spend including Open-to-Buy (OTB), margin control, and markdown management.

Desired Attributes

• Strong background in planning and inventory control.
• Competent in forecasting and demand analysis.
• Eager to learn and grow professionally.
• Entrepreneurial and commercial mindset.
• Proficient in numerical and analytical reasoning with advanced ability to manage stock and inventory models.
• Experienced with analytical and statistical tools including Microsoft Excel and SQL.

Work Environment

• Takealot.com fosters a culture of entrepreneurship, intelligence, customer focus, and teamwork.
• Employees enjoy a collaborative atmosphere valuing output, humility, and proactive execution.
• The workplace encourages creativity, ownership, and open feedback.
• The organization seeks extraordinary individuals who are smart, honest, and dedicated.

Equal Opportunity

Takealot Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer welcoming applications from previously disadvantaged groups and individuals with disabilities.