Senior Merchandise Planner

_{13th August, 2026}

There's a difference between keeping the wheels turning and actually steering the business. This role is the second kind.

We're partnering with a respected retail organisation — a business that hasn't just survived a tough retail climate, it's thrived in it, thanks to a sharp focus on customers, strategy, and the belief that great planning is the engine behind great performance.

Right now, they're looking for a Senior Merchandise Planner who's ready to trade business-as-usual for something with real weight: a seat at the table where range decisions get made, growth gets shaped, and planning is treated as a genuine commercial partnership with Buying and Leadership — not a back-office function.

If you're the kind of Planner who can hold a creative brand vision in one hand and a disciplined P&L in the other, and you get a charge out of being part of a business that's actively expanding, this maybe worth your consideration.

This is a business that understands exactly what a strong Planner brings to the table. You'll sit shoulder-to-shoulder with Buyers, Designers, and the wider Merchandise team, driving assortment strategy, profitability, and scalable growth. You'll have the autonomy to make real decisions, and will need resilience and experience to thrive in this role.

As the retail range & footprint keeps expanding across Australia, so does the scope of this role — there's genuine room to grow, step up, and widen your impact.

What you can expect:

• Planners treated as strategic thinkers, not spreadsheet custodians
• Commercial instincts that are welcomed and acted on
• Growth that opens doors 

Where You'll Make Your Mark:

• Partner with Buyers and stakeholders to steer category performance and long-term strategy
• Build and manage budgets that align with the business's broader goals
• Shape seasonal, post-seasonal, and half-year strategic plans
• Own markdown strategy to protect GMROI and keep clearance risk in check
• Manage margin mix, stock turn, assortment balance, and inventory productivity
• Lead weekly performance reviews with the Buying team
• Drive assortment planning and range optimisation
• Set replenishment parameters that keep core stock healthy
• Present monthly insights straight to senior leadership
• Manage allocation to optimise stock-to-sales, weeks cover, GMROI, and return on space
• Build and run item plans across imported and local ongoing lines, from DC to store floor

What You'll Bring:

• Solid experience in Merchandise Planning within retail
• A sharp read on inventory management and the commercial levers that move it
• An eye for detail without losing sight of the bigger picture
• The confidence to communicate and influence across teams
• A proactive, solutions-first mindset
• The independence to run your own patch, and the collaborative spirit to thrive within a team
• A real appetite to contribute, grow, and leave things better than you found them

Why This One's Different:

This is a business on the front foot — one where your thinking, your instincts, and your decisions will directly shape where it goes next.

If you're a Senior Planner ready for a role with influence, momentum, and a genuine path forward, please reach out or send through your details.

Get in touch: Shelley Buchanan �� shelley@planningtalent.com.au �� 0451 728 613