Senior Demand Planner

Role Purpose

The Senior Demand Planner role is a hybrid leadership and hands‑on planning position responsible for driving consistent, high‑quality planning execution across Demand, Supply and Inventory planning disciplines.

The role will spend approximately one‑third of their time leading the planning team—setting standards, embedding ways of working, building capability, and driving accountability—and two‑thirds of their time operating as a senior Stock Planner, owning a portfolio and delivering strong in‑stock, inventory health and flow outcomes.

This role acts as the day‑to‑day planning “anchor”, ensuring planning fundamentals are executed consistently, risks are identified early, and teams are supported to deliver against business KPIs.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Planning Governance (≈30–35%)

Planning Standards & Consistency

• Own and embed standard planning ways of working across Demand, Supply, and Inventory Planning in conjunction with the Planning Manager

• Ensure consistent use of planning tools, templates, reports and trackers (e.g. LINC, SAP, Business templates and reports), promoting best practice ways of working

• Drive disciplined execution of business timelines (e.g. Quarterly planning and purchasing cycle, Allocation deadlines, Bulk Push deadlines)

Team Performance & Accountability

• Set clear expectations on outputs, timelines and quality of work

• Monitor team adherence to planning discipline and governance, including correct use of systems, templates, trackers and approval processes

• Provide timely, constructive feedback to team members, addressing gaps in quality, missed deadlines or non‑standard approaches, and coaching planners on how to improve outcomes

• Ensure planning risks and issues (e.g. forecast inaccuracies, supply delays, stock imbalances, system or data issues) are identified early, clearly documented, and escalated appropriately with recommended actions

• Manage working hours, attendance and availability of the team to ensure appropriate coverage for key planning cycles, deadlines and business peaks

Coaching & Capability

• Coach Demand and Supply Planners and Inventory Analysts on planning fundamentals, decision making and prioritisation

• Support onboarding, training and upskilling of new and existing team members

• Act as first point of escalation for planning queries, system issues and prioritisation conflicts

• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement, where planners take responsibility for outcomes rather than activity

Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Support the Planning Manager in driving alignment with Buyers, Business Planners, Supply Chain and Inventory

• Represent planning in forums where required, reinforcing clear, fact‑based decision making

Stock Planning Ownership (≈65–70%)

Sales & Stock Planning

• Own end‑to‑end stock planning for an allocated portfolio, including demand, supply, replenishment and inventory health

• Maintain and review forecasts using historical sales, trends, promotional activity and lifecycle impacts

• Ensure stock is planned and purchased within agreed swimlanes and financial targets

Order & Supply Planning

• Manage purchase quantities, timing and flow, including push‑outs, pull‑forwards and cancellations

• Partner with Supply Planners, Vendors and Supply Chain to manage inbound risk and DC capacity

Inventory Health & Replenishment

• Maintain strong Store In‑Stock and DC Stock Health outcomes

• Review and action replenishment outputs, targets and store exceptions

• Identify and resolve overstock, aged stock and availability risks

Alignment & Communication

• Run alignment meetings with Buyers and Business Planners

• Clearly communicate risks, actions and recommendations

• Provide concise, actionable insights to support trade decisions

Skills & Experience

• Strong end‑to‑end understanding of Demand, Supply and Inventory Planning

• Proven experience operating as a hands‑on planner in a complex retail environment

• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach and influence without stepping away from delivery

• Strong analytical capability with confidence interpreting and explaining data

• Excellent stakeholder communication and prioritisation skills

• Experience with planning systems (e.g. LINC, SAP, replenishment tools)

• Calm, structured and solutions‑focused under pressure

• Self-starter with initiative and a flexible, solutions-oriented mindset

• Forward thinker and problem solver

• Resilient when challenged

Personal Attributes

• Analytical thinker with a genuine interest in solving business problems.

• Curious and proactive in exploring data to uncover insights.

• Committed to continuous learning and sharing knowledge with others.

• Adaptable and comfortable working in a dynamic business environment.

• Professional, detail-oriented, and accountable for quality outcomes.