Merchandise Category Planning Senior Specialist

Contribute in developing and Implementing strategies designed to maximize the return on investment through increase sales and profit margin as well as optimize inventory whilst developing, implementing and monitoring financial plans.

Manage **UAEinventory **demand, forecasting, monitoring and setting the criteria for items inbound and outbound to ensure store readiness, shelf availability, maximize distribution center capacity, matching DCs inventory target, improve inventory quality of Nahdi stores, and store inventory level at optimum value.

**Accountabilities**

**UAE inventory Management**

**Demand & Inventory**:

- Review and approve the **core replenishment parameters **for all business sectors based on the business approved inventory targets, store readiness status and warehouse capacity to maintain the inventory value, the shelf availability, store sales and store readiness.
- Monitor the **development of annual DC order plans **(lines/ Units / Value) per DC, considering periodic events (Ramadan, seasonal promotions, etc.) to ensure having better manpower planning, smooth DC’s operation and optimized operation cost in an efficient manner to drive corporate sales targets.
- Analyze and update **division replenishment parameters **based on the review of the check points and feedbacks for the Nahdi store inventory through the analysis of many factors (historical and forecasted sales, store space and store class etc) to ensure store readiness, shelf availability, and distribution center capacity and store inventory target and quality.
- Respond, review, and quantify **replenishment activities and requests **(promotion, supplier activities, commercial activities, sales requests, display etc.) received from different stakeholders and update the division replenishment parameters accordingly to ensure store readiness, shelf availability, and distribution center capacity and store inventory target and quality.
- **Report any discrepancies, areas of improvements **and recommendations in regard to replenishment parameters, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and processes to stakeholders to ensure operations enhancement.
- **Participate in the periodic business review meetings **with the concerned stakeholders through the preparation of the presentations, analysis, and recommended actions in order to present the divisions’ replenishment performance.
- Conduct **field visits to stores and the distribution centers **based on visits schedule in order to validate the replenishment parameters, to enhance the communication and gather feedback to develop the corrective actions.
- Participate in setting **strategic Supply Chain plans/projects/initiatives **through collaborating with supply chain & leaders to ensure healthy business growth and sustainability.
- Responsible for implementation **of store Inventory optimization strategies **that ensure achieving corporate financial KPIs (sales, shelf availability and inventory) for UAE stores.

**Sales Forecast & Replenishment Plan**:

- Identify the assigned division shelf availability gaps, store readiness, distribution center capacity and store inventory through the analysis and communicate to the concerned stakeholders accordingly in order to implement the appropriate corrective action.

**Seasonal Plan**:

- Review & approve the seasonal plan through the review of the seasonal/promotional business operation and financial impacts in order to achieve the business targets.

**Private Label**
- Execute the overseas orders and logistics activities inclusive of managing the forwarding companies as well as the customs clearance.
- Responsible of Private Label DC availability and Inventory level. Ensure high shelf availability to achieve the agreed target.**Receiving Planning**
- Ensure proper planning of Inbound receiving in compliance with the DC receiving and storage capacity and in alignment with inventory target.
- Develop and maintain the monitoring tools as well as the KPIs between Nahdi and Suppliers in regards of the delivery performance. Ensure proper handling of invoices to be submitted to finance and closed as per the agreed cycle.**UAE merchandise Performance**
- **Monitoring UAE commercial division performance **to ensure delivering corporate financial targets (sales, profit, and inventory targets) through:

- Developing the data set and updating full set of dashboards ,
- Establishments and restock shelves with products based upon customer demand.
- Bring attention in new products for customers’ anticipated needs and serve as liaisons between customers and marketing and buying departments
- Mitigate risks related to **profit loss **due changes in the marketplace, external and governmental changes and give the business alternatives to compensate.
- Maintain and update **UAE plans **by constantly monitoring sales performance, market trends and other relevant economic factors (to ensure all financial targets are being achieved
- Perform monthly revenue analy