Assistant Sales Planner

For a quarter of a century, the Jellycat family have brought joy, wonder and playful fun to people of all ages, in every part of the world. Utterly original and in a class of their own, they are currently among the most loved and collected toys of their kind. How has this gentle tribe endeared themselves to so many? Perhaps it is their whimsical expressions. Or the deliciously soft fabrics. Or the beautiful way in which they sit in your hand. Whatever it is, there is something magical and unmistakeable about each one of them.

We are seeking a dynamic and analytical Assistant Sales Planner to join our fast-growing Planning team. This role will be responsible for implementing new methods of planning sales by product and customer, and analysing and reporting revenue/unit sales on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. There will also be a need to support with accurate sales planning, gathering and collating customer demand and feeding into central teams. The role will be deeply embedded into the Sales teams, understanding all future plans, yet managing expectations in terms of what inventory supply will allow.

The focus of this role will be to optimise revenue of our wholesale sales channels according to product demand and supply, working with Sales teams to ensure account ordering is made in line with planned stock distribution strategies. There will be a need to provide accurate and agile stock intake reporting, working with the wider Sales Planning Team to create the distribution plans in line with agreed budgets.

This will be facilitated by a very close working relationship with the Global Demand & Supply Team, based in the Jellycat HQ, London. The analysis and reporting will also form a basis for financial forecasting and thus the role is a pivotal part of connecting the commercial, planning and finance teams.

The ideal candidate will have 2-3 years experience in a planning, merchandising or analytics role, will possess strong analytical skills, be process driven, and have strong commercial awareness. The role will require a high level of adaptability, the ability to navigate ambiguity and be solution based, plus additionally be able to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. Essential to the role will also be the ability to collaborate effectively within the team and across departments with clear and precise communication skills, to key senior stakeholders including the International Sales Director and Chief Commercial Officer.

This is a brand-new role to the business and will require initiative and flexibility during an exciting period of growth.

You'll be;

• Implementing newly established practices for planning product sales by customer account/segment with continuous improvement on processes where and when required.
• Providing inbound stock visibility via delivery schedule reporting and update teams and sales forecast oulooks accordingly.
• Tracking and monitoring sales performance against planned stock distribution, working with Sales teams to close gaps to forecast or rectify overselling where applicable.
• Partnering with the Commercial Team stakeholders to provide strong support for weekly, monthly and yearly budgeting and forecasting by customer, informed by topline product plans.
• Partnering with the Demand Planning Team to regularly inform line level forecasts for long term planning.
• Monitoring and reporting on sales performance against plans (units and value/ product and account) and provide insights for changes in sales forecast outlook.
• Assessing stock availability and future planned stock intake to determine allocation priorities between channels and accounts following commercial team decision making matrix.
• Reviewing product range performance and availability and make appropriate adjustments to allocations; propose necessary changes to demand and supply planning.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with commercial leads, global planning, production, operations, demand planning and finance teams.
• A part of commercial meetings with wholesale customers to understand commercial requirements/ provide stock planning guidance.

You'll have;

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and derive actionable insights.
• Experience in commercial analysis and decision making.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Advanced Excel skills - spreadsheet modelling and data analytics.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Self-starter with excellent organisational skills.

Desirable

• Experience of working within a wholesale Brand (an advantage).
• Familiarity with supply chain management and logistics.