Category Planner
Location: Chadstone, Victoria, AU
About the role
As a Category Planner, you will play a pivotal role in driving sales, margin, and productivity across one or more product categories. Your focus will be on developing and implementing robust financial plans and budgets, building product ranges and assortments to ensure financial viability, and in‐season trading through effective management of opportunities and risks on key performance metrics.
This role requires close collaboration with Demand Forecasting, Supply Planning, and Inventory Optimisation teams to ensure accurate forecasting and ordering aligned with category KPIs.
Key Focus Areas
* Financial and merchandise analysis
* Delivery of financial KPIs
* Merchandise strategy, planning, and budgeting
* Range and Assortment planning
* Supplier liaison and stakeholder management
* OTB and clearance management
* Cross‐team collaboration
About you
You are a commercially savvy planner with a strong analytical mindset and a passion for delivering results. You thrive in a fast‐paced environment, balancing strategic thinking with hands‐on execution. Your ability to interpret data and translate insights into actionable plans sets you apart.
What you'll bring
* Proven experience in merchandise or category planning
* Strong financial acumen and analytical skills
* Ability to manage budgets, OTB, and stock flow effectively
* Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills
* Proficiency in planning systems and tools
* A collaborative approach and problem‐solving mindset
We look for previous experience in a planning role within a retail environment. Ideally you have a commerce or business qualification and demonstrate a high attention to detail with sound financial planning and analysis skills. A strong knowledge of planning and inventory systems plus advanced Excel skills will enable you to drive continuous improvement through accurate forecasting and review.
Ability to think with agility and pivot is required to maintain positive stock level positioning throughout the year. An excellent communicator with a critical mind and aptitude for reaching reasoned conclusions, you have an ability to influence and engage with internal and external stakeholders. Integral to the success of this role is the ability to build strong relationships, prioritise competing demands and show everyday initiative.
Benefits
* Flexibility to balance work and personal needs
* Generous discounts across Officeworks and Wesfarmers brands
* Access to exclusive benefits for entertainment, travel, lifestyle, and health
* Growing Families Policy to support expanding families
* Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and wellbeing support
* Flexible Public Holidays Policy for cultural and religious holidays
* Learning and development programs for career growth
* Career opportunities across the Wesfarmers Group
We encourage applications from all candidates of all ages, cultures (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples), people with disabilities, and the LGBTQI+ community.
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