JOB SUMMARY:

The IM Planning Manager will have market Planning responsibilities for the entire fleet of Gap Stores across Hong Kong and Taiwan. He/she will be a team-player, with a proven ability to form partnerships with multiple stakeholders and cross-functional leaders. This individual will need to influence and collaborate with key business functions including: Commercial Planning, Merchandising, Buying, Allocation, Marketing, Finance and Inventory Strategy. The right candidate will demonstrate a strong track record of using analysis and fact based decision making to drive business outcomes. This leader will be accountable for meeting and exceeding Retail Sales, GM%, and Unit Sales metrics on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. He / she will be responsible for identifying and implementing store-level pricing, and assortment opportunities, and working with Shanghai based Allocation team to ensure stores are appropriately inventoried to support key in-store events and high-volume holiday time periods. Additionally, this leader will be involved in monthly Open-to-Buy / Monthly forecast, product promotions planning, and Markdown/ Sale management, Commercial Planning Strategy, Weekly Business Reviews, and Market Specific Ad Hoc analysis.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Close partnership with stores & Commercial Planning team. Excellent communication skills and must.

• Conduct frequent walk-throughs to share business performance and capture field input and feedback.

• Lead Weekly Business and Best Seller business reviews with Leadership and the Cross-functional team.

• Communicate product, promotional & pricing drivers that support the Commercial Plan for Hong Kong and Taiwan

• Strategize & manage tops-down process for Monthly OTB process in partnership with Shanghai IM Team.

• Pro-actively communicate inventory challenges and opportunities that may influence the Commercial Plan.

• Initiate chase to maximize best sellers, and conversely identify liabilities to limit risk to the business.

• Partner with buying team to fill open receipt placeholders, and/or manage receipts based on business trend.

• Own In-Season Category and Style level promotional & Markdown recommendations and System management.

• Forecast timely markdown strategy to ensure a profitable exit strategy. This includes liquidation and clearance.

• Partner with Ecom Team to help facilitate Omni operations, Promotions and IM decisions (TW only).

• Engage in competitive shopping which included market basket analysis and pricing / promo benchmarking.

• Involvement in creation of Pre-Season Divisional / category plans.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Required knowledge, skills & abilities:

• Business Acumen: Ability to evaluate business indicators and translate data into actionable results.

• Problem Solving and Decision Quality: Able to use rigorous methods to find solutions to complex issues.

• Influencing and Negotiation: Can present ideas and directions that lead others to take action.

• Collaboration: Able to build effective and constructive relationships with a diverse group of business partners.

• Managing Complexity: Find ways to simplify process and leverage best practices across the fleet.

• Scope: Proven ability to manage large amounts of data, purchase orders, and CC / sku count.

• Familiar with all Retail math calculations (Sales, APS, weeks-on-hand, % committed, Store on hand, etc.).

• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint and strong ability to navigate through various Merchandise systems.

• Able to travel 10% of the time within region (HK, Taiwan, and China).

• Possible Travel required out of China to United States.

• Fluent in English Language. Ability to speak Mandarin or Cantonese a plus.

   

2. Minimum Education Level

   • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required

      

3. Experience Required

   • 4 – 6 years of Retail Distribution, Planning, Buying or related work experience.

   • 1 - 2 years in Manager-level role.