In 1981, GUESS sold its very first pair of jeans to Bloomingdale's department store. Since then, GUESS has grown, becoming one of today's most recognized and influential apparel brands in the world.

The continued dedication and commitment of our employees is the driving force of GUESS. Our talented professionals focus on leading the company with their vision of success. Join the team at GUESS Europe and bring your vision to life.

GUESS Europe is seeking eager, passionate individuals to uphold our commitment to the spirit of the GUESS family of brands including GUESS, Marciano, GUESS Factory.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

Accountable to the Country Planning Manager, the role maximizes sales opportunities and manages stock risk (markdown and terminal stock) that will deliver the net margin budget.

Plan and re-forecast sales and stock from top line budget, in line with the store grade and within agreed target and KPI’s, for the assigned channel/country, working with key departments / stakeholders to produce strategic and profitable retail plans.

CORE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Accountable to the Country Planning Manager, to facilitate the execution of sales and stock strategies and to deal with any issues as and when they arise.
• Propose markdown strategies and promotional activities, monitoring discount impact and profit to be aligned with company target.
• Be a liaison point for head office and country retail teams to optimize sales and stock strategies
• Partner with the Merchandise Planning, Buying and Regional Merchants to identify any stock issues at store level suggesting and taking corrective actions to drive sales.
• Work with the Allocation team to set up and adapt replenishment/Initial Allocation parameters and to guarantee that the correct products are readily available in the correct locations within the correct time based both on historical sales data and current trend.
• Take a proactive role on any improvements or enhancements to country planning processes at a tactical or strategic level.
• Have a product and commercial input in all tasks and demonstrate a knowledge of retail dynamics for the accountable region/country.
• Develop a close working relationship with other functions to help deliver strategy - increased sales, improved full price sell through, reduced markdown and increased profit.
• Plan the optimum store category mix sales and inventory identifying key geographical sales trends and how sales fluctuate against Marketing calendar
• Plan, execute and measure stock builds for new stores, extensions and refurbishments.
• Profile stores through interaction with the regional / country retail managers and review seasonally the store grade based on volume & space band and customer profile
• Oversee the forecasting of the store performances against sales, stock and profit target and re-act to mitigate any shortfall to budget
• Review performance by store/region/country at category level, on a weekly base. Undertake ad-hoc analysis of the above and make stock and distribution decisions to ensure optimized levels to help drive sales and profit.
• Monitor performance and stock levels daily/weekly and take any necessary actions. Review actual versus planned stock levels and attend appropriate weekly Planning, Country and Distribution meetings. 
• Partner with Business Analyst team to propose and adapt markdown strategies to manage stock risk and implement ad hoc analysis about any markdowns and promotional activities at country level.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience: 3 to 5 years as Country Planner, Operation Manager or Allocator at a fast-paced Retail company
• Bachelor’s degree in Economics or related field
• Excellent execution, high respect of deadlines and strong organizational skills, good level of proactivity and effective problem solver
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, including advanced Excel skills to facilitate data analysis and critical problem solving
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to tailor message to all levels in the business, including delivering clear and concise presentations
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks simultaneously, utilize resources effectively and drive for results in a growing environment
• Established ability to build and maintain effective working relationships to drive collaboration, teamwork and business results.
• Ability to work under pressure in a dynamic retail environment and tenacity to overcome people or process obstacles. Confidence to influence and engage at all levels
• Fluent English is essential for this role