1 Store Planner
Listing Reference: Stock Allocation Support – Western Cape
Listing Status: Applications Open
Position Summary
Company: Confidential
Industry: FMCG & Supply Chain Management
Job Category: FMCG, Retail, Wholesale, and Supply Chain
Location: Western Cape, South Africa
Contract Type: Permanent
Remuneration: Market-related (TBC)
EE Position: No
Closing Date: Not specified
Introduction
A leading company in the FMCG and supply chain sector is looking for a proactive and detail-oriented individual to join their planning team. This role is critical in supporting the Planner with essential administrative duties, data-driven analysis, and execution of allocation strategies that ensure product availability and profitable stock management. The successful candidate will contribute directly to the business’s commercial goals by optimizing stock placement across retail channels.
Job Description
The primary responsibilities of this role involve planning, executing, and refining stock allocation strategies across multiple store locations. You will collaborate with planners, analyze sales data, support store launches, and help improve the effectiveness of stock allocation.
Your key duties include:
Channel Planning and Execution
- Develop cross-channel plans using centralized grading parameters and adhere to critical path timelines
- Collaborate with Central Planning on exceptions and ensure execution is aligned with overall strategy
- Stock new store openings according to location briefs and supply timelines
- Conduct post-season performance analysis focusing on product sizing, store efficiency, and inventory optimization
- Maintain the “On the Dot” parameter tool to reflect current stock rules and enable optimized sales
Product Allocation and Monitoring
- Prioritize product allocations in line with real-time trade needs, upcoming launches, and intake forecasts
- Track store performance against targets and provide actionable insights
- Maintain accurate sizing data and update size ratios using RMS and internal sizing tools
- Develop accurate size profiles to drive future purchase orders and optimize in-season allocations
Data Analysis and Reporting
- Continuously analyze performance metrics across stores and product categories
- Deliver actionable insights to the planning team to inform future decisions
- Conduct detailed grading and product analyses and report findings to central planning and buying teams
- Assist in resolving store-level inventory issues or sizing discrepancies
- Flag in-season exceptions (e.g., out-of-stock situations or size profile mismatches) and collaborate with the planner to resolve them
Ideal Candidate
The ideal applicant is a numbers-driven, highly analytical retail professional with a proven understanding of merchandising and stock distribution. You must be able to thrive in a fast-paced retail environment and use your initiative to solve problems before they impact the bottom line.
Role Responsibility
Your role is vital to ensuring that every product reaches the right store in the right size and at the right time. This includes:
- Supporting planners in delivering accurate allocations across multiple channels
- Using Excel and reporting tools to track, analyze and report on sales and stock performance
- Applying critical thinking to resolve allocation issues efficiently
- Working closely with store managers and internal teams to ensure smooth execution of stock strategies
- Identifying trends and proposing strategies to improve sales and reduce losses due to stockouts or overstocking
Skills and Attributes
To succeed in this role, you will need:
- A relevant qualification in Retail, Business, or Supply Chain
- Minimum of 2 years of retail or merchandising experience
- Strong numerical, analytical, and interpretive skills
- High attention to detail and accuracy in a high-pressure environment
- An entrepreneurial mindset with solid commercial awareness
- Intermediate to advanced Excel skills and experience using Cognos or other BI tools
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- A proactive, self-driven attitude with the ability to work independently
- Strong planning, organizing, and time management abilities
- The confidence to take initiative and solve stock-related problems efficiently
- A customer-focused mindset with the ability to adapt quickly to retail needs
Conclusion
If you are passionate about retail operations, data-driven planning, and working in a collaborative environment where your insights directly impact business outcomes, this is the perfect opportunity. This permanent position based in the Western Cape is ideal for someone with a mix of analytical thinking and hands-on retail knowledge who is looking to take the next step in their merchandising or supply chain career.
Apply today to be part of a dynamic team where your skills will be valued, and your growth supported.
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2. PRODUCT DEVELOPER: FRESH JUICE
Listing Reference: Product Developer – Food Innovation
Listing Status: Open for Applications
Position Summary
Company: Confidential (Leading Food Retailer)
Industry: FMCG & Supply Management
Job Category: Product Development – Retail, Wholesale, Supply Chain
Location: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Contract Type: Permanent
Remuneration: Market-Related
EE Position: No
Closing Date: Not specified
Introduction
Are you a detail-driven creative professional passionate about food, sustainability, and customer experience? A leading South African food retailer is looking for a Product Developer who thrives on innovation, has a deep understanding of consumer needs, and wants to shape the future of retail food products. This opportunity is ideal for someone with a strong culinary or food science background who is eager to influence how South Africa eats by driving meaningful product strategies from concept to shelf.
Job Description
As a Product Developer, your primary responsibility will be to create and implement a customer-focused product strategy that aligns with both commercial goals and sustainability values. You’ll lead the charge in crafting innovative, high-quality products and work cross-functionally with teams from Quality Assurance, Packaging, Buying, and Marketing to ensure success in a highly competitive FMCG space.
Key areas of focus include:
- Leading product development that aligns with customer insights and market trends
- Driving quality and sustainability standards across the product lifecycle
- Collaborating with suppliers to bring culinary ideas to life through data-driven briefs
- Benchmarking industry leaders and applying learnings to your product innovations
- Managing end-to-end development timelines and execution
Responsibilities Include:
Strategic Product Integration
- Translate product strategy into practical development plans for your assigned department(s)
- Leverage deep customer insights and market research to guide product innovation
- Embed consumer and food trends into supplier briefs and product design
World-Class Product and Packaging Standards
- Partner with Central Quality teams and suppliers to benchmark against competitors
- Ensure food safety, sensorial excellence, and appealing aesthetics are core to development
- Innovate while adhering to both environmental and commercial considerations
Cross-functional Collaboration
- Work inclusively with suppliers, packaging teams, buyers, and other stakeholders
- Ensure product development milestones are met and aligned with sustainability goals
- Maintain a balance between creativity and feasibility
Creative and Technical Leadership
- Foster a culture of creativity and growth in your team and across suppliers
- Share deep culinary knowledge and product development expertise
- Champion quality, innovation, and continuous improvement throughout the business
End-to-End Product Development Oversight
- Ensure packaging decisions are integrated early in the development cycle
- Demonstrate complete understanding of how products are developed and launched
- Manage the transition of products from conceptual stages to commercial rollout
Ideal Candidate
To be successful in this role, you should be passionate about food, enthusiastic about customer experience, and skilled in managing complex development cycles. You must enjoy working in fast-paced environments, collaborating across departments, and leading with creativity and commercial insight.
Minimum Requirements
- Degree or Diploma in Food and Consumer Science, Horticulture, Food Technology, or as a Professional Chef
- 3–5 years of experience in the food, FMCG, retail, or hospitality industry
- At least 1 year of experience in food product development or brand/range management
- Experience working within cross-functional teams or matrix structures
- Exposure to brand positioning, product launches, and market alignment
Preferred Qualifications & Skills
- Commercial mindset with strong strategic thinking
- Deep understanding of customer behaviour and taste preferences
- Solid project management experience
- Knowledge of gifting categories and innovation within food retail
- Familiarity with global trends and willingness to travel for sourcing or benchmarking
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to drive end-to-end product innovation, from ideation to launch
Role Responsibility
As the Product Developer, your role carries a strategic influence. You will be expected to:
- Lead development of customer-loved food products and gifting items
- Implement and enhance product strategy across multiple retail formats
- Ensure sustainability and responsible sourcing is built into every solution
- Guide suppliers through innovative culinary briefs and retail requirements
- Measure and refine product success based on customer response and sales
- Keep the company ahead of food and gifting trends in local and global markets
Skills and Attributes
- Strong analytical thinking and attention to detail
- Ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines
- Excellent collaboration, leadership, and presentation skills
- Enthusiasm for customer experience and food innovation
- Proactive problem solver and self-motivated team player
- Confidence to work independently and make sound decisions
- Ability to travel for product research and supplier engagement
Conclusion
If you are passionate about shaping culinary experiences for millions of consumers, this Product Developer role is your opportunity to bring bold new ideas to life. Join one of South Africa’s most respected retailers and influence how food innovation, sustainability, and customer obsession come together to shape the future of retail. Apply now to take your career to the next level in an environment where your creativity and insights will be highly valued.
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3. PLANNER: PROTEIN AND DAIRY
Listing Reference: Not Provided
Listing Status: Open for Applications
Position Summary
Company: Confidential – Leading FMCG Retailer
Industry: FMCG & Supply Chain Management
Job Category: Retail, Wholesale, Supply Chain & Inventory Planning
Location: Western Cape, South Africa
Contract Type: Permanent
Remuneration: Market Related
EE Position: No
Closing Date: Not Specified
Introduction
Are you an analytical thinker with a strong background in demand forecasting and inventory management? A leading retailer in the FMCG sector is offering an exciting opportunity for a skilled Demand Planner to join their team in the Western Cape. This is a key role for someone who wants to make a measurable impact by optimising inventory across the supply chain to ensure product availability, reduce waste, and drive profitable growth.
If you are commercially minded and thrive in a fast-paced, data-driven environment, this could be the ideal next step in your supply chain planning career.
Job Description
The core purpose of this position is to maximise trading and profitability by ensuring the continuous availability of products, using accurate customer demand forecasts and optimised stock control techniques. You will play a strategic role in aligning planning objectives with business goals, using advanced data analysis and category insights.
You will collaborate closely with merchandising, replenishment, and supply chain teams, as well as external suppliers, to ensure product flow models and inventory strategies are aligned with customer demand and sales targets.
Your key responsibilities will include:
Planning & Forecasting
- Develop and manage accurate demand forecasts using statistical tools
- Build, monitor, and execute product flow models in collaboration with supply chain teams
- Deliver operational KPIs including availability, stock turnover, service levels, and waste reduction
- Analyse historical performance to inform future range and inventory planning
- Influence the creation and implementation of the department’s trading strategy
Inventory & Replenishment Management
- Define inventory targets and stock cover plans aligned with sales and customer availability goals
- Drive replenishment accuracy through proactive analysis and demand planning techniques
- Monitor and reduce waste and write-offs through effective forecasting and stock control
- Manage inputs into supply chain systems, ensuring data integrity and forecast responsiveness
Strategic Support & Team Integration
- Contribute to the department and category scorecards to ensure stretch targets are met
- Participate in key business reviews, presenting planning KPIs, risks, and opportunities
- Collaborate with merchandising and GBJ (Growth by Job) teams to support planning success
- Maintain strong cross-functional relationships with suppliers, DCs, and stores
Operational Execution
- Ensure plan alignment with the Category Operating Plan (COP)
- Lead planning input for product range reviews and innovation pipelines
- Maintain and apply a deep understanding of store/product/customer profiles to optimise catalogue planning and space allocations
- Ensure that demand planning aligns with commercial and trading objectives, always maintaining customer availability as a top priority
Ideal Candidate
This position is well-suited for a dynamic and analytical individual who has a passion for data, commercial outcomes, and problem-solving. The successful candidate will be comfortable using advanced forecasting tools, interpreting complex data, and making proactive decisions that drive tangible results.
Minimum Requirements
- B.Com degree or equivalent commercial qualification (essential)
- 3–5 years of experience in demand planning or commercial supply chain management
- In-depth knowledge of supply chain functions: suppliers, distribution centres, and store operations
- Strong computer literacy, with above-average Excel proficiency and experience with forecasting tools (e.g. LDE, SAP)
- Demonstrated ability to manage product availability, service levels, stock turns, and waste within category goals
- Proven analytical and statistical capabilities with a strong ability to interpret performance data
- Strong understanding of inventory management systems, catalogue and range planning
- Experience in fast-moving retail environments will be highly advantageous
Role Responsibility
As the Demand Planner, your key role is to lead inventory and supply strategies that deliver on customer expectations, reduce operational risks, and enhance profitability across your category.
You will be responsible for:
- Owning and optimising the forecast accuracy for your department
- Driving end-to-end planning activities from product conception to shelf
- Providing performance insights and strategic planning recommendations
- Leading efforts to balance customer service levels with cost-effective inventory decisions
- Supporting category development by leveraging data and customer insights
Skills and Attributes
To thrive in this role, the following skills and attributes are essential:
- Strong numerical and analytical thinking
- High attention to detail and accuracy
- Commercial acumen with a strategic mindset
- Effective communicator and collaborator
- Able to work independently and handle pressure
- Organised, deadline-oriented, and proactive
- Solid interpersonal skills and a customer service mindset
- Enthusiastic team player with leadership potential
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a planning role where your data-driven insights will drive availability, sales, and customer satisfaction across one of the most dynamic retail categories, then this opportunity is for you. Join a business that values operational excellence, continuous improvement, and high-performance culture.
Apply now to become a key contributor in shaping customer demand strategies that fuel South Africa’s leading FMCG supply chain.
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