Assistant Planning Manager | Retail | Marks & Spencer (M&S) Jobs in Dubai, UAE

Job Overview

Marks & Spencer (M&S), part of Al-Futtaim Retail, is seeking an experienced Assistant Planning Manager to join its retail planning team in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This role supports the development of sales, financial, and inventory plans that help achieve business objectives while ensuring optimal stock availability and profitability.

The successful candidate will collaborate with merchandising, buying, allocation, retail operations, finance, and supply chain teams to forecast demand, monitor business performance, optimize inventory, and deliver data-driven insights that support strategic decision-making.

This opportunity is ideal for professionals with experience in merchandise planning, retail planning, financial analysis, inventory management, demand forecasting, and business reporting.

Key Responsibilities

Business Planning & Performance

• Support the preparation and execution of annual business plans across different markets and business units.
• Monitor key retail performance indicators, including sales, gross margin, markdowns, inventory levels, and profitability.
• Assist in delivering weekly sales, stock, and financial planning reports.
• Track business performance against targets and recommend corrective actions where required.

Sales & Financial Planning

• Develop weekly, monthly, seasonal, and annual sales forecasts using historical data, market trends, and business objectives.
• Prepare financial forecasts covering revenue, gross profit, gross margin, markdown costs, and inventory investment.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and identify opportunities to improve planning performance.
• Support budgeting and financial planning activities across multiple retail channels.

Merchandise & Inventory Planning

• Assist in planning inventory requirements by category, store, and sales channel.
• Monitor stock availability and recommend replenishment strategies to improve inventory efficiency.
• Support inventory optimization by reducing excess stock while maintaining product availability.
• Collaborate with merchandising and allocation teams to improve stock distribution across retail stores.

Markdown & Pricing Strategy

• Assist in planning promotional activities and markdown strategies.
• Analyze product sell-through rates and aging inventory to recommend timely price adjustments.
• Support pricing decisions that balance sales growth with profitability.

Reporting & Business Analysis

• Prepare weekly and monthly reports covering sales performance, inventory, margins, and key business metrics.
• Analyze product, category, and store performance to identify trends and growth opportunities.
• Develop dashboards, planning templates, and management presentations.
• Provide analytical insights to support commercial and operational decision-making.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Finance, Buying, Merchandising, Retail Operations, Allocation, and Supply Chain teams.
• Support forecasting activities and ensure planning data remains accurate and up to date.
• Participate in planning meetings and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Retail Management, Economics, Supply Chain, or a related discipline.
• 3–5 years of experience in merchandise planning, retail planning, financial planning, business analysis, or inventory management.
• Experience within fashion retail, lifestyle retail, or multi-category retail is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of retail planning, sales forecasting, inventory management, and financial analysis.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including data analysis and reporting.
• Experience with planning systems such as SAP, JDA, Power BI, Tableau, or similar business intelligence tools.
• Excellent analytical, numerical, communication, and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced retail environment.

Preferred Skills

• Merchandise Planning
• Retail Planning
• Inventory Management
• Sales Forecasting
• Demand Planning
• Financial Planning
• Business Analysis
• Markdown Optimization
• Category Performance Analysis
• Retail Analytics
• Microsoft Excel
• SAP
• Power BI
• Tableau
• Reporting & Dashboard Development
• Cross-Functional Collaboration

Job Details

Why Join Marks & Spencer?

• Build your career with one of the world’s leading retail brands.
• Work in a collaborative and data-driven retail planning environment.
• Gain exposure to merchandise planning, financial analysis, and inventory optimization.
• Competitive salary and comprehensive employee benefits.
• Excellent opportunities for professional growth within Al-Futtaim Retail.