6 Merchandise Planning jobs in the United Kingdom

They're an ambitious online retailer with a loyal customer base and a strong brand presence in their niche. As they continue to scale, they're investing in their planning function to ensure they deliver the right products to their customers at the right time, while maintaining healthy stock levels and optimising profitability.

As Merchandise Planning Manager, you'll be responsible for leading the planning process across all product categories. Working closely with Buying, Marketing and Operations, you will forecast sales, plan inventory, and drive strategies that maximise sales, margin, and stock efficiency.

• Develop and manage end-to-end merchandise plans across all categories and channels.

• Forecast sales, stock, and intake, ensuring alignment with business targets.

• Monitor performance against plan, analysing key metrics such as sell-through, margin, and stock cover.

• Partner with the Buying team to build balanced and commercial assortments.

• Manage Open-to-Buy and ensure stock investment aligns with cash flow and growth objectives.

• Identify risks and opportunities, making data-led recommendations to optimise trading.

• Support seasonal planning, promotional strategies, and markdown management.

• Collaborate with fulfilment and operations teams to ensure stock availability meets demand.

• Proven experience in merchandise planning, ideally within an eCommerce or multi-channel retail environment.

• Strong analytical skills and confidence using planning tools and Excel.

• Commercial acumen and a keen understanding of customer behaviour.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced SME environment with a hands-on, can-do attitude.

• A key role in a growing business with real opportunity to shape the future of the planning function.

• A supportive and collaborative team culture.

• Hybrid working options.

• Staff discount and other perks.

• Scope for growth and progression as the business scales.

Merchandise Planning Manager | Flexible & Hybrid Working | SME | Scale Up | £60,000-£70,000 | Very Competitive Package

Are you a commercially minded and data-driven planner with a passion for retail? Our client are a fast-growing eCommerce retailer looking for a dynamic Merchandise Planning Manager to join their team and play a pivotal role in shaping their product strategy and inventory performance.

About Them:

They're an ambitious online retailer with a loyal customer base and a strong brand presence in their niche. As they continue to scale, they're investing in their planning function to ensure they deliver the right products to their customers at the right time, while maintaining healthy stock levels and optimising profitability.

The Role:

As Merchandise Planning Manager, you'll be responsible for leading the planning process across all product categories. Working closely with Buying, Marketing and Operations, you will forecast sales, plan inventory, and drive strategies that maximise sales, margin, and stock efficiency.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage end-to-end merchandise plans across all categories and channels.
• Forecast sales, stock, and intake, ensuring alignment with business targets.
• Monitor performance against plan, analysing key metrics such as sell-through, margin, and stock cover.
• Partner with the Buying team to build balanced and commercial assortments.
• Manage Open-to-Buy and ensure stock investment aligns with cash flow and growth objectives.
• Identify risks and opportunities, making data-led recommendations to optimise trading.
• Support seasonal planning, promotional strategies, and markdown management.
• Collaborate with fulfilment and operations teams to ensure stock availability meets demand.

What We're Looking For:

• Proven experience in merchandise planning, ideally within an eCommerce or multi-channel retail environment.
• Strong analytical skills and confidence using planning tools and Excel.
• Commercial acumen and a keen understanding of customer behaviour.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced SME environment with a hands-on, can-do attitude.

What They Offer:

• A key role in a growing business with real opportunity to shape the future of the planning function.
• A supportive and collaborative team culture.
• Hybrid working options.
• Staff discount and other perks.
• Scope for growth and progression as the business scales.

BBBH34163

The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) tackles humanity’s greatest challenges by turning science and technology into impactful global solutions. Focused on areas like health, food security, sustainable agriculture, climate change, clean energy, and robotics in an era of artificial intelligence. EIT blends groundbreaking research with practical applications to deliver lasting results.

A cornerstone of EIT mission is its upcoming 300,000-square-foot research facility at the Oxford Science Park, set to open in 2027. This cutting-edge campus will feature advanced labs, an oncology and preventative care clinic, and collaborative spaces to strengthen its partnership with the University of Oxford. It will also host the Ellison Scholars, driving innovation for societal benefit.

The Generative Biology Institute (GBI) at the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) aims to overcome two major challenges in making biology engineerable: 1) the ability to precisely synthesize entire genomes, and 2) understanding which DNA sequences will create biological systems that perform desired functions. Solving these challenges will unlock the potential of biology for transformative solutions in health, sustainability, agriculture, and more. GBI will house 30 groups and over 300 researchers, supported by cutting-edge facilities and sustained funding to address global challenges and advance biology engineering.

EIT fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and resilience, valuing diverse expertise to drive sustainable solutions to humanity’s enduring challenges.

Job Summary:

We are seeking a contractor who is highly organised and scientifically experienced to support the relocation of researchers from their lab in Cambridge to EIT’s Generative Biology Institute (GBI) in Oxford. The role will be responsible for cataloguing, duplicating and validating critical biological constructs and samples. This role is ideal for a PhD-qualified scientist with a background in molecular biology and/or chemistry, who is comfortable working independently and has strong attention to detail. The role will involve both experimental and informatics work to ensure the accurate transfer and regeneration of valuable materials. We would expect this role to be based at the researchers’ current lab in Cambridge, with some work at EIT / GBI in Oxford, particularly towards the end of the 6 months.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee and manage the safe and coordinated transfer of all validated samples and inventory from the Cambridge laboratory to EIT / GBI in Oxford, ensuring accurate duplication of all samples and labelling, and ensuring integrity is maintained throughout.
• Review scientific literature and lab records to identify key DNA constructs and reagents required for ongoing and future work.
• Locate, retrieve, and catalogue constructs and samples stored in -80°C freezers and other storage units, ensuring accurate inventory and metadata capture.
• Validate constructs via sequencing, confirming integrity and identity against publications.
• Amplify and prepare working stocks of validated constructs, ensuring availability for immediate and future use.
• Duplicate and document all critical materials, maintaining mirrored stocks and detailed records to ensure traceability.
• Work closely with lab staff and research leads to prioritise key constructs and manage handover of validated materials.
• Maintain clear, well-structured digital inventories, using spreadsheets or sample management systems where applicable.
• Support the packing and transfer process, ensuring that all validated materials are safely and securely transported to GBI.

Requirements

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• PhD in Biology, Synthetic Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, or a related field, with hands-on experience in molecular cloning and DNA sequencing workflows.
• Strong familiarity with DNA construct design, primer design, and interpretation of sequencing data.
• Experience handling biological samples, managing cold storage inventories, and tracking reagents or plasmids.
• Familiarity with data input on a laboratory LIMs or ELN (preferably a cloud-based system).
• Experience impacting laboratory infrastructure through organisation.
• High attention to detail and organisational skills, with experience documenting lab work and maintaining sample databases.
• Ability to work independently, troubleshoot problems, and manage time effectively in a deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to coordinate across multiple team members during a relocation process.

Benefits

We offer the following salary and benefits:

• Salary:  Competitive salary on offer
• Enhanced holiday pay
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance
• Hospital Cash Plan
• Therapy Services
• Perk Box
• Electrical Car Scheme

Why work for EIT:

At the Ellison Institute, we believe a collaborative, inclusive team is key to our success. We are building a supportive environment where creative risks are encouraged, and everyone feels heard. Valuing emotional intelligence, empathy, respect, and resilience, we encourage people to be curious and to have a shared commitment to excellence. Join us and make an impact!

Terms of Appointment:

• You must have the right to work permanently in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary.
• You will live in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford.
• During peak periods, some longer hours may be required and some working across multiple time zones due to the global nature of the programme.