Merchandise Planning Manager

We offer Hybrid Working (featuring all the essentials - fancy drinks fridge, striped walls and furry friends in abundance) alongside remote working from home, depending on business requirements. Don’t know Dock & Bay? You’re missing out, because we’re great (and humble). Here’s a quick intro: Our founders, Andy (Head Poncho) and Ben (Towel Wizard of Oz), started Dock & Bay back in 2015, after sharing the same struggle of standard towels being too bulky for their backpacks while travelling. It’s a hard knock life, eh?Following some intense brainstorming - that means pulling down a big red curtain and sticking pieces of white paper to it to create our now iconic stripes - D&B’s quick dry, 100% recycled wonders were born. Fast forward 8 years and Dock & Bay have become a certified B Corp, with over 100 products in 8 categories, selling in the UK, Australia, the US, Canada and Europe. Our mission is to make the world brighter, and we need your help (if you fit the job description, obviously). We are on the list of UK’s Best Places to work in the Retail, Best Places to work for Development, Best Places to work for Women AND officially a Sunday Times Best Places to work so you KNOW we’re going to look after you. THE ROLE IN A NUTSHELL We’re looking for a commercially savvy, highly organised Merchandise Planning Manager to build and own our merchandising planning function from the ground up. This is a standalone role and a brilliant opportunity for someone who loves creating structure, improving ways of working and turning data into clear commercial action. You’ll be the brain behind the numbers that power our stock planning, making sure we have the right products, in the right place, at the right time, without drowning in beach towels. Sitting between Sales, Marketing, Operations, Product and Finance, you’ll forecast demand across D2C and wholesale channels globally, build planning tools and rhythms, and help shape how Dock & Bay plans for growth The role will sit within the Operations team and report to our Head of Operations and Customer Experience. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (WE’RE GETTING SERIOUS NOW) Build and shape Dock & Bay’s merchandise planning function from the ground up, creating the tools, rhythms and processes needed to support global growth. Build and own rolling demand forecasts across all products and regions (D2C and wholesale, globally) Create our first WSSI or equivalent planning tool, helping us connect sales forecasts, stock levels, intake, margin and trading decisions in one clear view. Establish best-practice planning frameworks across forecasting, WSSI, stock intake, range planning and in-season trading. Own the end-to-end planning calendar, ensuring key trading moments, launches, campaigns and seasonal peaks are planned with the right stock, timing and commercial insight. Create clear reporting and dashboards that give the business visibility of sales, stock, margin, intake, risks and opportunities. Help define the key planning metrics we should be using as a business, including sell-through, stock cover, availability, margin, markdowns and forecast accuracy. Help the business understand the margin impact of promotions / new products/campaigns Lead the business towards a more structured, data-led approach to planning, helping teams make better commercial decisions with confidence. Act as the go-to expert for merchandising planning, bringing clarity, challenge and recommendations to Sales, Marketing, Product, Operations and Finance. Spot gaps in current ways of working and design simple, scalable processes that improve forecast accuracy, stock availability and inventory efficiency. Build strong cross-functional relationships to ensure product, marketing, wholesale and D2C plans are aligned before decisions are made. Take ownership of planning improvements that reduce stock-outs, overstocks and margin leakage while supporting profitable growth. Identify the biggest gaps in our current planning processes and recommend practical ways to improve forecast accuracy, stock availability and inventory efficiency. REQUIRED EXPERIENCE 4 + years’ experience in demand planning, merchandising, or forecasting, ideally in FMCG, retail or consumer goods Strong analytical skills and Excel/Google Sheets wizardry, bonus points for experience with forecasting tools A clear communicator who can turn data into insight (and not just charts for the sake of it) Highly organised, detail-driven and proactive, you notice the 1% that others miss Able to balance commercial instinct with data-led thinking Comfortable working with ambiguity and solving problems as they come Passionate about sustainability and excited to be part of a fast-growing brand with purpose The perks Firstly, you’ll be joining a glorious team of towel traders, with a shared mission to make the world brighter through colour and saving the planet. Secondly, we have a fully stocked drinks fridge and more salt & vinegar snacks than you can shake a stick at. Thirdly, you’ll be involved in intense discussions, like whether a burger is a sandwich or not (it definitely isn’t). Fourthly, you’ll genuinely feel right at home here, working hard, having fun and actually making a difference. We’re not sure if ‘fifthly’ is a word, so we’ll stop now. Plus, you’ll get other cool things like the Cycle to Work scheme, tech scheme, a wellbeing membership, private health insurance, regular team socials as well as some glorious Dock & Bay products to show off to all of your friends. We’re a certified Great Place to Work and London Living Wage employer, too. Because we know how to look after people. Sound good? If yes, we’ll trade you a CV, and a short cover letter for a chance to join the best brand ever*. *totally unbiased opinion. Diversity Commitment Dock & Bay is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to creating a diverse & inclusive environment free from any kind of discrimination. We strive to provide all employees with a safe space to thrive, where they can share ideas & opinions regardless of their backgrounds or perspectives. Although we are not perfect, we continue to learn and our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion is a priority. Ultimately, our goal is to be diverse and inclusive at every level of our workforce. We are a welcoming team and encourage you to be yourself so that we can work together to make an impact.