Category Planner Resume Sample
Work Experience
- HQ Sales, Marketing, Finance and Product Supply - weekly
- Area Logistics teams - weekly
- Continuous Improvement teams - monthly
- IBP Demand Team - monthly
- Preparing item sales and gross margin plans, budgets, and projections. Reviewing plans with merchandising team, fulfillment operations, and vendors
- Preparing operating reports and analyze merchandise results. Advising merchandise manager as to trends, opportunities, and recommendations
- Preparing requisitions and coordinate merchandise order requirements with purchasing. Monitoring order and stock status to ensure timely delivery and receipt of merchandise
- Maintaining item, inventory and purchase data as required. Monitor and maintain available stock to avoid out-of-stocks and oversells. Managing open purchases and commitments
- Managing excess and overstock inventory. Monitoring and maintain overstock lists. Work with merchandise manager to dispose of overstocks through promotional plans, markdowns, and other means available
- Partnering with merchandise manager to execute operating plans and optimize sales and profitability of assigned merchandise category
- Interfacing with other operating departments and vendors as required to ensure timely delivery, order fulfillment and related functions
- Performing special projects as directed by supervisor
- The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an associate encounters while performing the essential functions of the job
- Managing complexity and uncertainty
- Accurate with attention to detail to be able to challenge and spot errors
- Agility - to cope with pace of change & constantly evolving pictures
- Can grasp complex matters quickly
- Rapidly builds trustful relationships with a broad range of people
- Excellent communication skills, able to lead and influence across all functions and levels
- Passion to succeed and make a difference
- Strong 'CODES' behaviour (Create, Open, Drive, Empowers, Self-aware ) and alignment with the Danone values
- Solid knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel
- Work in fast-paced and changing environment, customer-focused, and detail oriented
- Strong problem solving skills with the ability to plan, prioritize, and set goals
Education
Professional Skills
- Demonstrate excellent problem solving skills, analytical skills
- Highly numerate with strong PC skills and experience of using and creating Excel spread-sheets and PowerPoint presentations
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and influencing skills, and Senior stakeholder management experience
- Proven strong organizational and time management skills with attention to detail
- Confident personality and excellent communication skills both written and verbal
- Demonstrated leadership, team building, partnering and influence skills
- Excellent communication and influencing skills to drive the best decision within the category
How to write Category Planner Resume
Category Planner role is responsible for retail, excel, finance, credit, training, procurement, shipping, reporting, digital, events.
To write great resume for category planner job, your resume must include:
- Your contact information
- Work experience
- Education
- Skill listing
Contact Information For Category Planner Resume
The section contact information is important in your category planner resume. The recruiter has to be able to contact you ASAP if they like to offer you the job. This is why you need to provide your:
- First and last name
- Telephone number
Work Experience in Your Category Planner Resume
The section work experience is an essential part of your category planner resume. It’s the one thing the recruiter really cares about and pays the most attention to.
This section, however, is not just a list of your previous category planner responsibilities. It's meant to present you as a wholesome candidate by showcasing your relevant accomplishments and should be tailored specifically to the particular category planner position you're applying to.
The work experience section should be the detailed summary of your latest 3 or 4 positions.
Representative Category Planner resume experience can include:
- Excellent computer skill including high proficiency in Microsoft Excel
- Proactively manage the PromCom process effectively and to timescales
- Experience in Supply Chain or Planning is required
- Develop strong communication and partnering links with Sales, CP&A, Marketing partners, Supply Planning and other parts of CS&L
- Plant replenishment and inventory levels managed through the effective operation of the weekly drumbeat process
- Building block creation via inputs from sales, marketing and other partners into the advanced planning tool (APO DP)
Education on a Category Planner Resume
Make sure to make education a priority on your category planner resume. If you’ve been working for a few years and have a few solid positions to show, put your education after your category planner experience. For example, if you have a Ph.D in Neuroscience and a Master's in the same sphere, just list your Ph.D. Besides the doctorate, Master’s degrees go next, followed by Bachelor’s and finally, Associate’s degree.
Additional details to include:
- School you graduated from
- Major/ minor
- Year of graduation
- Location of school
These are the four additional pieces of information you should mention when listing your education on your resume.
Professional Skills in Category Planner Resume
When listing skills on your category planner resume, remember always to be honest about your level of ability. Include the Skills section after experience.
Present the most important skills in your resume, there's a list of typical category planner skills:
- Good interpersonal skills with an ability to work cross-functionally
- Demonstrated negotiation skills and the ability to develop and manage vendor relationships
- Effectively partner with Location Planning, Logistics, Sourcing, Pricing, Product Development and Operations in order to increase efficiency
- Strong business acumen and demonstrates managerial courage to drive processes within the category/ies and the business
- Advanced Computer skills with all elements of Microsoft Office particularly Excel
- Purchasing/merchandising experience (Grocery/Commodity)
List of Typical Experience For a Category Planner Resume
Experience For Category Demand Planner Resume
- Build great relationships across the business unit and other divisions in Food Commercial and beyond (Retail, Marketing, Argos, Property) to land the category objectives
- Competent with PC tools and information systems with advanced knowledge of Excel with strong analytical skills
- Strong Excel skills and the ability to interpret data into insights and deliver to stakeholders
- Strong communication skills with stakeholders on any gaps in product service level
- Great communication skills, oral and written
Experience For Sales Category Planner Resume
- Functional Work Experience (Demand Planning, Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), Integrated Business Planning (IBP), Forecasting
- Demonstrated business savvy through strategic development, financial management, analytical thinking and problem solving
- Experience in Demand Planning & Forecasting
- Top down validation of the short term demand plan, feedback constructively whilst understanding the business implications
- Previous experience of Sales environment (preferably within the bicycle industry)
- Experience or working knowledge of commercial and supply chain operations of the business
- Excellent range of influence, confident challenger to peers and wider teams to ensure plans are delivered to time and high quality
- System experience (SAP / APO) advantageous as role is heavily system focussed
Experience For Global Category Planner Resume
- Retail knowledge and experience preferable
- Refrigerated Protein experience in the Food service or retail markets
- Fresh food experience
- Working knowledge of financial planning, forecasting, buying, inventory and project management
- Working knowledge of merchandise system, data mining, replenishment and spreadsheets
Experience For Category Planner P&A Resume
- Operating in a Cross-functional team
- Proactive management of short supply lines, working with Sales, Product Supply and Customer Logistics to minimise case failures
- Provide key information on supply to the business unit, including changeover dates and over/under supply
- Participate in the Monthly Business Planning process
- Proactively join-the-dots with other complementary initiatives in other areas (e.g. Fresh Food concessions & PFS shop)
- Conduct quantitative analysis and insights to optimize line profitability—monetize new opportunities and identify
- Identifies events or casual factors that impact the forecast and drive divergence from the normal ‘run rate’ e.g. promotions, supply issues, environmental factors, competitor activity
- Attention to detail, numerate and analytical
- Lead and facilitate the relevant forums of the monthly demand cycle for your category / categories. Including One on Ones, Pre-DR meetings and Demand / Supply connects
Experience For Retail Category Planner Resume
- Ensure that KPIs which are not met are root caused properly escalated to appropriate teams with recommendations for mitigation
- Historical sales performance is analysed, assessing the impact of various sales and marketing plans such as new product introductions; price increases or decreases; product withdrawal or obsolescence, promotions and incentives with the demand plan modified accordingly
- Documentation of the forecasting process, is maintained - including assumptions and clearly identifying how the forecast is prepared, reviewed and approved and who is involved
- Internal and external benchmarking is conducted, identifying opportunities to introduce best practice initiatives and sharing our experiences with our AP colleagues
- Develop item forecasts with key considerations for each channel’s key factors: Catalog (books), Web, Retail (stores), Wholesale (accounts) for each country (US/UK)
Experience For Senior Category Demand Planner Resume
- Partner with Merchandise Operations Specialist for Order Management
- Drive financial results that maximize sales, inventory and bottom line profitability
- Recommend seasonal merchandise flow strategies that maximize sales, profitability and customer expectations
- Support monthly open to buy meetings
- Build the cross functional category plan – own process within category to develop the plan, including cross functional and cross category alignment. Build the resource planning and communication of plan to stakeholders
- Lead execution of category plan through each financial year keeping projects on time, delivered to financial targets and conduct post execution reviews. Ensure rigorous objective setting and prioritisation processes
- Proactively participate in strategic developments that impact the category by managing and/or leading elements of the category plan
- Own coordination of team events; sales and team meetings, away days, conferences including administrative tasks such as holiday and training trackers, emergency contacts, seasonal working cover
- Coordinate regular cross functional leadership time together to review the overall team and category plan progress
Experience For Category Demand Planner Northern Europe Resume
- Manage designated Corporate Events and Sub-Brand activity end-to-end for the Business Unit
- M-1 & 3 Forecast Accuracy
- M-1 & 3 Forecast Bias
- M-1 & 3 Launch Forecast Accuracy
- Stock quality: SLOBS 8% of Total Stock
Experience For Category / Location Planner Resume
- Partner with Market Demand Managers and Category Demand Managers in all activities associated with and leading up to Demand Review, including pre-market, market and category demand consolidation
- Participation in pre-market, market and category demand reviews in support of Market Demand Managers and Category Demand Managers, respectively
- Provide finalized detailed demand plan by SKU to Supply Planners, and make adjustments as necessary based on feedback from Supply Planners. Reviewing and manage forecasting gap between consensus forecast and both commercial and category analytics
- Own demand-supply imbalance issue resolution activities. Collaborate with Supply Planners to resolve as required
- Create a seasonal range plan of ideal category, subcategory and item mix to create an optimum assortment to deliver budget
- Monthly Sales Plan by Category & Sub Category by metal group/price point/NPI vs Core product
- Plan and build new store stock packages
- Define depth and breadth of assortment in accordance to sales plans
Experience For Senior Category Planner Resume
- Ensure balance in assortment between core, newness and aspirational products
- Provide robust current and historical analysis of the categories to drive strategic decisions and to provide context for the longer term direction of the brand
- Collaborate with the commercial teams to review performance and advise on areas of opportunity
- Maintain order management system to ensure we have sufficient stock in store to fulfill planned sales targets. Proactively highlight availability stock issues affecting stores with resolutions
- Run pre demand review meetings at the market, work on the material preparation
Experience For Category Demand Planner Std Chocolate Resume
- Add connectivity to short-term horizon demand details, driving out weekly pacing by SKU by location, and add connectivity with field sales intelligence (short term execution)
- Manage Inventory DSO, aged inventory, obsolete inventory, spoilage and shrink to achieve corporate goals. Manage OpCo level SKU count and resolve replenishment issues as required. Manage returns to suppliers and supplier inventory allowances
- Manage and process purchase orders in compliance with corporate guidelines. Maintain PO product and freight cost accuracy. Manage forecasting and demand planning for customer events, business shifts, and seasonality changes
- Review margins, pricing and daily pricing variance reports
- Work closely with Production Scheduling and Purchasing to help to maintain targeted inventory levels
- Review suppliers/category specific reporting
- Maintain and develop the demand plan by working in conjunction with the Category Team, Sales Team and the wider Supply Chain team
- Collaborate with product support advisors, suppliers, brokers, and sales teams. Process payments with currency exchange in consideration
List of Typical Skills For a Category Planner Resume
Skills For Category Demand Planner Resume
- Strong team working across functional teams and interpersonal skills with ability to influence
- Previous experience of Oracle BI or creating reports using other reporting systems
- Graduate calibre with a good understanding of retail, insight and customers with buying knowledge an advantage although not necessary
- Experience of managing large amounts of information and providing meaningful insight
- Excellent communicator, able to flex approach according to their audience – peers to more senior stakeholders
- Experience in Supply Chain or Planning is required
- Inventory Management/Purchasing experience in distributor with 10,000+ SKUs
- Supply Chain or Production Planning experience of 3- 4 years within the FMCG environment
Skills For Sales Category Planner Resume
- Excellent communicator, able to flex approach according to audience – from peers to more senior stakeholders
- Evidence of living the Sainsbury’s values
- Demand planning functional experience
- Prioritise various projects and demands, providing clear expectations and deadlines for stakeholders
- An ability to multi-task and manage priorities and deadlines
- Excellent range of influence, confident challenger to peers and wider team to ensure plans are delivered to time and quality
- Experience in Sales & Marketing (Brand Management) is an advantage
Skills For Global Category Planner Resume
- 3 – 5 years of previous experience in a purchasing/product management environment is required
- Good command of retail math concepts, applications and statistical analysis
- Professional experience of at least 3 years in a food related (or equivalent) FMCG industry
- Experience in product/category management or financial analysis
- Working directly with the Director of Marketing, develop and manage specific category communication plans, including the development of strategy
- Reporting and root cause analysis with modeling, Category Demand Managers and Marketing Demand Managers
Skills For Category Planner P&A Resume
- Acting as first point of contact for general product related queries and re-directing as appropriate
- Supporting the Category Planning Managers in the collection and collation of the relevant MI
- Developing and delivering clear planograms for Shops to implement
- Driving Licence as some travel and overnight stays is required
- Willing to travel abroad regularly
Skills For Retail Category Planner Resume
- Understanding of S&OP (IBM) process
- Training and development support through line manager and Category Manager
- Ranging strategy and capability of team
- Carrying out all the necessary administration tasks to support the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) process
- Interfacing with global category management to provide demand input to product and category development
- Organised worker who thrives off planning and coordinating and who recognises the importance of great admin excellence in their role
- Demand planning systems and tools, including master data are adequately maintained
Skills For Senior Category Demand Planner Resume
- Appropriate measures for improving forecast error and bias and reducing forecast volatility are developed and implemented; Targets set by BU
- Work with Customer Insights, Nectar, Marketing and Suppliers to inform the Category Planning Process
- Work with the Director of Marketing to develop Digital/ Social (brand/category) marketing strategies
- Organised worker who thrives on planning and coordinating
- Lead within BU on corporate change and improvement initiatives relating to value, range, category planning and events
Skills For Category Demand Planner Northern Europe Resume
- Serve as a single point of contact owning interaction with Market Demand Manager, Modelers, & Modelling Analyst
- Check, update and maintain store grading and clustering
- Management of WSSI, range planning to ensure the company objectives are met in terms of sales and stock holding in stores
- Price & Promotions team for intel and tools relating to promotional performance
- Participate in brand/ category presentations as required, assisting in presentation development
- Support execution of in-season activities within the Regional retail team including forecasts and retail sales
- Passionate about all aspects of the Cycling environment
Skills For Category / Location Planner Resume
- Assist in the development and execution of category programming and events
- The core focus of this role is to manage the Demand forecast for a given Category over a rolling 18 month time horizon. (by retailer by SKU)
- Category management training or certification
- Lead development of demand plan for assigned SKUs within a category/market including forecast lifts into base forecast
- Assist and share knowledge of product performance with customers within the Emerging Markets cluster
- Ensure the integrity of each category is maintained, and that the selection of styles represents the desired pricing strategy and metal mix
- Manage the product life cycle, planning discontinuations and stock clearance
- Manage the range building process through regular range reviews
Skills For Senior Category Planner Resume
- Preparation of accurate sales and purchasing forecasts
- Results focused with a 'go get it' attitude
- An ability to manage and analyse complex data
- Work cross functionally across the enterprise
- The category planner heads a team of category and range planners and as a team is responsible for delivering the category planning agenda. Wider teams and resources are critical to success
- Team TBC: including Range Analysts and Merchandisers
- Internal insights teams across Nielsen and Aimia (including i2c)
- Category expertise through buyers and broader leadership team
Skills For Category Demand Planner Std Chocolate Resume
- Supplier base for competitor promotional insight and support
- Provide continuous direction to Trade Marketing team on key programming, product updates, marketing & merchandising initiatives to ensure consistency across all brand presence
- Provide the Sports Marketing team with all required product knowledge, brand programs and content to deliver compelling, first-class PK sessions for retail partners and sales associates
- Develop, coordinate and manage all purchase orders, invoices and necessary documentation for finance sign off on all budgeted programs. File and manage all documentation for future reference
- Update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading marketing publications, etc
- Monitors budgets by comparing and analysing actual results with plans and forecasts
- Lead the promotional strategy, using internal insight and working with suppliers to optimise the space. Measure success and continually improve as we implement the plan
- Manage and be accountable for the execution of the promotional timelines, working with Buyers, Supply Chain, Category Assistants, Marketing and the Central Promotions Team, driving best practice and right first time delivery
- Clear stakeholder alignment and tracking forecast assumption throughout the year
List of Typical Responsibilities For a Category Planner Resume
Responsibilities For Category Demand Planner Resume
- Work with logistics team to maximize supply chain efficiencies. Work with operations to develop programs to maximize efficiencies in receiving and warehousing. Follow up for documentation needed for clearing containers
- Follow and react to market conditions within established corporate, domestic, and international market guidelines. Manage forecasting and demand planning based on domestic and international trends
- Monitor stock levels, handle product dating concerns, scrap, and obsolete stock while managing item status
- Execute and support product recalls as required. Execute enterprise purchasing initiatives
- Maintain vendor cost and shipping tables
- High level of proficiency with MS Office, including Microsoft Word and Excel spreadsheets
Responsibilities For Sales Category Planner Resume
- Knowledgeable in IBP, demand planning, and E2E supply chain processes
- Proactively communicating forecast changes to key SC partners and Supply points
- Strategic planning and delivery within a complex category structure
- This opportunity is available through Sysco International Food Group, Inc
- Develop assortment plans and SKU count to optimize productivity. Accountable for overall financial deliverables for departments
- Develop departmental location assortment strategy. Responsible for inventory replenishment, including achievement of fill rate/service level commitments while driving toward purchase order/SKU automation
Responsibilities For Global Category Planner Resume
- Effectively communicate with suppliers, Product Specialists, Sales staff, Finance, Transportation and Operations
- Manage inventory, develop appropriate enter/exit strategies, and flow of product (OTB) to achieve inventory turn objectives
- Analyze performance on business goals/recommend action plans to maximize results; Monitor performance and adjust plans accordingly
- Responsible for the procurement process and load balancing across one or more warehouses including: reviewing stock levels, issuing purchase orders, coordinating and confirming freight and ETA, issuing debit and credit memos for damage/shortages
- Purchase product lines to increase sales, maximize company profitability and maintain an acceptable level of customer service level
Responsibilities For Category Planner P&A Resume
- Create shipments – attach product/freight/duty PO’s to the shipment
- Confirm proper documents are submitted per import regulations
- Work with operations to minimize cost impacts, product flow and maximize volume optimization
- Work with logistics and transportation to ensure appropriate and affordable freight lanes
- Gather information in regards to supplier/product compliance
- Serve as primary point of contact for the company when supply issues arise. Work with sales, planning, replenishment, customer service and various others to communicate action plans
- Assist with PLM activity and discontinued products as they enter/leave our business. Ensure a positive transition for the customer as well as the various departments within the company
Responsibilities For Retail Category Planner Resume
- Communicate issues with forecasting – either purchases of significantly more or less than the forecast. Work with Sales, Demand Planning and Customer Service to get more accurate numbers in the system to allow for better planning and service to customers
- Highlight and help resolve distressed/old-age inventory
- Provide data analysis support needed for the Supply Chain and BU teams on various projects
- Identify opportunities and solutions for potential service issues to our customers
- Communicate with Demand Planning, the Deployers, and Scheduling to ensure that forecasts are updated and STO’s are entered for customer promotional programs
- Facilitate cross-functional communication between the Manawa plant and the DC’s
- Manage customer product transitions
Responsibilities For Senior Category Demand Planner Resume
- Manage item status updates
- Communication of the Supply Chain issues daily to Customer Service
- Provide data and support to the Supply Chain group on various projects
- Lead innovation meetings with cross-functional partners to ensure forecasts reflect latest trends and assumptions and production schedule supports this forecas
- Achieve sustainable Demand Plan Accuracy (DPA), implement improvements to Demand Planning processes and tools to deliver tangible benefits (e.g. better accuracy, time savings, increased efficiencies, etc)
- In accordance with the Consensus Demand Planning process, communicate relevant information to stakeholders by: Highlighting gaps, impacts of proposed actions and related trade-offs, ensuring the demand plan is realistic and achievable
- Capture and analyse Generating Demand events that effect the demand plan
- Collaborate with local, market and corporate merchandising teams, suppliers, and other functional areas
- Demonstrate an intermediate level of proficiency of the Manhatten inventory planning tool DPR, to drive teams performance as indicated by DPR scorecards, dashboards and merchandising KPIs
Responsibilities For Category Demand Planner Northern Europe Resume
- Manage OpCo level SKU count (min 1,800 – 2,299 SKUs vendor direct) and resolve replenishment issues as required. Performance to be sustained at this level while meeting established Key Performance Indicators
- Support product recalls as required
- Demonstrate an intermediate to advanced level of proficiency of the Manhatten inventory planning tool DPR, to drive team’s performance as indicated by DPR scorecards, dashboards and merchandising KPIs
- Manage OpCo level SKU count (min 2,300-4,000 SKUs vendor direct, 3500+ redistributed or 2,000 Purchase Order perishable lines weekly) and resolve replenishment issues as required. Performance to be sustained at this level while meeting established Key Performance Indicators
- Manage OpCo level SKU count (min 1,800 2,299 SKUs vendor direct) and resolve replenishment issues as required. Performance to be sustained at this level while meeting established Key Performance Indicators
- Manage OpCo level SKU count (min 1,800 - 2,299 SKUs vendor direct) and resolve replenishment issues as required. Performance to be sustained at this level while meeting established Key Performance Indicators
Responsibilities For Category / Location Planner Resume
- Plans production to meet sales requirements while maximizing plant efficiencies and prepares sales and demand forecasts
- Works well under tight deadlines, high pressure situations
- Analyzes sales forecasts to determine short and medium term requirements for product resources
- Prepares and monitors master schedules by working with logistics, production, maintenance, and sales personnel to coordinate activities and adjust schedules, as necessary, to respond to market and production requirements
- Experience in product/category management or financial analysis
- Maximizes fill rate potential and coordinates warehouse replenishments
- University completed. Supply Chain, Economical, Financial or Logistics education
- Fully versed on Microsoft office tools (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
Responsibilities For Senior Category Planner Resume
- Advanced knowledge of MS office applications, especially Excel and PowerPoint; proficiency in Excel to include creating spreadsheets, complex formulas, pivot tables, etc
- Comprehensive Supply Chain, Economical, Financial or Logistics education or knowledge
- Knowledge of the beef industry
- Responsible for gathering key data/insights to build a forecast (volume and value), aligning forecast assumptions with key stakeholders, tracking assumptions and adapting forecast to the market dynamic
- To build a strong collaborative relationship with key stakeholders critical to the CMP (Commercial Management Process), including Sales, Category, Brand Marketing and S&I
- Responsible and leading internal stakeholders to drive '18 months rolling forecast' and 'Filling the gap' mind-set
Responsibilities For Category Demand Planner Std Chocolate Resume
- Value strategy and proposition
- Enthusiastic and result- oriented with a commitment to timely delivery of results and deadlines
- Quick thinker with ability to spot issues, act on insight and be quick to implement change when required
- Team player as well as ability to work independently and manage workload
- Travel when necessary to Supply Points and Global project meetings