Merchandise Planner

About this role

Merchandise Planner at Freedom - 14-month contract

Why You'll Be Excited About This Role

Step into a role where your analytical insights directly shape Freedom's success. As a Merchandise Planner, you'll be at the heart of strategic decision-making, using your expertise to maximise profitability, optimise inventory, and ensure customers find exactly what they're looking for.

Your work will have an immediate, measurable impact on business performance and customer satisfaction.

This is your opportunity to join Australia's leading furniture retailer during an exciting growth phase. You'll collaborate with passionate teams, and see your recommendations come to life in stores nationwide.

How This Will Transform Your Career

This role offers an exceptional opportunity to elevate your career in retail planning and analytics. You'll apply your advanced forecasting skills within Australia's dynamic furniture market, working with sophisticated business intelligence tools and complex datasets that will further sharpen your expertise.

Working at Freedom means joining a market leader where your established skills will have an immediate impact. You'll collaborate with senior stakeholders, influence strategic decisions, and gain valuable experience across multiple product categories. This high-visibility role will enhance your profile as a senior planning professional in the retail industry.

Why You'll Like Working Here

At Freedom, we've earned our certification as a Great Place to Work by putting our people first. We've created an environment where innovation thrives and every team member can make their mark. Our culture is built on transparency and collaboration, ensuring you'll always have clarity about your progress and impact.

You'll enjoy:

• Hybrid working arrangements that respect your work-life balance
• A competitive salary package with superannuation
• Generous 25% staff discount on all Freedom products, including sale items
• True flexibility with our innovative 'Freedom to Flex' program - work from anywhere in the world for up to 4 weeks annually
• Monthly themed pop-up Town Hall's to connect with wider teams in our Support Centre

What You'll Be Working On

Your role as Merchandise Planner will be pivotal in driving Freedom's profitability and operational efficiency. You'll analyse complex data sets to forecast demand, optimise inventory levels, and ensure customers find the products they love whilst minimising waste and markdowns.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing stock allocation and replenishment planning
• Analysing sales trends, market conditions, and historical data to forecast future needs
• Mastering Open-to-Buy processes to maintain balanced and profitable inventory
• Category management and assortment optimisation
• Creating comprehensive reports and dashboards using advanced Excel skills
• Translating raw data into actionable insights for business teams
• Guiding critical decisions on product mix, seasonal planning, and inventory investment

What Type of Person Will Succeed

We're looking for an analytical thinker who thrives on turning complex data into clear, actionable strategies. You'll combine analytical rigour with creative problem-solving abilities to drive business decisions.

You'll need:

• Financial & Analytical Skills: Strong retail mathematics (margins, turnover, sell-through, markdowns) and demand forecasting expertise
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, macros) and experience with BI tools (Power BI, TM1)
• Data Management: Comfortable with large datasets and translating complex information into business insights
• Professional Qualities: Excellent attention to detail, strong time management, and ability to adapt quickly to changing market conditions
• Experience: Around 5 years in merchandise planning, ideally within furniture or home goods sector

How to Apply

We're excited to grow our team and would love to learn more about you. To take the first step towards your future at Freedom, click the apply button to submit your application and don't forget to attach your resume.

Freedom to grow. Freedom to think. Freedom to be