Buying, Planning & Allocation Manager (Mat cover 15 mths)– Luxury Retail

Mode Search are partnering with a global luxury retailer in their search for a Buying, Planning & Allocation Manager. This role carries ownership of the commercial execution of the collection strategy for the business, translating seasonal assortment plans into profitable sales, efficient stock management and strong trading performance across channels. You will work closely with cross-functional teams including merchandising, finance and production, making a crucial impact on sell-through, inventory strategy and ongoing commercial decision-making. As the Buying, Planning & Allocation Manager you will take responsibility for end-to-end buying, forecasting, inventory planning, and allocation across multiple channels (including ecommerce, retail, and wholesale). Your analysis, commercial insight, and robust planning will ensure alignment with budgets, sales forecasts and margin targets, while driving strong in-season performance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead buying, planning, and stock allocation activities to support overall commercial strategy, budget and forecast alignment across channels.
• Construct seasonal buys and assortment plans by channel and region, balancing commercial opportunity with stock risk and customer demand.
• Drive end-to-end forecasting (seasonal and in-season) at SKU level, regularly updating projections to inform reorders and allocation decisions.
• Analyse post-season performance (sales, stock, margin, pricing) and translate insight into clear recommendations for future cycles.
• Own and manage OTB (Open-to-Buy), stock levels, and WSSI (Weeks of Supply, Sell-Through and Intake) across channels.
• Optimise allocation and replenishment strategies to support sell-through and ensure product availability aligns with demand.
• Use in-season analysis to make commercial decisions including reorders, pricing actions, promotional strategy and markdowns.
• Partner cross-functionally with Production, Merchandising and Finance to align forecasts, lifecycle plans, pricing strategy and cash-flow considerations.

Experience & Skills:

• Significant experience in buying, commercial planning, inventory planning, or allocation, ideally within luxury or premium fashion/accessories.
• Strong commercial and analytical capability, with confidence managing OTB, WSSI and forecasting at SKU level.
• Demonstrable ability to influence across functions and make data-led commercial decisions.
• Advanced Excel and planning system competence with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent communicator with a structured, proactive approach to delivery.

Please note: due to high volumes of interest, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.