Planning Manager, Soft Accessories (FTC)

Department: SC CENTRAL OPERATIONS

City: London

Location: GB

INTRODUCTION

At Burberry, we believe creativity opens spaces. Our purpose is to unlock the power of imagination to push boundaries and open new possibilities for our people, our customers and our communities. This is the core belief that has guided Burberry since it was founded in 1856 and is central to how we operate as a company today.

We aim to provide an environment for creative minds from different backgrounds to thrive, bringing a wide range of skills and experiences to everything we do. As a purposeful, values-driven brand, we are committed to being a force for good in the world as well, creating the next generation of sustainable luxury for customers, driving industry change and championing our communities.

JOB PURPOSE

We are seeking a Planning Manager, Soft Accessories to join Burberry’s global Planning organisation. This role sits at the heart of the Accessories division and is responsible for leading all planning activity across the Soft Accessories category, spanning pre‑season strategy through to in‑season trading.

You will act as a trusted commercial partner to Merchandising, Supply Chain, Finance and Regional Planning teams, ensuring collections are financially robust, creatively aligned and optimised for global performance. As a people manager, you will also play a key role in developing talent and embedding a high‑performance, collaborative culture.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Collection Development and Pre‑Season Planning

Lead Global Open to Buy across pre‑season and in‑season for Soft Accessories
Partner closely with Central Merchants to shape collections that balance creative vision and financial targets
Identify and quantify financial risks and opportunities during collection development
Own raw material forecasting and commitments, supporting on‑time delivery
Deliver option productivity and hindsight analysis to inform future collection plans
Drive pricing analysis across price bands and door tiers

Collection Open to Buy and Market Buy Governance

Deliver central Collection Open to Buy guidance and validate regional submissions
Build Market Open to Buy guidance aligned to category strategies and final assortments
Challenge regional buys to ensure alignment with guidance and revenue targets
Assess carry‑forward, replenishment thresholds and re‑order quantities
Provide unit forecasts to Supply Chain to support capacity planning and vendor negotiations

In‑Season Trading and Inventory Management

Deliver regular trade analysis highlighting risks, opportunities and recommended actions
Provide stock rebalance recommendations to optimise inventory efficiency
Manage re‑orders, pull‑forwards and delivery flows across Retail and Wholesale
Optimise delivery flow in line with sales targets and supply chain constraints
Partner with regional teams to deep dive performance and provide central support
Coordinate free stock drops and support product lifecycle and delist decisions

Margin Planning

Conduct division and category margin analysis
Embed margin targets into Global Open to Buy
Deliver scenario analysis to support commercial decision making

Leadership

Coach and mentor team members, building long‑term capability within the planning function
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement
Deputise for the Director or Senior Manager when required

PERSONAL PROFILE

Proven experience leading divisional planning within a fast‑paced, luxury or premium environment
Strong experience across Global Open to Buy, collection planning and margin planning
A customer‑focused, commercial mindset with strong decision‑making capability
Excellent analytical skills and exceptional attention to detail
Strong communication and influencing skills, with credibility at senior levels
A collaborative leadership style with experience developing teams
Bachelor’s degree required
SAP experience is advantageous

Burberry is an Equal Opportunities Employer and as such, treats all applications equally and recruits purely on the basis of skills and experience.