Planning Manager, Soft Accessories (FTC)

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.