Space Planning Manager – Watford, United Kingdom
Position Overview
Ref #
W177493
State/Region
Hertfordshire
Department
Merchandising & Planning
Location
United Kingdom
City
Watford
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren’s reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company’s brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, among others, constitute one of the world’s most widely recognized families of consumer brands. At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration.
POSITION OVERVIEW
An exciting opportunity to join our Space planning function on a 12 month fixed term contract.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Represent Business Planning at all key real estate forums, including regional reviews, store visits, and executive sign-offs.
Build Sales and Gross Margin inputs for new-store project P&Ls.
Partner with Real Estate and Regional Leads to determine brand and format composition.
Calculate ROI for ongoing store projects and make recommendations for store modifications to drive revenue and productivity.
Provide financial inputs to support lease renewals.
Work with partner vendors to understand traffic within key markets and correlate street traffic to revenue.
Conduct ongoing reviews of the project pipeline, ensuring relevant stakeholders are informed and planning inputs are maintained.
Own post-opening fleet reviews, presenting findings in executive forums.
Identify opportunities to streamline decision-making and improve cross-functional ways of working.
Develop deeper analytical frameworks and lead project work to create new, insight-driven analyses that support strategic decision-making across the store portfolio.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work within the Branch and Space Planning team, partnering on new-store and traffic-related projects.
Collaborate closely with Brand Image, Finance, Real Estate, Retail Store Development, Buying, Planning, and Store Operations.
EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
Substantial experience in merchandising, planning, or allocation, with strong analytical and reporting skills.
Significant experience partnering with senior stakeholders in a global or matrixed retail environment.
Proven ability to influence business decisions using data, insights, and commercial reasoning.
Strong understanding of Open To Buy, option planning, space-planning principles, and the end-to-end store-opening process.
Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships across a variety of cross-functional teams.
Strong organisational and communication skills both verbal and written with confidence presenting to wider business teams.
High attention to detail and the ability to maintain strong levels of data accuracy.
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