Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced MFP Practitioner with over 8-10 years of experience in Merchandise Financial Planning, preferably within the Retail/Apparel industry. The ideal candidate will possess deep functional expertise in MFP processes, strong analytical capabilities, and hands-on experience in aligning financial planning with merchandising strategies. Exposure to IT systems and planning tools will be a strong advantage.
Key Responsibilities
- Hands-on Delivery & Customer Engagement
- Act as a hands-on practitioner in MFP processes, actively contributing to solution design, configuration inputs, and business validation.
- Serve in a customer-facing role, partnering with business stakeholders to articulate the value of MFP transformation and automation.
- Lead conversations that demonstrate ROI, efficiency gains, and decision intelligence enabled through automation
- Lead MFP Transformation Programs
- Drive end-to-end Merchandise Financial Planning (MFP) implementation for clients, from discovery to post-go-live stabilization.
- Define target operating model for MFP aligned with client's retail strategy.
- MFP Process Design & Solutioning
- Translate business requirements into scalable MFP processes including:
- Financial planning (sales, margin, inventory)
- OTB (Open-to-Buy) framework.
- Pre-season and in-season planning.
- Design planning hierarchies, KPIs, and planning calendars.
- Functional-to-Technical Translation
- Function as a bridge between business stakeholders and technology teams.
- Convert MFP processes into system design.
- Client Engagement & Stakeholder Management
- Collaborate closely with client merchandising, finance, and supply chain leadership.
- Facilitate workshops, requirement gathering sessions, and design signoffs.
- Provide thought leadership on MFP best practices in Retail/Apparel
- Implementation Oversight
- Review solution design to ensure alignment with business objectives.
- Change Management & Business Adoption
- Drive adoption of MFP processes and tools within client organization.
- Thought Leadership & Practice Development
- Contribute to building MFP capabilities, accelerators, and reusable assets.
- Stay updated with industry trends in Retail/Apparel planning and digital transformation.
Required Skills & Experience
- 8-10 years of experience in Merchandise Financial Planning, preferably in Retail/Apparel
- Strong understanding of:
- OTB planning
- Assortment planning linkage
- Demand forecasting concepts.
- Inventory and margin optimization.
- Proven experience in managing large datasets and deriving insights.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to translate financial metrics into business strategies.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and data analysis tools
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in IT or techno-functional roles (system implementation, integration, or support)
- Exposure to digital transformation or planning system implementations
- Understanding of data models, integrations, and planning architecture
- Experience working in cross-functional and global teams.
Key Competencies
- Strategic thinking with strong analytical mindset
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
- Problem-solving and decision-making ability
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Leadership experience or mentoring junior team members.
Education
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, Business, Finance, Supply Chain, or related field
- MBA or equivalent degree is preferred.
