Business Operations and Planning Manager

**\uD83C\uDF10 **_Seeking a Business Operations and Planning Manager based in El Segundo, LA._**_ _**\uD83D\uDE80**

**ZURU** is on a mission to disrupt across industries, challenge the status quo and catalyst change through radical innovation and automation advances. This is in play in different pillars of the company: ZURU Toys are re-imagining what it means to play; ZURU Tech is shaping a better future by leading the next building revolution; ZURU Edge is pioneering new generation FMCG brands to better serve modern consumers.

Founded in 2003 by EY Entrepreneur of the Year and World Entrepreneur Hall of Fame brothers Nick and Mat Mowbray, ZURU has quickly grown to a team of over 5000 direct and indirect members across more than 30 international locations.

One of the largest toy companies in the world, globally recognised and award-winning brands include Bunch O Balloons, Mini Brands, XSHOT, Rainbocorns and Smashers. Our global FMCG brands include MONDAY Haircare, Rascal + Friends, NOOD, BONKERS, Gumi Yum Surprise and Dose & Co.

**Responsibilities**:

- ** Sales Support**: Assist Sales and Commercial teams with key reports and data for growth optimization.
- ** Assortment Planning**: Provide recommendations to retailers and internal stakeholders.
- ** Data Analysis**: Analyze retail sales, profits, market trends, competitor activity, promotional activity, and sell-in information to uphold retail POS metrics.
- ** Forecasting**: Provide data-driven item-level forecasts to support Sales, Commercial, and Supply planning.
- ** Visualization**: Develop effective visualizations in Excel, Tableau, and Power Bi for internal teams and retailer's accounts, covering weekly and monthly reports, ladder plans, joint business partner (JBP), slot plans, and line review presentations.
- ** POS Management**: Manage POS reporting and distribution.
- ** Team Supervision**: Supervise junior analysts in their service delivery to customers.

**Financial Analysis**:

- Build and maintain Profit and Loss statements for actual and forward-looking business outlooks.
- Analyze revenue, cost, and margins by product, brand, class, and category to identify gaps and opportunities.
- Make informed business recommendations to improve financial performance and support growth for both ZURU and retailers.

**Category Analysis**:

- Monitor and analyze category sales, dynamics, trends, ranking, productivity, and shopper behavior.
- Provide recommendations on product assortment, pricing strategy, promotion effectiveness, and planogram suggestions as needed.

**Leadership**:

- Supervise junior analysts in their interactions with internal and external stakeholders.
- Identify growth opportunities and work with the Director of Operations for implementation plans and excellent execution.

**Customer Facing-Interaction**:

- Collaborate with Inventory/Demand Planners and Buyers to optimize inventory management and demand forecasting.
- Engage with ZURU VP of Sales, Commercial, Marketing, and Operations to align business operations with sales strategies.
- Prepare and present sales, operations, and financial data and insights to the retailer’s team during key meetings.

**Support**:

- Support Sales in Line Review, JBP, Forecasting, and Buyer’s meeting preparation with inventory, forecasting, and POS analysis.
- Address requests from Sales, Commercial, and Marketing teams regarding POS information accurately and timely.
- Assist in preparing and distributing weekly/monthly POS reports and reviewing them with specific sales teams for actionable insights and follow-ups.

**Design/Innovation**:

- Identify opportunities and establish processes for improved efficiencies and timely communication of business performance.
- Document key processes and best practices to share across Sales, Commercial, and Product teams.
- Map inefficiencies, propose, and implement scalable solutions.
- Deliver a key ZURU project driving impactful change annually.

**About You**:

- ** Self-Starter**: Thrive and excel in a fast-paced and evolving business.
- ** Analytical Thinker**: Own high-impact demand forecasting projects with a focus on driving better business results.
- ** Curious**: Always looking for opportunities to innovate and improve.
- ** Excellent Communicator**: Synthesize information and tell a compelling story.
- ** Relentless**: Roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes to succeed.

**Desired Skills**:

- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Mathematics, Statistics, Business, or a quantitative field.
- 1-2 years of experience in consulting, strategy, business development, operations, technology, banking, or related experience; high-growth or early-stage startup experience preferred.
- Background in using data to create demand forecasts and provide high-quality analysis and solutions.
- Excellent Excel skills (can maintain complex spreadsheets); proficiency in SQL, Tableau, Power Bi, AWS, and Azure.

Salary + Discretionary Bonus

**_ The Perks_**
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