This is an opportunity for an experienced merchandise planning skilled to step into a senior role with genuine global scope at Rip Curl.

As Senior Planner, you'll lead the global planning strategy for a significant product division, bringing together customer demand, commercial objectives and market opportunities to shape financial, inventory and assortment plans that support sustainable growth. You'll partner across Buying, Product Management, Retail, Digital and regional teams, using commercial insight to influence decisions across global markets The role

Reporting to the Head of Planning and based at Rip Curl's Torquay office, you'll take a strategic view of merchandise planning while staying close to global trade performance.

You'll be responsible for

- Leading global merchandise planning strategies across your product division, aligning customer demand with brand and commercial priorities.
- Owning sales, margin, inventory and markdown planning across allocated product divisions and channels.
- Leading forecasting and reforecasting, identifying risks and opportunities and recommending actions to improve commercial performance.
- Developing inventory investment and seasonal buy strategies that optimise stock productivity and profitability.
- Analysing global trade, customer trends, product performance and regional market dynamics to identify growth opportunities.
- Partnering closely with Buying, Product Management, Retail, Digital, Supply Chain, Finance, Allocation and regional Planning teams.
- Leading post-season and hindsight analysis to strengthen future planning and investment decisions.
- Providing coaching,



mentoring and technical support to Planners and junior team members while helping lift planning capability and consistency across the team.

About you

You'll bring significant merchandise planning experience gained within a global retail or consumer products environment, together with strong financial and commercial acumen.

Ideally, you'll have:

- Advanced merchandise planning and forecasting expertise.
- Strong knowledge of retail financial metrics, inventory productivity and commercial drivers.
- Experience developing financial and inventory strategies across categories, channels or regions.
- Advanced inventory management and Open-to-Buy capability.
- A demonstrated ability to turn complex data and market trends into clear commercial recommendations.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience partnering across Buying, Product Management and Supply Chain.
- Advanced Excel capability and experience with planning systems.
- Experience coaching or mentoring others within a planning environment.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills.

Experience within fashion, lifestyle or vertically integrated retail will be highly regarded.

The impact you'll have





Success in this role will be reflected in the quality of global sales and margin outcomes, forecast accuracy, inventory productivity and health, Open-to-Buy effectiveness, category profitability and the quality of commercial insight provided to the business. The role also contributes to strengthening planning capability across the team.

If you're an experienced planner ready to bring strategic thinking, commercial curiosity and global perspective to an iconic surf brand, we'd love to hear from you.

Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at KMD Brands

At KMD Brands, we believe that diversity makes us stronger. We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to be themselves.

We celebrate the unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of our people — across age, gender, identity, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and physical and mental ability. We know that when our team reflects the communities we serve, we create better outcomes for everyone.

We proudly acknowledge and pay respect to Tangata Whenua, the Indigenous Nations, First Peoples, and Custodians of the lands and waterways on which our brand head offices reside in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia and the United States. Their enduring connection to land, waters, and culture continues to inspire and guide us.

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Join us in shaping a workplace where everyone belongs.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

📌 Senior Merchandise Planner (Torquay)
🏢 Rip Curl
📍 Torquay