UNIQLO Product Planning (Budget Planning and Performance Management) Manager

Job description

• Recruitment Background Guided by our corporate philosophy of “Changing clothes, changing common sense, changing the world,” UNIQLO aims to improve the lives of customers around the globe through LifeWear.The Product Planning Department serves as the engine that brings this philosophy and vision to life. Working in collaboration with Merchandising (MD) teams that develop products—such as HEATTECH and AIRism—which dramatically transform people’s lives, we formulate and execute optimal global business plans to deliver value to our customers and society. We are seeking individuals who can lead the product planning domain by combining a passion for providing better clothing and services to customers worldwide with a business-oriented growth strategy.
• Department Overview ・The Product Planning Department, to which you will be assigned, has adopted the mission of “simultaneously and soundly enhancing customer and frontline satisfaction, as well as the company’s profitability.” ・The organization is divided into Japan and Overseas Operations. For their respective product portfolios, each team member analyzes past performance and future outlook from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives—from formulating product budgets to selling out inventory—and devises and executes strategies accordingly.
• Job Description You will be responsible for a specific category within UNIQLO’s entire product lineup (Women’s, Men’s, Kids, Accessories, Underwear, etc.).

You will lead the end-to-end creation and execution of comprehensive business plans—from setting sales budgets and developing sales plans (seasonal and monthly) to production planning and demand forecasting (weekly).

Specific responsibilities include the following

• Analyze the market environment and formulate strategies and tactics to achieve targets. Establish product management KPIs (number of SKUs, pricing) to manage the execution of these strategies and tactics.

Formulate product budgets

• Create portfolios by month, season, and department, covering sales, gross profit, cost ratio, and discount rates.

Review product plans

• Examine product plans proposed by MDs (Merchandisers) using a quantitative and logical approach based on actual performance to improve the quality of the plans.

Demand Forecasting and Sales Planning

• Based on the product plan from step 3, formulate and verify demand forecasts by product and propose revisions to the MDs. Based on the verified demand forecasts, collaborate with relevant departments (Corporate Planning, MD, Marketing, IMD, Inventory Control, and Sales) to develop countermeasures for identified issues and formulate sales plans.
• Share sales strategies with stores based on the sales plan; then, based on actual results, manage progress and revise plans to achieve business targets (sales, gross profit, gross profit margin, and end-of-period inventory).
• Implement the PDCA cycle described in steps 1–5 above to accumulate knowledge. ・The Job Description is subject to change within the scope of duties related to each headquarters department due to departmental transfers or organizational changes.
• Career Path ・Upon joining the company, you will be responsible for product planning for UNIQLO’s Japan operations—the company’s largest business globally—and will be expected to quickly grasp the fundamentals of UNIQLO’s business. Additionally, to gain experience in store management, which forms the foundation of this business, you will be assigned to a store management role for approximately six months to one year at an appropriate time after joining. (Details will be provided during the interview.) ・You will be involved in the full range of operations across the entire value chain of UNIQLO’s apparel business, from upstream to downstream. Since you will not only gain an understanding of merchandise management but also be involved in its actual execution, your career opportunities at UNIQLO—both domestically and internationally—extend beyond deepening your expertise in product planning to include roles in Merchandising (MD), Marketing, Integrated Merchandising and Development (IMD), International Operations, and even CXO positions in our overseas operations.
• Required Experience, Skills, and Abilities ・Individuals with a strong interest in the apparel business (deciding which products to produce, in what quantities, and how to sell and clear inventory to delight customers) and the motivation to take the initiative and drive projects forward ・Experience analyzing situations based on facts and quantitative data, identifying challenges, logically evaluating solutions, and executing them ・Experience collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, leveraging communication skills and leadership to drive projects forward and deliver results
• Industry experience is not required.
• Preferred Experience, Skills, and Abilities ・Business English (emails, document creation and reading, internal and external meetings, dealings with external parties, etc.)

Company Name

• UNIQLO Co., Ltd.

Employment Type

• Full-time Employee

Annual Salary ・Annual Salary Range

• 5.47–8.00 million yen (Monthly Salary: 360,000–500,000 yen) ・Allowances: Commuting allowance, overtime pay, etc. (*All subject to company regulations) ・Bonuses: Semi-annual bonuses twice a year, year-end bonus (eligibility and amount determined based on company performance and performance evaluations) ・Promotions twice a year (determined based on performance evaluations)
• Salary will be determined based on company regulations, taking into account your previous annual income and experience, and is not limited to the figures listed above.
• Working Hours Flexible work hours or managerial/supervisory position ・Flexible work hours Standard daily working hours: 8 hours; Break: 1 hour Core hours: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Flexible hours…6:00 AM–9:00 AM and 2:00 PM–8:00 PM; Overtime may be required ・Supervisors Based on the working hours of the employee’s department; left to the employee’s discretion
• Days Off and Leave Two days off per week (Saturdays and Sundays; national holidays are workdays) Annual paid leave, special leave and bereavement leave, childcare and family care leave systems, etc.
• In addition to paid leave, special leave is granted in the first and second halves of the fiscal year (the number of days granted varies depending on employment status and the company to which the employee belongs)
• Insurance Coverage Social Insurance (Health Insurance, Employees’ Pension Insurance, Employment Insurance, Workers’ Compensation Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance)
• Employee Benefits Employee stock ownership plan, mutual aid association, partner welfare programs, employee discount program, cafeteria, dedicated shuttle bus (for commuting to the Ariake Office), defined contribution pension plan (full-time employees only)
• Other ・We actively recruit mid-career professionals across various Group companies (Fast Retailing, UNIQLO, GU, etc.).

We would appreciate it if you could review the information below and consider applying. - You may apply to multiple companies within the Fast Retailing Group simultaneously. However, please note that even if the selection process proceeds at multiple companies, you can only advance to the final selection stage for one position at a time. - Based on your submitted resume and interview evaluations, we may contact you to discuss opportunities at other companies or for other positions within the Fast Retailing Group. ・Secondhand Smoke Policy: Smoking is prohibited on the premises and indoors; we do not have designated smoking rooms. (Smoking is prohibited during working hours, including break times.)