Interim Head of Forecasting, Allocation & Replenishment (F,A&R)
Contract: 18+ months (full-time or part-time considered)
IR35: Outside IR35
Start: Q3/Q4 2026
Location: London, UK (Hybrid)
Occasional travel in South of England as well as to Dublin, Ireland is expected.
About the Opportunity
Our client, a major international retailer, is transforming its Forecasting, Allocation & Replenishment (F,A&R) capability through the implementation of a next-generation, AI-enabled planning solution.
We're looking for an experienced Interim Head of F,A&R to provide functional leadership throughout this transformation.
This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys getting into the detail. You'll work day-to-day with business teams, super users and technology partners to shape how the new capability operates—reviewing outputs, challenging assumptions, making functional decisions and ensuring the solution reflects the realities of running a large retail operation.
Alongside shaping the future operating model, you'll play a key role in building the organisation's long-term F,A&R capability by coaching super users and helping them become the future owners of the function.
There is potential for this role to become permanent following the successful completion of the programme.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as the senior functional lead for Forecasting, Allocation & Replenishment throughout the transformation.
- Shape the future operating model, including business processes, governance, roles and ways of working.
- Work closely with business teams and technology partners to define how forecasting, allocation and replenishment should operate.
- Review forecasts, replenishment recommendations and allocation outputs, challenging where required and ensuring they are commercially and operationally sound.
- Define business policies for exception management, overrides and day-to-day decision making.
- Bring practical retail expertise to solution design, ensuring it reflects the realities of stores, distribution centres and supply chain operations.
- Work alongside programme teams during design, build, testing and pilot activities, helping resolve functional questions and business decisions as they arise.
- Coach and mentor business super users, supplementing vendor training with practical retail knowledge and helping build lasting capability within the business.
- Support business readiness and adoption, ensuring the new function is equipped to operate confidently from day one.
About You
You'll be an experienced retail leader with deep expertise in Forecasting, Allocation & Replenishment gained within a complex, multi-site retail environment.
You'll combine strategic thinking with hands-on operational experience and be comfortable making commercial decisions while leading teams through change.
You'll bring:
- Significant leadership experience in Forecasting, Allocation & Replenishment, Replenishment, Inventory Planning or Stock Optimisation, ideally in a fashion retail context.
- Experience designing or evolving retail operating models and embedding new ways of working.
- Deep understanding of store forecasting, allocation and replenishment processes and the operational constraints that influence them.
- Experience implementing or improving forecasting and replenishment capabilities, working closely with business and technology teams.
- Strong coaching and mentoring skills, with experience developing planners, analysts or super users.
- The ability to balance strategic thinking with detailed functional problem-solving and decision making.
If this sounds like the role for you, click to apply today!
