Category Planning Lead (Travel) - PK

About Mous

We are Mous. (Pronounced mouse, not moose.) People deserve tech and lifestyle products that are fit for purpose, perform as promised, and empower them to be their best. That’s why we’re building the go-to brand for products that genuinely deliver. 

For over 10 years, we’ve pushed product performance to its limits, designing from first principles, validating through real-world testing, and investing millions in R&D. In parallel, we’ve built world-class in-house marketing capabilities, creating highly engaging, performance-led content that proves what our products can do and resonates with a passionate, fast-growing community around the brand. 

From throwing phones off dams to launching category-defining products, our ambition is simple: raise the standard of the industry and build one of the most effective consumer brands in the world. 

‍ About the Role

As Category Planning Lead, you’ll run the monthly S&OP cycle for our Travel category end to end — from performance review, through demand and supply planning, to sign-off with the Senior Leadership Team. You’ll be accountable for the category’s inventory health: enough stock, arriving on time, to protect availability, without tipping into overstock or obsolescence.

Alongside the forecast, you’ll own the initial order quantity and launch plan for new products, the weekly allocation of stock to warehouses once mass production completes, inter-warehouse transfers, and the inbound and outbound forecast for our 3PL. You’ll own the category KPIs — Availability, Forecast Accuracy and E&O — and the dashboard behind them. It’s a genuinely cross-functional seat, working with Commercial, Marketing, Ecommerce, Product, Production, Procurement, Logistics, Data and Retail across the UK, Pakistan and China.

You’ll report to the S&OP Manager, line manage one Demand Planner, and sit alongside the Category Planning Lead for Device Accessories. This is a build role rather than a maintain role — backpacks launched in 2023 and luggage in 2025, and the S&OP process is still forming, so there is real scope to shape the method, the KPIs and the cadence.

As the S&OP function grows, this role opens into broader or multi-category planning leadership, with a route towards Demand Planning Manager.

Please note that this role will be situated at our office in Lahore (Upper Mall), working on-site from Monday-Thursday, with Friday being an optional WFH day. The normal working hours will be 10am - 7pm PKT.

About You 

You’re a good fit if you’ve spent five or more years in demand planning, category planning or S&OP, and you’ve owned a monthly cycle end to end rather than supported someone else’s. You’re fluent in Excel — large datasets, models, and turning the output into a clear recommendation — and hands-on enough in Power BI (or equivalent) to build and defend dashboard logic, not just read it. You understand what MOQs, lead times, capacity and freight mode actually do to a plan, and you can put a number on the trade-off between availability and overstock in a way a senior audience will act on.

You’re a confident, proactive communicator with an ownership mindset, you make the call and stand behind it. You think end to end rather than in silos, you’re organised and detail-oriented, and you’re comfortable coaching someone who knows the work but needs support to act independently. You’ll be working across three countries and several stakeholder groups, so cultural awareness and collaboration matter here.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the monthly S&OP cycle for Travel end to end, from performance review through demand and supply planning to executive sign-off.

• Maintain the demand forecast for the category, working with the Demand Planner to update it each cycle.

• Keep the forecast aligned with Commercial so strategy, pricing and campaign changes are reflected in the plan before they affect performance.

• Own inventory health — ordering enough stock, arriving on time, to eliminate stock-outs while avoiding overstock and obsolescence.

• Own the initial order quantity (IOQ) and launch forecast for new products, presenting volume, stock cover and cash exposure scenarios for decision, then monitoring performance post-launch.

• Own the category KPIs — Availability, Forecast Accuracy and E&O — and maintain the KPI dashboard with the Demand Planner.

• Own the weekly allocation of stock to warehouses once mass production completes, and all inter-warehouse transfers.

• Own the inbound and outbound forecast for the 3PL, and the forecast for consumable items (e.g. mailer bags).

• Coordinate across Commercial, Marketing, Data, Ecommerce, Product, Production, Procurement, Logistics, Retail and the Senior Leadership Team.

• Line manage, coach and develop one Demand Planner.

✔️How will success be measured?

• A monthly S&OP cycle that runs to a reliable cadence and consistently produces decisions, not just discussion.

• Availability protected across the category, with overstock and obsolescence trending down and stock cover held at a defensible target.

• Forecast accuracy improving against a sensible baseline for a young category, with misses understood through root cause review rather than explained away.

• Launch forecasts and IOQ recommendations that leadership can sign off quickly, because the scenarios and cash exposure are laid out clearly.

• A KPI dashboard that’s trusted — numbers checked before they reach leadership, and a clear answer when one moves unexpectedly.

• Commercial plans landing in the forecast before they hit performance, not after.

• A smooth shift from annual bulk ordering towards smaller, more frequent orders while working through the existing inventory position.

• A Demand Planner growing in confidence and making more of the calls independently.

Skills and experience requirements:

We’re looking for someone who is:

• A confident and proactive communicator, comfortable presenting to senior stakeholders.

• Ownership-minded — makes decisions and stands behind them.

• Able to prioritise and think end to end rather than in silos.

• Detail-oriented and highly organised.

• Culturally aware and collaborative across international teams.

• Professional with a good sense of humour (team fit is very important).

Requirements:

• 5–8 years’ experience in demand planning, category planning or S&OP, including proven ownership of a monthly cycle end to end.

• Advanced Excel capability — comfortable handling large datasets, building models, and turning data into clear insight.

• Hands-on Power BI (or equivalent) capability — able to build, specify and defend KPI dashboard logic, not just read the output.

• Able to quantify the trade-off between availability and overstock or obsolescence, and present it to senior stakeholders.

• Working understanding of production and supply constraints (MOQ, lead times, capacity, freight mode) and warehouse / 3PL stock flows.

• Confident translating commercial input and business goals into an accurate, data-driven demand plan.

• Experience managing, coaching or mentoring a junior planner.

• Bachelor’s degree is preferred (Business, Economics, Supply Chain or similar).

Nice to have:

• Experience in soft goods, luggage, apparel or another seasonal category.

• Exposure to launching or scaling a new product category.

• Previous experience in a tech, D2C, CPG or FMCG product environment.

• SQL or data modelling exposure.

• Supply chain or planning certifications (e.g. APICS/CPIM, CIPS), or Excel and data analysis credentials.

O ur Offer  

We operate a hybrid working model, spending four days a week in our Lahore office to maintain a collaborative, high-energy culture.

Why work at Mous?

• Travel Allowance: Monthly support for daily commuting and work-related travel.

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive cover for you and your dependents.

• Long-Term Rewards: One month of paid leave after 5 years’ service.

• Competitive Pay: A strong starting salary aligned with your experience and impact.

• Dynamic Culture: A collaborative, high-performance, data-driven environment where innovation thrives.

• Growth & Development: Opportunities to learn, stretch, and grow through new challenges.

• Professional Development: Training budget plus regular Mousterclasses to share expertise across teams.

• Charlie HR Perks: Access to exclusive perks and discounts via Charlie HR.

• Global Collaboration: Seamless remote collaboration with international teams, including weekly all-hands and virtual socials.

Our Values  

Get Results – We take accountability, prioritise impact, and push standards higher.  Work Together – We collaborate openly, challenge constructively, and learn from each other.  Enjoy the Ride – We stay agile, embrace change, and enjoy building something special together. 

Our Commitment  

Mous is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate individuality and are committed to building a diverse team with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds.