Inventory Planner

About the Role

Role Purpose

This position manages the daily operations of the Supply Planning function and combines purchase order and procurement management with delivery management to ensure a positive customer experience. The Inventory Planner has the direct responsibility for planning, executing, and monitoring Supply Chain’s procurement strategies while maximizing process efficiencies and functional productivity. There are three core elements of the Inventory Planner role:

• Ensure stock availability by using proper planning policies and investment strategies.
• Identify investment opportunities through cost analysis to maximize revenue and gross margin.
• Sustain market leading service levels that leverage automated solutions for scalability of real-time purchase order delivery information from Supplier Partners.

Responsibilities

• Manages inventory planning and purchase order delivery activities for a defined group of supplier partners.
• Manages the review, approval, and release of purchase orders.
• Proactively conducts cost break analytics to support and maximize sales revenue and margin, while maintaining a desired turns objective.
• Works with Sales, Suppliers, Product Managers and Demand Planners to execute buying decisions.
• Pairs with Demand Planning to maintain purchase order schedule by Vendor.
• Reviews scheduled customer orders to maximize purchasing opportunities and to ensure sufficient inventories are in place to support the scheduled requirements.
• Works together with other business functions including, but not limited to, Sales and Operations, Product Management, Process and Finance to review and resolve purchase order opportunities related to special costs, ship & debits, and customer’s schedules.
• Maintains open PO’s to confirm material is being processed to meet delivery commitments.
• Collaborates with Sales and Suppliers to execute sales order expedites.
• Creates, administers, and expedites both customer drop ship and generic orders.
• Collaboration with Process Team:
• Provides analysis/support related to inventory excess and obsolescence.
• Assists with inbound discrepancy issues as needed.
• Investigates and identifies inventory related challenges both alone and at the direction of Supply Chain Management.
• Participates in company training programs when applicable.
• Performs other duties related to delivery management or non-inventory related tasks as assigned by Supply Chain Management.

Key Opportunities for Growth

• Opportunities for professional growth within the Supply Chain function that include Supply Planner, Sr. Supply Planner, Demand Planner, and potentially the Supply Chain Manager roles.
• The role partners with members of Product Management. In some cases, the Inventory Planner could make a promotional move to Supplier Manager to expand their knowledge for managing supplier relationships.
• The role will be exposed to a variety of cross-functional areas of the business that will help develop business acumen and professional growth which could lead to other/future opportunities within the company.
• The role may participate in the delivery of projects within the supply chain function with the opportunity to participate in other cross-functional projects throughout the company.

Key Relationships

• Internal:
• Supply Chain leadership. Also works together with other business functions including, but not limited to, Sales and Operations, Product Management, and Finance
• Engages with other business functions, including but not limited to Sales, Operations, Product Management, Technology and Finance
• External:
• Supplier Partners for daily execution of supply & purchase order execution and inventory performance updates.

Candidate Requirements

• Qualifications and Skills:
• Essential:
• 1-3 years in an inventory management or supply chain related role.
• General understanding of end-to-end Supply Chain Planning processes.
• Can correlate forecasting and demand planning activities to Supply Chain cost and service.
• Set’s objectives and goals through effective planning and accurately scopes out length and difficulty of tasks/projects.
• Managing through systems by implementing best practices.
• Can effectively communicate (verbal, written and listening).
• Must have strong teamwork & organizational skills.
• Able to perform basic analytical functions.
• Exhibits strong customer service and is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers.
• Knows how to set priorities and can quickly zero in on what is critical.
• Desirable:
• Bachelor’s degree in Business or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 1-3 years of experience in a supply chain related position
• Understands market dynamics, industries, products, & competitors.

Equal Employment Opportunity

RS Americas is an equal opportunity employer and maintains policies and practices that are designed to prevent and prohibit unlawful discrimination against any qualified employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, military/veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other unlawful classification to the extent protected by law. This policy of non-discrimination applies to all employment practices, including hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, training and termination. Employees who engage in unlawful discrimination will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.