Inventory Planner

About the role

The Inventory/Merchandise Planner creates, maintains, and presents period and annual sales forecasts for assigned categories at both the item level and the broader department and vendor levels. This role develops analytical plans that keep Merchandising and Inventory Management aligned to achieve or exceed sales, inventory turn, margin, and service-level objectives. You will drive strategic alignment among multiple stakeholders and partner closely with external vendors such as HP, 3M, and Georgia Pacific, gaining meaningful exposure to high-impact business decisions.

Responsibilities

• Use planning tools to forecast department- and vendor-level on-hand inventory dollars and inventory turns, supporting achievement of budgeted goals.
• Create department- and vendor-level sales and margin plans by analyzing trends and incorporating promotions, seasonality, and other incremental activity.
• Use key-item planning tools to forecast demand and supply requirements for core items.
• Provide vendor partners with future purchase guidance based on forecasted demand.
• Manage inactive inventory and partner with merchants on product disposition, including returns and appropriate markdowns.
• Forecast advertising and seasonal promotions, recommending product offers that maximize sales and margin while minimizing residual inventory.
• Conduct ad hoc analysis and model scenarios involving assortment, price, cost, and demand to recommend profitable courses of action.
• Partner with supply chain colleagues to improve efficiency through inventory policy.
• Work with inventory analysts to reduce out-of-stocks and identify targeted opportunities to improve service levels.
• Help reduce key supplier lead times to warehouses and fulfillment centers while improving reliability.
• Develop creative ideas that optimize inventory, increase turns, and maintain high service levels.

Requirements

• A flexible, detail-oriented approach supported by strong planning and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated analytical thinking and problem-solving ability.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to build productive partnerships, collaborate across functions, and influence stakeholders.
• A business-focused mindset with the ability to translate data, trends, and scenarios into clear recommendations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong inventory management experience, with an emphasis on financial and item-level analysis and planning.
• Experience with SQL, MicroStrategy, or related data-mining tools.
• Experience with supply chain planning and inventory management systems such as E3, JDA, or Evant.
• Promised ability to create partnerships and influence others.

What You Bring To The Table

A flexible, detail-oriented approach supported by strong planning and organizational skills.
Demonstrated analytical thinking and problem-solving ability.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
The ability to build productive partnerships, collaborate across functions, and influence stakeholders.
A business-focused mindset with the ability to translate data, trends, and scenarios into clear recommendations.

Pay

$65,000 - $90,000

Schedule

Onsite, Framingham, MA