Senior Director, Inventory Business Planner

Responsibilities

• Leads and manages the automated monthly inventory cycle process, including print quantity, order timing and manufacturing location.
• Leverages Anaplan system platform and other available tools to streamline the title-by-title inventory decision making process.
• Oversees the hot title, reprint and price change process.
• Participates with the VP, Inventory in developing the strategic vision of the organization’s inventory planning process (people, process, systems), and leads the execution of that strategy.
• Oversees and drives cultural and organizational change to ensure that the entire company embraces the new end-to-end data-driven and proactive planning process.
• Drives cross-functional alignment among company's various functions including Publishing, Production, Transportation and Logistics, Sales, Marketing, and Finance to ensure all functions are jointly optimizing inventory turn and margin performance.
• Collaborates with Demand Planners, Sales, and Marketing to facilitate accurate demand forecasts, utilizing a combination of tools and market insights.
• Collaborates with Supply Planners, Production, and Transportation and Logistics to facilitate end-to-end supply chain planning, including inventory, production, Transportation and Logistics, order fulfilment, and returns management to make more cost effective, streamlined, and efficient supply chain decisions.
• Works closely with Finance to align financial budget and forecast with monthly demand and supply planning forecast.
• Owes and publishes the monthly executive performance package.
• Drives alignment behind key performance metrics, targets and decisions.
• Continuously evaluates and refines the monthly inventory process cycle to enhance its effectiveness.
• Conducts regular data integrity analysis, validating accuracy of inputs, outputs and reporting.
• Drives standardization for demand planning, supply planning, and executive reporting across different Business Units, including new acquisitions.
• Owns and mentors a high-performing inventory planning team, ensuring they have the necessary technical skills and knowledge, including using analytical models, scenario planning tools, and inventory planning software.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, Finance, or related field or equivalent educational and on the job training
• 10+ years of applied Supply Chain and/or Inventory Management experience
• Solid leadership skills and exhibit creative thinking to be able to propose inventive solutions to solve business challenges
• Capable of consulting with resources from other disciplines and effective at working across multiple organizational boundaries
• Ability to generate and facilitate positive change across the organization
• Proficiency using various software tools including Excel, Word, PowerPoint
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the preparation and delivery of Power Point presentations
• Able to work in a fast-paced, cooperative team environment
• Able to balance conflicting priorities and still provide a clear direction and focus
• Possesses strong leadership skills, which encourages teamwork and idea generation while remaining focused on results and process improvement
• Experience with Anaplan and JDE a plus
• Book publishing experience a plus