Demand & Inventory Planner

Randa Apparel & Accessories•Rosemont, IL

1d•$64,000 - $78,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Demand & Inventory Planner develops and maintains customer- and SKU-level demand forecasts and translates them into inventory and purchasing plans. The role balances customer service, product availability, working capital, and inventory productivity across assigned customers and product categories. The planner works with Sales, Merchandising, Sourcing, Distribution, and other Supply Chain functions to understand customer activity, retail trends, promotions, seasonality, product launches, and demand changes. The position uses analysis and commercial awareness to improve forecast accuracy, in-stock performance, inventory turns, and customer fill rates while minimizing excess and obsolete inventory. The position is based in Rosemont, Illinois, with a hybrid work schedule.

Requirements

Experience with data transformation and data mapping.
Clear and strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
Excellent time management and problem-solving skills.
Strong operational and development knowledge.

Nice To Haves

EDI applications support experience.
Experience supporting Customer Service.
Experience with Apparel Business Solutions (ABS).
Experience with Gentran, B2Bi, or Sterling Integrator Mapping Solutions.
Experience with Pragma Edge PCM.
Experience in ERP and customer service in a pick-and-pack shipping environment.
Fundamental understanding of EDI transaction development and implementation methodology.
Strong computer, analytical, and communication skills.
Experience with Service Now (SNOW).
Experience with Azure Development Operations (ADO).
Knowledge and experience with Microsoft SQL Server.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain customer-, SKU/style-, category-, and brand-level demand forecasts using historical shipments, customer orders, retail trends, seasonality, promotional activity, and business intelligence.
Review forecast performance and identify variances between forecasts, customer orders, shipments, and consumer demand.
Partner with Sales to understand customer trends, upcoming programs, promotions, new business opportunities, risks, and shipping projection changes.
Adjust forecasts as business conditions change and maintain appropriate documentation and forecast discipline.
Monitor forecast accuracy and bias using metrics such as MAPE and WAPE, and identify opportunities to improve forecast performance.
Lead or participate in regular customer forecast and sales projection meetings.
Develop inventory plans balancing customer demand, product availability, service levels, and inventory investment.
Monitor inventory, weeks of supply, safety stock, and future demand to identify shortages, excess inventory, and replenishment needs.
Manage purchasing and replenishment for assigned categories, determining buy quantities from forecasted demand, inventory levels, safety stock, and lead times.
Optimize inventory through rebalancing, SKU rationalization, and management of aged or slow-moving inventory.
Use Power BI, Excel, demand planning systems, ERP/MRP systems, and other analytical tools to monitor demand and inventory performance.
Develop reports and analyses identifying trends, exceptions, risks, and opportunities requiring action.
Perform ad hoc analysis and support continuous improvement initiatives for forecasting, inventory productivity, and planning processes.
Conduct regular forecast and inventory reviews with Sales to align demand forecasts with customer shipping projections and business goals.
Communicate inventory risks and opportunities, including potential shortages, excess inventory, forecast gaps, and purchase recommendations.
Evaluate customer-specific demand changes to determine whether they reflect sustainable consumer demand, inventory builds, promotional activity, or timing shifts.
Support customer-specific planning requirements while maintaining overall corporate inventory objectives.