Inventory Planner - Accessories

Subaru Of America Inc•Camden, NJ

31d•$70,000 - $93,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Responsible for the forecasting of accessory requirements, creating purchase and transfer orders, monitoring supplier compliance to purchase order due dates, and expediting parts that are in short supply. Forecasting is a primary requirement for the Inventory Planner, and these forecasts will be shared with accessory suppliers including Subaru Corporation (SBR) and Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) for their raw materials and production planning. Will have service level (percentage of orders and lines filled) and months supply objectives to monitor performance.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in accounting, finance, or management information systems required And
Proficiency with inventory forecasting software (Kinaxis Maestro) and Oracle software.
Advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook) as well as Qlik.
Excellent customer relations skills; assertiveness and thorough follow-up with suppliers and internal departments.
Strong multitasking skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

APICS Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM) Certification upon hire preferred or APICS Certified in Supply Chain Certification (CSCP) Certification upon hire preferred

Responsibilities

Conducts daily review of stock keeping units (SKUs) assigned in Kinaxis Maestro Planning System to address backorders, projected stock outs, purchase orders, inventory allocations, and port demand. Uses Kinaxis and Oracle software to review assigned SKUs for actions required including expediting backorder and projected stock out conditions, placement of purchase orders, and allocation of inventory in order to assure acceptable service levels for both port and Regional Distribution Center (RDC) operations.
Transfers and directly ships inventory to and from Subaru of America (SOA) port facilities (including operations support). Initiates the transfer of inventory from facing RDCs based on either requests from the ports, recommendations of the Port Accessory Requirements Report, or Kinaxis Maestro System. Loads orders either directly into Oracle or through Kinaxis based on location or number of lines requested. Provides assistance to resolve any and all port issues as related to accessories.
Provides support for SOA Independent Distributors and Export operations. Places purchase orders (POs) and expedites shipments of accessories to independent ports. Communicates with Independent Distributors regarding availability and application issues. Works with SOA's Export group to ensure timely availability of accessories ordered by Subaru Corporation (SBR) and other international distributors.
Expedites parts as required to resolve critical inventory shortages and customer issues due to supplier non-compliance and unplanned situations. Provides assistance as needed to port staff, Parts Information Coordinators, RDCs, and Customer Advocacy staff on parts availability issues. Continually reviews inventory (low level) exception reports, back-order reports, etc.
Resolves receipt discrepancies, defective inventory, and part returns to vendors. Reconciles warehouse receipt discrepancies with suppliers. Coordinates necessary activities at ports and RDCs in the event non-conforming inventory is found to have been supplied by a vendor. Facilitates any return activity that is required including issue adjustments and Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) references.
Chooses the correct forecasting method and understands bill of materials (BOM) planning. Develops seasonal demand forecasts and end-of-model sell down strategies as well as launches initial order quantities (IOQs) for both SOA vehicle processing centers and Independent Distributors.