Inventory Planner

Sysco•Fargo, ND

About The Position

The Inventory Planner achieves inventory management goals for aligned suppliers, including exemplary customer service, accurate purchase orders, minimal spoilage and shrink, and inventory management aimed at the lowest possible Days Sales Outstanding (DSO). The role executes replenishment strategies that support supply chain efficiencies across shipping and receiving, warehousing, order filling, picking and packing, inventory control, and records management. It uses inventory systems, supplier and item settings, supply chain best practices, policies, and procedures to maintain optimal inventory and service levels. The position manages inventory performance, purchasing, replenishment issues, supplier coordination, and enterprise purchasing initiatives. It works with merchandising, logistics, inbound planning, suppliers, and other functional teams, while monitoring established KPIs and responding to market and seasonal conditions.

Requirements

High school diploma required.
At least 3 years of experience; an equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute for the stated Inventory Management/Purchasing experience requirement.
Experience working in a retail, wholesale, or distribution environment.
Proficient Excel skills.
Strong communication skills, including communicating product service-level gaps to stakeholders.
Ability to work cross-functionally across the enterprise.
Strong attention to detail and follow-up.
Proactive approach to highlighting and addressing issues.
Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment and adapt to changing company priorities.
Ability to understand and execute standard replenishment processes and best practices.
Excellent tactical replenishment execution skills.
Solid organizational and planning skills.
Ability to negotiate with suppliers to execute inventory depletion.
Knowledge of product forecasting.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree preferred.
Inventory Management/Purchasing experience with a distributor managing more than 10,000 SKUs preferred.

Responsibilities

Take strategic action to maintain inventory levels while maximizing customer service.
Manage inventory DSO, aged inventory, obsolete inventory, spoilage, and shrink to achieve company goals.
Collaborate with local, market, and corporate merchandising teams, suppliers, and other functional areas.
Use the Manhattan Demand Planning Replenishment (DPR) inventory planning tool to support team performance, scorecards, dashboards, and merchandising KPIs.
Work with the logistics team to maximize supply chain efficiencies.
Collaborate with Inbound Planning to develop programs that maximize receiving and warehousing efficiencies.
Manage SKU counts and resolve replenishment issues as required, sustaining performance while meeting established KPIs.
Purchase new items and complete proper system setup in a timely manner.
Process Salesforce 360 requests, including NISR and MSR requests, in a timely manner.
Follow and respond to market conditions within established corporate and market guidelines.
Understand seasonal trends for aligned suppliers and commodity purchasing dynamics.
Execute enterprise purchasing initiatives.
Confirm purchase orders for pricing and quantity, and investigate and resolve late or missing purchase orders.
Respond to and resolve Cora requests in a timely manner.