Inventory Planning Specialist

Stratas Foods•Memphis, TN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This role serves as a key member of the Inventory Planning team, responsible for maintaining inventory availability across Stratas' distribution network through proactive inventory analysis, deployment planning, and cross-functional coordination. The Inventory Planning Specialist independently identifies inventory risks, develops recommendations, and partners with manufacturing, transportation, customer service, and sales to optimize inventory performance while minimizing customer service disruptions. This role combines analytical problem-solving with cross-functional collaboration and offers an excellent opportunity for a supply chain professional to develop expertise in inventory planning, distribution, and supply chain operations. Successful candidates are naturally curious, proactive, and motivated to identify opportunities for improvement rather than simply react to issues as they arise.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Analytics, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or related field preferred. Equivalent experience in logistics, supply chain, inventory management, or business operations may be considered.
1–3 years of experience in supply chain, inventory planning, logistics, operations analysis, project management, business analytics, or related fields.
Recent graduates with internships, co-op experience, or demonstrated analytical project work are encouraged to apply.
Proficient in Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
Experience with ERP systems such as Infor M3, SAP, or similar business systems preferred.
Experience running and maintaining reports preferred.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Maintains accuracy in transactions, reporting, and inventory records.
Uses data and sound judgment to identify root causes, evaluate alternatives, and implement effective solutions.
Responds promptly and professionally to internal and external requests.
Collaborates effectively across departments and with external partners.
Naturally asks questions, investigates trends, and uses data to support decisions and recommendations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with ERP systems such as Infor M3, SAP, or similar business systems.
Experience running and maintaining reports.

Responsibilities

Analyze inventory trends and identify potential shortages, excess inventory, or deployment risks before they impact operations.
Investigate inventory discrepancies and partner with warehouse, manufacturing, internal sales and supply chain teams to determine root causes and corrective actions.
Support inventory tracking and visibility across Stratas facilities and 3PL location.
Create, schedule, and process distribution orders (DOs) between Stratas facilities and third-party warehouses.
Own visibility of inventory transfers and proactively resolve delays, exceptions, or inventory balancing issues.
Communicate daily with manufacturing sites, warehouses, and 3PL partners regarding inventory availability and order status.
Coordinate inventory deployment activities to support customer demand, promotions, new product launches, and seasonal requirements.
Serve as a point of contact for inventory and distribution-related questions from internal teams.
Communicate inventory concerns, order delays, and distribution updates to appropriate stakeholders.
Work closely with Sales, Customer Service, Transportation, Manufacturing, and Operations teams to support business needs.
Participate in process improvement initiatives related to inventory management and distribution operations.
Support updates to standard operating procedures and work instructions.
Ensure timely and accurate data entry and transaction processing.
Assist with audits, reporting requests, and inventory-related projects as needed.