Vendor Managed Inventory and Inventory Optimization

HP • Houston, TX

3d

About The Position

The Principal, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) & Inventory Economics will lead HP's global strategy for VMI, inventory ownership, working capital optimization, and inventory monetization. This role is accountable for balancing supply continuity, inventory risk, working capital, and financial performance through data-driven inventory decisions and governance. The position serves as the central point of leadership across Inventory Planning, Procurement, Finance, Operations, suppliers, and broker partners to optimize inventory economics throughout the product lifecycle.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in Supply Chain, Inventory Planning, Procurement, Operations, Finance, or related disciplines.
• Strong expertise in inventory planning, VMI, supplier-owned inventory, inventory finance, and working capital optimization.
• Experience with excess inventory management, inventory recovery, supplier returns, or resale channels preferred.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional organizations and drive enterprise-scale transformation.
• Bachelor's degree required
• Strategic inventory and supply chain leadership
• Strong financial and commercial acumen
• Enterprise influence and stakeholder management
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills
• Process governance and operational excellence
• Risk management and decision-making
• Executive communication and storytelling

Nice To Haves

• MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define and govern HP's global VMI strategy, operating model, policies, and performance framework.
• Establish inventory entitlement and ownership strategies across suppliers, hubs, and factories.
• Optimize inventory levels based on demand variability, supply risk, service requirements, and lead times.
• Identify opportunities to shift inventory ownership to suppliers while maintaining operational performance.
• Drive inventory reduction, working capital improvements, and supply continuity.
• Own the framework for disposition of excess, aging, and obsolete inventory.
• Determine the optimal economic outcome across consumption, redeployment, supplier return, resale, brokering, or write-down scenarios.
• Develop financial models that maximize recovery value while minimizing E&O exposure.
• Partner with Procurement and Finance to execute inventory monetization strategies and broker engagements.
• Establish closed-loop learning to reduce future excess inventory creation.
• Partner with Finance to establish inventory valuation, economic decision-making, and benefit measurement methodologies.
• Evaluate inventory decisions based on working capital, cash flow, cost of capital, inventory risk, and profitability.
• Ensure financial benefits are measurable, realized, and appropriately governed.
• Provide executive visibility to inventory exposure, opportunities, and financial impacts.
• Lead strategic initiatives across Planning, Procurement, Finance, Operations, and external partners.
• Develop analytics, dashboards, and exception-based management processes to improve inventory performance.
• Leverage advanced analytics and AI to improve inventory entitlement, risk prediction, and monetization decisions.
• Drive the transition from reactive inventory management to proactive inventory economics optimization.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Long term/short term disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Life insurance
• Generous time off policies, including; 4-12 weeks fully paid parental leave based on tenure
• 11 paid holidays
• Additional flexible paid vacation and sick leave

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal