Proprietary Supply Planner

Horizon Hobby•Champaign, IL

11d•$50,000 - $60,000•Onsite

About The Position

Horizon Hobby is hiring a full-time Proprietary Supply Planner for its on-site Champaign, Illinois location. The position monitors inventory lifecycles for a subset of nonproprietary products and Train-P, a category of the company’s proprietary Athearn brand. It manages day-to-day supplier relationships and works collaboratively with distribution centers, logistics, sales, and marketing to support brand success. The planner manages inventory availability, purchasing, order fulfillment, supplier performance, and related invoice and payment processes. The role uses reporting and analytics to identify corrective actions and process improvements, monitors product lifecycles, supports customer backorders, and provides feedback to brand managers on pricing and portfolio optimization. The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with occasional overtime possible during reporting periods or audits. Typical annual pay is $50,000–$60,000, with the final offer based on experience and qualifications; the position may also be eligible for a bonus.

Requirements

Two to five years of relevant experience in inventory and supply planning, project management, purchasing, or supply performance management.
Logical thinking, good organizational skills, and good communication skills.
Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills.
Ability to work across business operations teams and influence people at all organizational levels, including external suppliers.
Ability to work with different cultures.
Daily schedule flexibility to manage meetings across different time zones.
Ability to use data files and Oracle Fusion Cloud-based software to manage the planning process.
Ability to occasionally lift office supplies and materials weighing up to 20 pounds.
Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while working on a computer.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Supply Chain Management, Project Management, or Finance; relevant job experience may be accepted in place of a degree.
Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) accreditation or another relevant certification.
Experience using Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP.

Responsibilities

Define, monitor, and manage expectations for service quality, product availability, and supplier performance using established targets and metrics.
Use reporting and analytics to identify corrective actions and opportunities for continuous process improvement.
Review category, item, and brand fill rates and in-stock rates weekly.
Identify causes of stockouts, estimate return-to-stock timing, and investigate recurring shortages.
Review excess inventory monthly, identify affected items, and suggest disposition.
Create, track, and manage purchase orders from identifying the need through final payment.
Use available planning tools to identify purchasing needs and create requisitions or purchase orders according to established parameters, including minimum order quantities, lead times, and ordering restrictions.
Place orders with vendors and follow up based on expected shipment dates.
Monitor purchase-order status weekly, including following up on past-due orders and updating promised ship dates or canceling old orders.
Support goods receiving and three-way matching.
Investigate shortages and resolve discrepancies, such as through credit memos, manual adjustments, or late deliveries.
Resolve overages by increasing purchase-order quantities, rejecting excess units, or adjusting advance shipment notices or shipments.
Coordinate disposition of defective or damaged products, including vendor returns or scratch-and-dent sales.
Approve invoices in Oracle, resolve holds, and monitor payment due dates.
Review customer backorders weekly and follow up on open orders to support fulfillment.
Create purchase orders for items without supply and identify items that will not be available.
Prepare and distribute monthly supplier scorecards and facilitate vendor review meetings to develop action plans for improving weighted and non-weighted metrics.
Maintain professional and efficient communication with vendors and facilitate discussions about new items, price increases, market insights, product lifecycles, and inventory management.
Manage supplier relationship expectations, performance tracking, reporting, and monitoring.
Monitor product lifecycles and provide brand managers with feedback on item pricing, competitive conditions, portfolio optimization, industry research, and emerging brand awareness.
Collaborate on ongoing and new process-improvement projects and provide insights to make processes more efficient.
Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of the position.