Sr. Inventory Planner

Grocery Outlet Career•Emeryville, CA

1d•$95,000 - $110,000

About The Position

The Senior Planner role is responsible for managing inventory across the entire supply chain to maximize sales and profit. This person is a lead on one of our departmental planning teams, which works in close collaboration with purchasing across all product categories. Primary day-to-day responsibilities include: managing open-to-buy, maintaining stock levels in the warehouse and stores, allocating product to warehouse and stores, managing promotional inventory, warehouse inventory balancing, forecasting and financial planning, and general category/item analysis. This role provides strong leadership and mentorship to Planners/Assistant Planners on the departmental team and will have an Assistant Planner as a direct report. This person will be a thought-leader and strong partner with Purchasing, Strategy, Logistics, Sales and Merchandising, and Marketing to help move the business forward. This person must be very strong analytically, have deep inventory management experience, and be a strategic thinker. This position reports to the Director of Planning.

Requirements

Minimum of 3+ years of relevant experience in areas including but not limited to the following: Merchandise Planning, Demand Forecasting, Inventory Allocation, Financial Planning, Data Analytics
Strong analytical skills with attention to detail – able to analyze and identify insights from large amounts of data
Creative and strategic thinker that is always pushing status quo in an effort to improve
Excellent logical thinking and problem-solving skills; can easily diagnose and solve an ambiguous situation or problem
Able to build constructive and effective relations ships with a broad, diverse group of business partners
Strong understanding of general business financial metrics as well as retail specific metrics and math (e.g., discounts, margin)
Strong communication skills, customer service, organization and attention to detail
Expert knowledge and use of Excel and BI platforms; proficient in other MS Office applications and AS400
Possesses the “roll-up-your sleeves” attitude and strong personal ownership of work needed to be successful in a flat, entrepreneurial organization
Able to write and present information effectively
Bachelor’s Degree

Responsibilities

Lead team in decision making for all day-to-day activities including: purchasing quantity decisions, distributions and allocations, inbound warehouse appointments, demand forecasting, replenishment, and reporting and analysis
Oversee department sales, profit, and inventory forecasting in collaboration with purchasing and logistics
Review regular projections/analysis with team for consistency, strategic alignment and thought process
Advise on optimal pricing decisions to support purchasing, distribution and selling strategies
Manage inventory at a more specific and tactical level for certain departments as needed
Execute the allocation of products to stores to maximize sales and profit
Manage and maintain department financial forecasts in conjunction with the open to buy
Conduct ad hoc analysis to understand business opportunities and develop plans to address
Analyze and identify opportunities to improve forecasting, purchasing and allocation methods
Constantly re-adjust key parameters that drive replenishment to improve inventory position and flow
Partner with planning, purchasing, and IT to develop and enhance tools and processes
Respond to store comments and questions and use feedback constructively to improve practices
Develop annual inventory plans from department to warehouse to store levels by closely working with business leaders/cross-functional partners in accordance to financial objectives
Develop and fosters a cohesive team environment with immediate team and cross-functional partners alike
Manage an Assistant Planner, providing guidance, objectives, and support as needed
Present analytics and reports to various stakeholders to identify and capture business opportunities
Be a strong partner to Store Operators, Sales & Merchandising, Suppliers and Distribution Centers; communicate clearly and effectively to inform various stakeholders of status and future changes
Visit stores and warehouses as necessary to maintain strong communication and stay on top of opportunities