Sr. Manager, Inventory Management

Advance Auto Parts•Raleigh, NC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Manager of Inventory Management drives enterprise-level inventory strategy, balancing service, working capital, and growth objectives across multiple business segments. This role provides strategic leadership to inventory teams, influences cross-functional and vendor decision-making, and partners closely with senior leadership to shape long-term inventory capabilities and performance. The Senior Manager will be supported by the Inventory Management Director. The manager’s team will be comprised of Demand Planners, Inventory Analysts and Inventory Specialist. Key collaborative partners include - Merchants, Vendors, Visual Merchandising, Transportation, Field Operation Teams, and Distribution Centers to ensure full support of each individual business function.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business management, logistics, finance, supply chain management or other related field.
7+ years related experience in Inventory Management or related role within the retail industry.
3+ years of leadership experience.
Proficient in the use of MS Office Product Suite ie Excel, PowerPoint, & Power Bi
Extensive knowledge and familiarity in inventory management systems and Software (in Blue Yonder, Relex or Manhattan Associates, or SAP)
Excellent analytical abilities, problem-solving, and leadership skills.
Strong business acumen and inventory management knowledge as well as the curiosity to ask “why” behind the data and dig into the root cause opportunities.
Ability to present to leadership as well as prepare well-structured content for presentation.
Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to collaborate across departments.
Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

Help drive the business toward Depth In-stock, Inventory Turn, Sales Performance goals through effective replenishment strategies.
Effectively manage new planogram item purchases, seasonal buys, promotional events, as well as implement advanced replenishment strategies to optimize inventory levels.
Help guide analyst team on effective purchase order placement from vendors to our distribution centers to maintain proper inventory levels in our stores.
Own strong relationships with supplier community to ensure reliable inventory management & supply chain operations through collaboration while defining strategic goals with key suppliers.
Help guide the vision of the team through our vendor collaboration process to accurately forecast order volume in of support key business initiatives and projects.
Monitor supplier performance & address issues related to on-time delivery, quality of orders, and accurate fill rates.
Develop long range initiatives with our top suppliers through the SBP and JBP process.
Daily monitoring of key KPIs related to inventory management: Depth In-Stock, Turn Rate, Fill Rate, On-Time performance, Forecast Accuracy, & Purchase Order monitoring.
Prepare & present inventory specific findings to drive effective business decisions related to your supporting business functions & vendor partners.
Regularly review & assess the accuracy of the demand forecast and guide your planner on the best methods to improve accuracy metrics.
Coach your analyst team through proper root cause analysis, implementing corrective actions to your business to address performance opportunities, & drive overall inventory efficiencies as well as present findings back to leadership & cross functional teams.
Provide full department trends and lead knowledge sharing collaboration session to quickly root cause global opportunities.
Lead the inventory planning budget process with their team and highlighting areas of risk with solution focused options.
Represent their business teams in the monthly inventory budget process ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and transparency as well as lead the meeting for their Director if opportunity arises.
Provide clear & concise guidance to team members on the weekly inventory planning process to help the inventory management team hit their company AOP targets.
Partner with Merchant leadership to continuously improve vendor performance results in key areas: on time delivery, inventory optimization, and order fill accuracy.
Proactively share insights to your cross functional partners to help facilitate discussions around inventory strategies, challenges & opportunities.
Promote a culture of empowerment by providing your team with autonomy to make decision and ownership of their work.
Lead the talent development within the organization and communicate a clear vision for your team that aligns with the company’s overall strategy.
Inspire & motivate the team to achieve long-term goals & objectives through investment in their professional development & career growth opportunities.
Proactively take on stretch assignments and lead dept & companywide initiatives to drive forward strategic goals & support innovation across the organization.
Support the backfill of co-workers or team members by managing their responsibilities & ensuring a seamless handling of workload while maintaining productivity.