Sr. Inventory Planner

Overview

Senior Inventory Planner will be responsible for optimizing inventory levels at each node of the network and ensuring product is moving to the right location at the right time, with the right volume. The Inventory Sr. Planner will manage the most critical or complex business categories on each team and serves as a leader regarding all inventory activities for their assigned businesses.

A best-in-class Inventory Sr. Planner will help build a long-term strategy for the category in partnership with their manager and cross-functional partners across Merchandising, Marketing, Pricing, and Supply Chain. Must be willing to work at our Raleigh, NC HQ four days a week.

• Place purchase orders from vendors to AAP Distribution Centers to maintain adequate inventory to support AAP Company Owned stores and hundreds of Independently operated stores.
• Ensure that proper inventory levels are maintained by consistently reviewing KPIs such as weeks of supply and depth in-stock metrics.
• Track vendor POs from order point to DCs to ensure vendors are shipping on time and in full.
• Root cause supplier issues to maintain acceptable performance.
• Monitor product flow throughout the supply chain to create an excellent customer experience.
• Participate in Lifecycle Management review process; determine path forward for slow-moving product and obsolete inventory.
• Monitor inventory-turn performance and identify opportunities to optimize inventory levels.
• Perform root cause analysis and troubleshoot when stores or DCs are out of stock.

• Establish and maintain a strong, collaborative, vendor-facing relationship to ensure expectations are defined and achieved.
• Mentor and develop less experienced Inventory Planners with day-to-day responsibilities.
• Develop and foster a cohesive team environment with immediate team and cross-functional partners alike.

• Review KPIs and reporting against targets to provide visibility to partners and leadership; work with key partners to measure progress against targets.
• Tell data-driven stories using information from multiple sources to provide actionable insights.
• Work with large amounts of data and create reports for the Senior Management team.
• Conduct ad hoc analysis to understand business opportunities and develop plans to address.

• Effectively communicate with cross-functional teams, field team members, and leadership to present data and resolutions.
• Demonstrate excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal skills to influence an optimal outcome.
• Proactively communicate and resolve issues regarding product flow from vendor to DC to store and resolve potential service disruptions.

• Minimum of 2–5 years of experience in a planning and/or inventory management field; and
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, or other related field; or
• Equivalent combination of education and/or experience.

• Advanced Excel and analytical skills required, with strong aptitude in retail math and inventory management. Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in these areas to be considered for this position.
• Experience and familiarity in inventory management systems and software (e.g., Blue Yonder, Relex, Manhattan Associates, or SAP).
• Self-motivated, passionate, and enthusiastic individual ready to bring energy and excitement to lead their business.
• Outstanding organizational skills with a natural curiosity and interest in problem solving.
• Flexible team player who thrives in environments requiring prioritization and delegation of workload, juggling multiple concurrent projects and deliverables.
• Strong sense of urgency to change, adapt, and push processes forward.
• Curiosity to ask “why” behind the data and dig into root cause opportunities.

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