Inventory planner job description

Lead the development and implementation of Allocation and Replenishment strategies for clearance merchandise, promotional buys and other discount merchandise in collaboration with the Manager of Planning and Forecasting and Merchandise Planners. These strategies will determine how to most effectively utilize our aged and discounted inventory to support the merchandise plan, advertising, regional, and competitive initiatives. This role will be responsible for ensure optimal inventory and assortment mix across the company's value-based retail channels, including building and maintaining by store capacity plans for new and existing stores of clearance platforms

* Create merchandise allocation and replenishment buy strategies in partnership with Merchandise Planners, Regional Merchandise Directors and Manager of Planning and Forecasting. Leverage enhanced reporting to most effectively increase inventory productivity in all clearance selling platforms of business through analysis and collaboration with business partners. Allocate and administer replenishment transfer orders for product across all categories of business. Maintain proper inventory levels by store location to support sales, margin and turn goals.

* Lead meetings with Regional Merchandise Directors and Merchandise Planners on item flow (i.e. store/department plans, backstock management, replenishment forecasts, OTB, and advertising schedule) and determine actions to correctively solve any issues. Partner with appropriate team members to execute the recommendations. Actively participate in clearance business review meetings, providing insight into what is working, what is not working, regional and seasonal opportunities for business, etc.

* Collaborate with Director, Clearance Optimization to develop a high level inventory strategy. Utilize knowledge of inventory productivity to adapt the clearance servicing network with changes in business environment to provide optimal results for the company.

* Create ad-hoc analysis to react to current and future business trends and present findings to Director of Clearance Optimization, Manager of Planning and Forecasting and Merchandise Planners. Collaborate with the stores and distribution centers on inventory strategies to support the business. Create financial inventory target and merchandise assortment plans for new store specific to value-based platforms.Monitor new store performance after opening, communicate with new store team and field support team to ensure optimal inventory levels are maintained.

* Ensure new stores open with the correct assortment and appropriate inventory levels as determined by the new store plan. Manage and oversee category and vendor eligibility for all value-based selling platforms through business collaboration and MDM attribution. Research and respond to store merchandise needs and wants.

* Participate in Regional and Store specific conference calls to identify store needs and opportunities. Develop action plan to resolve these needs and capitalize on opportunities. Build relationships with vendors in order to lead conversations regarding replenishment needs, current performance, opportunities for efficiencies, etc.
Qualifications

* Bachelor's Degree
* 5 - 7 Years with 3+ years of business experience (Retail buying, planning or allocations preferred).
* Advanced level Excel skills (Vlookups, pivot tables, advanced formula calculations)
* JDA Allocations and/or E3 experience a plus
* TEAM (store) communication skills a plus

At AISIN North Carolina, the phrase "Quality People, Quality Products" isn't just a slogan. Our commitment to quality extends not only to our products, but also to our team members, the community and the environment.

AISIN North Carolina is a $1.1billion Tier 1 automotive manufacturer of automatic transmissions and components for Toyota Motor Company. AISIN North Carolina's manufacturing facility (1 million sq. ft.) is located in Durham, NC, and home to more than 2000 Team Members dedicated to quality supremacy. We are proud of what we do because we are proud of our products, our team members, our customers, and our community.
Principle responsibilities:

The Press Inventory Procurement Planner is responsible for sourcing, procuring, and ordering parts that will be utilized in the press manufacturing building. He/she is responsible for interacting with vendors and internal team members to ensure that the Press department has the components needed to run production. The Inventory PP will monitor and control all planning and inventory flow functions in the ERP system as well as all physical aspects of inventory management in the press building.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

* Enter, process, and review daily transactions in ERP system for all indirect material inventory in the Press Manufacturing building including parts used, transferred, and generated planned reorders.
* Reviews usage of inventory items daily to confirm planned parameters are sufficient and submit adjustment requests when needed to maintain adequate stock and reduce obsolescence.
* Identify abnormal part usages and communicate with Manufacturing Management and Engineering to determine root cause and corrective action
* Manage all aspects involving physical inventory including maintaining organizing, labeling, location updates and discrepancy corrections from all areas of operations involving inventory control. Work with Purchasing, Tool Crib and other Staff members to resolve non-conformance issues related to purchase orders.
* Track all Dept. orders (inventoried & non-inventoried) deliveries to ensure that parts are received on time, following up with Purchasing and vendors to resolve any delivery issues. Request management approval to expedite emergency parts or late deliveries when necessary, staying in communication with leadership and requestors regarding the expedited parts status.
* Pick up part deliveries daily from receiving area and delivery to parts to inspection area. Put parts away in correct inventory locations once parts have been inspected.
* Prepare and instruct team members on full physical inventory counts performed semi-annually in accordance with Finance schedules
* Manage PPE vending machines by communicating with the vendors on low items, adding and removing team members as needed from the vending system, review and allocate invoices to correct charge codes before submitting to finance.
* Communicate with Engineering on any quality or revision control concerns to ensure correct parts are used under FIFO principals
* Process mass approval requests from Engineering and register all needed parts in the ERP system for warehouse stock.
* Review inventory items for disposition based on project life and/or need, creating reports and sharing data with other staff to determine stocking parameters when necessary.
* Enter and track all non-inventoried spend in an excel budget tracking workbook and monitor to ensure spend is within limits and allocated correctly.

Minimum qualifications:

* High school diploma
* Minimum of 5 years of experience in an administrative role.
* At least 1 year experience working with an ERP system:
* 2years of experience in an inventory management or planning role within a manufacturing environment.
* Strong data analysis skills and ability to solve problems, identify patterns, and report relevant data to management.
* Knowledge of inventory management systems, and processes.
* Highly skilled at using MS Excel and other MS office applications
* Self-motivated, self-directed with excellent time management skills.
* Strong attention to detail imperative to performing this role.
* Must be highly organized, able to multi-task and work under pressure.
* Must be able to prioritize work based on department conditions.

You are an experienced and high potential Allocator with a very entrepreneurial mindset and nimbleness. You are highly analytical, operational and systems-oriented while product + customer-obsessed.

You will play an integral role in building the organization's capabilities and maximizing growth, profitability and inventory through strategic optimization across all channels. You will build great collaborative partnerships with other functions (i.e., Merchandising, Planning, Retail, eCommerce, Marketing, Production, Operations and Warehouse), driving all to deliver and exceed financial targets.
As a Distribution Planner, you:
· Manage and optimize stock levels at stores and warehouse so the right product is in the right time and place through the life of the product
· Develop sound financial and assortment strategies in a high growth phase of brand, partnering with merchandising and planning teams in evaluating assortment levels and depths per market, tier and location
· Forecast, track, and communicate inventory levels throughout product pipeline and in each location (including warehouse) to ensure execution of strategies
· Provide insight of trends and opportunities, inform and recommend short and long-term financial strategies and action plans
· Lead in maximizing sales and inventory via optimized size scale in order management and fulfillment across channels, markets and categories
· Partner with planning in core basics demand forecasting, replenishment and management across channels (Stores and DTC) while creating strategic cross-functional alignment
· Maintain inventory turns and stock to sales ratio by location and allocation strategy, determining the optimal replenishment cadence by location and partnering closely with the Retail team
· Analyze market nuances to maximize sales and inventory via assortment and size opportunities
· Lead inventory management to maximize performance and mitigate risks across channels including excess and aged inventory, stock outs and chase
· Ability to evaluate financial indicators and translate data into actionable information to drive results
· Evaluate inventory strategy and adjust to react to changes in in-season businesses
· Collaborate with Merchant and Production teams to manage receipts and costs
· Build best practices in processes, systems, tools and reports throughout the product pipeline
· Collaborate in developing insightful reports and allocation tools / systems
· Identify, communicate and resolve inventory matters proactively, DC capacity constraints, or other business issues in a timely manner

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
· 3-5 year of experience in retail allocation/distribution and inventory management
· Self-starter with ability to prioritize and pivot with ease and flexibility
· Strong cognitive skills, including problem analysis, decision making, financial and quantitative analysis
· Strong interpersonal skills -- excellent at communication, building and influencing cross-functional partnerships
· High proficiency in Excel (building magical models and tools) Allocation / BI Systems
· Effective time management
· A strong sense of curiosity and integrity
· Sound judgment and ability to navigate through ambiguity
· Astute attention to detail
· Driven by a sense of urgency and able to prioritize work to maximize your impact
· Requirement: Start early morning 2x - 3x a week
· Location: Los Angeles, CA
DIVERSITY & REPRESENTATION
Buck Mason is committed to building and supporting inclusive and representative communities, long-term career opportunities and extends Equal Employment Opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy status, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic disposition or any other reason protected by law.

THE MISSION
Founded in 2013 by Sasha Koehn and Erik Allen Ford, Buck Mason makes simplified clothing for the modern man. At the heart of everything we do is the unclouded California ethos of quality, restraint, and integrity. We take iconic pieces and reconstruct them in hard-wearing fabrics, with timeless details, and the perfect fit. Our goal is to offer fashion that is less complicated, building pared-down essentials that live beyond a single season. With its corporate offices headquartered in Los Angeles, Buck Mason's retail footprint extends from sea to sea, through e-commerce and brick-and-mortar locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Austin, Nashville, Seattle, DC and more.