The Inventory Lead Planner is responsible for managing the end-to-end supply chain planning function. This individual contributor role is responsible for using formal analytical techniques to predict and plan future demand on approximately $750 million of inventory including both devices and accessories to support approximately 480 retail locations, Direct Fulfillment, and Agent supply chain channels. Capture and analyze data at the SKU and store level and provide target specific cause and effect relationship information  on demand to various levels of leadership (including executive) Determine and govern key performance metrics surrounding inventory turn, service levels, and obsolescence. Lead partnership with cross-functional teams such as Marketing to determine estimated and actual promotional lefts, Device Management to report item channel fill quantities. Communicate and educate various partners on inventory strategies. Manage vendors to ensure supply planning and on-time delivery of product. Prevent and manage inventory backorders by collaborating with vendors on short term and long term forecasts. Serve as leader of inventory strategy. Coordinate data roll ups among all Inventory Planners.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end wholesale inventory strategy:

• Determine and monitor Turn and In Stock levels at various depths of granularity (by product and/or by location).

• Make inventory recommendations to achieve targeted goals.

• Analyze store inventory levels and sales rates, recognizing company sales trends and subtle geographical differences.  Plot a course of action that will allow for a maximization of identifiable opportunities including mix of product, allocation strategies, or performance of productive vs. non productive inventory.

• Develop and lead device lifecycle planning through the development of unit plans for all handset and accessory SKU’s

• Collaborate with peers and device channel partners to improve advance planning and reduce end of life obsolesce

• Participate in Quarterly Obsolescence  review & annual physical counts at NDC

• Manage the reporting function for device supply chain:

• Determine reporting requirements and analysis surrounding inventory performance as well as forecasting for future demand.

• Manage the development of SAP reports with direction from US Cellular Leaders that will provide specific information that facilitates accurate business decisions.

• Manage daily, weekly, and monthly inventory reports according to the needs of the business cycle by leading inventory roll ups among all planners for executive summaries, weekly recaps, and general supply chain summaries.

• Identify and support ad-hock reporting needs.

• Management of key vendor relationships to ensure accurate and timely delivery of product:

• Lead short and long term inventory forecasts for a product category using CPFR (Collaborative Planning and Forecasting Replenishment Model).

• Manage vendor orders for a product category to ensure timely delivery of Purchase Orders, and manage vendor performance in accordance to expectations outlined in vendor score cards.

• Lead and consolidate performance data from Planning Team to present vendor performance results at quarterly departmental meetings with vendors.

• Prevent and manage inventory backorders, manage open orders by timing and quantity as needed to respond to changing demand patterns. Expedite orders through the National Distribution Center (NDC) to all sales channels when necessary.

• Serve as lead point of contact for all sales channels on issues concerning NDC shipments and deliveries for a given product category. 

• Generate and distribute reporting on NDC inventory position, material availability and NDC performance.

• Analyze and resolve lost and damage claims for all shipments from the NDC.  File freight claims as needed.

• Categorize article selling by product category and/or feature sets to provide feedback to device management team on breadth & depth of assortments.

• Establish attach rate analysis & develop plans to manage accessories relative to life of phones.

• Partner with Inventory Replenishment Analysts to develop store performance profiles & maintain quarterly (A-F ranking).

• Provide leadership and analysis for special projects.

• Partner with cross-functional teams to understand upcoming promotions and new product launches. Determine necessary quantities by region to support the events. Analyze results of similar promotions or similar products in order to estimate and plan for demand.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• 5-7 years of relevant work experience required; inventory planning in retail or related field preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required.
• The ability to work with multiple computer applications at the same time.
• Ability to balance multiple tasks at once, and reprioritize as needed.
• Strong ability to manage time affectively, and to be versatile.
• Self motivated, and demonstrates initiative.
• Ability to develop relationships and work in a team environment.
• Experience with vendor (or 3rd party) relationships.
• Demonstrated analytical ability.
• Ability to sort through ambiguity and work in sometimes undefined roles.
• Understanding of retail math concepts.
• Leadership experience is desired.
•  Advanced knowledge of PC Windows based applications (Excel and Word).
• SAP experience (IS Retail, R3) a plus.
• Understanding of POS systems is a bonus.