SkillBridge - Supply Chain Fellowship

Position Purpose:

Responsible for translating category and assortment strategy into executable field plans that drive measurable improvements in mix, margin, and inventory performance. This role partners cross-functionally to align strategy with operational realities, ensure disciplined execution, and build a scalable model for assortment optimization across the organization, on-the-job training to support a smooth transition into a civilian career.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Field Immersion & Business Understanding

• Develop a deep understanding of branch operations by working directly in multiple branch environments across varying performance levels and markets.
• Observe and analyze the full order lifecycle (quote → pick → deliver) to understand how assortment decisions impact daily execution.
• Evaluate how branches determine stocking decisions, promotions, discounting, and inventory tradeoffs.
• Assess SLOB management practices and identify gaps between planned assortment strategy and field execution.
• Partner with Category Management and Supplier Relations to understand supplier programs, brand positioning, and strategic intent.
• Ride along with sales teams to observe customer behavior, substitution patterns, and buying decision drivers (price, availability, brand, relationships).
• Analyze external market dynamics including commodity pricing, freight pressures, and regional demand shifts to assess impact on pricing and inventory strategy.
• Map cross-functional stakeholder ownership and decision dependencies across Supply Chain, Pricing, Sales, Branch Operations, and Supplier Relations.
• Document current operating realities, execution friction points, and decision flows from strategy to branch-level execution.

2. Current State Assessment & Diagnostics

• Conduct comprehensive assortment analysis by category, region, and branch to identify duplication, gaps, and over-assortment.
• Evaluate supplier mix and competitive positioning.
• Analyze inventory health metrics including DOH, SLOB, and turns to assess financial and operational impact.
• Assess alignment between category strategy, pricing execution, and field behavior.
• Conduct structured stakeholder interviews to identify breakdowns in execution.
• Develop a clear diagnostic of current-state performance across assortment, inventory, supplier mix, and pricing alignment.
• Identify key influencers and change agents within the organization.

3. Strategy Translation & Execution Planning

• Translate category strategy into actionable assortment blueprints, including:
  • Target category focus areas
  • Defined brand roles
  • Good/Better/Best price-point architecture
  • Geographic and regional considerations
  • Customer segment requirements
• Align assortment decisions with inventory strategy, supplier programs, and pricing guardrails.
• Develop pilot execution plans including SKU phase-in/phase-out strategies.
• Build inventory transition plans to optimize working capital.
• Recommend supplier adjustments to improve mix and performance.
• Establish measurable success metrics including margin improvement, SKU reduction, inventory reduction, and mix shift.

4. Cross-Functional Alignment & Governance

• Facilitate alignment across Supply Chain, Pricing, Sales, Branch Operations, and Supplier Relations to support execution.
• Define clear roles, ownership structures, and execution timelines.
• Identify risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Build and manage a centralized execution tracker.
• Establish and lead a weekly operating cadence (mini-SIOP model) to monitor progress.
• Coordinate inventory actions, pricing updates, and sales enablement efforts to ensure synchronized execution.

5. Execution & Change Management

• Lead rollout of assortment updates and SKU rationalization initiatives.
• Coordinate inventory drawdowns, transfers, and purchasing adjustments.
• Partner with Pricing to ensure alignment with updated assortment strategy.
• Support Sales teams with substitution guidance and customer communication strategies.
• Communicate assortment changes clearly to field teams and stakeholders.
• Monitor weekly execution progress and resolve issues in real time.
• Reinforce adherence to new assortment standards and operating processes.
• Drive measurable improvements in mix, margin, and inventory performance.

6. Performance Tracking, Optimization & Scale

• Track performance against defined targets including margin, SKU count, inventory (DOH, SLOB), and sales mix.
• Conduct post-i