Retail Inventory Planning Analyst

Overview

Our inventory planning team at Room & Board lead the forecasting and management of inventory that is critical in supporting our customer experience. We are in the midst of evolving our systems, tools, and processes related to inventory forecasting and planning – the person who takes this role will join us in this work and have the opportunity to shape the future of inventory management at Room & Board.

 

As an Inventory Planning Analyst, you will partner directly with vendors and across the internal product team to monitor sales, pro-actively manage inventory and margin health, develop key vendor capacity plans, and provide data and insights to help inform key business decisions. Additionally, this role partners closely across the Procurement & Operations team to monitor and troubleshoot product availability and vendor performance concerns.

Location:

4600 Olson Memorial HighwayGolden Valley, MN 55422

Please note: This role is hybrid with 2 days in the office. Not accepting applications from remote applicants.

As a Inventory Planning Analyst, you will share your talents with us in the following ways:

• Bring an eye for detail in managing and executing the order writing process for assigned vendors to achieve fulfillment goals while maintaining optimal inventory levels
• Ability to think strategically in creating and pro-actively managing short- and long-term inventory plans/forecasts that reflect changing sales trends, seasonality, store presentation needs, and vendor performance variables
• Partner with Procurement & Operations Director and Vendor & Product Managers to develop, implement, and support new product launches and capacity plans for key vendors
• Develop and maintain strong vendor relationships while taking the lead on conversations regarding optimal receipt flow and sales trend changes, ensuring production plans are in place to support fluctuations in demand
• Pro-actively communicate with Order & Vendor Operations Specialists regarding back-ordered items while actively supporting their work on lead time and product availability opportunities
• Lead the development and execution of inventory, pricing, and margin plans for assigned vendors and categories with support and partnership from others
• Analyze, identify, and share opportunities to improve on key metrics while protecting vendor health and the customer experience
• Responsible for proofing and maintaining all purchasing data including costing and retails
• Involvement in prioritized projects and cross-functional efforts as assigned

The experience and attributes you’ll bring as an Inventory Planning Analyst:

• 3+ years of inventory planning/forecasting experience with a strong understanding of retail and inventory measures (e.g. productivity, turnover, margin, profit)  
• Alignment with Room and Board’s guiding principles and philosophies and staff member attributes
• Understands the impact of actions on customers, company success, internal partners and vendors
• Analytical mindset - the ability to collect, organize, and leverage available data to assess and understand issues, evaluate options, and form accurate conclusions/action plans
• Advanced MS Excel skills with curiosity to learn new tools that enhance our work
• Prior experience with procurement/inventory systems/tools
• Familiarity with SAP a plus
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Highly organized with strong multi-tasking skills
• Ability to think broadly and while maintaining high attention to detail
• Solution oriented problem solver
• Self-directed, autonomous, and assertive
• Exhibits the confidence, initiative, and ownership to assume a broad level of responsibility

What you find working here as an Inventory Planning Analyst:

• Salary: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 / yr
• Continuous Improvement. We empower our analysts to participate in product analysis and selection. Instead of following a strict playbook, we encourage our teams to adopt flexible processes that drive innovation and ongoing enhancement.
• Creativity in our work. We’re given the latitude to solve problems in a creative way and do our best.
• Collaborative Teamwork. We operate within a flat structure, free from rigid hierarchies, allowing us the flexibility to work together and determine the best solutions collaboratively.
• Benefits that focus on holistic well-being. The whole person matters, not just the one who shows up for work. That’s why we invest in holi