Inventory Planner

JOB MISSION:

Due to internal progression, the Inventory Planner plays a central and critical role in delivering EMEA business results through planning and completing the purchasing and reservation of Finished Goods inventory for all Product Lines. This team is responsible for the end-to-end flow of inventory in and out of the Region. Inventory Planning translates the forecast and demand requirements into purchase orders, resulting in optimized order book fulfillment to service all New Balance channels of business. In addition, you may be expected to travel to our Netherlands office to meet with the team a few times a year.

MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Inventory Management

Finished Goods Purchasing for Footwear, Apparel and Accessories All Product Lines

Translate market forecast and demands into Purchase Requisitions Handle Make to Stock (MTS) and Make to Order (MTO) items via Purchase Requisitions review and approval process Lead and Approve Direct Container requirements Implement the planning and on-time delivery of Strategic and Allocated Programs Run inventory levels by brand, product line, line plan business Use available market intelligence (forecast attainment performance, retail sell through) to dynamically manage on hand and incoming inventory Communicate with Sales and Merchandising on distressed inventory issues Item Life Cycle Management: Beginning of Life, Middle of Life and End of Life strategy execution

Review and manage life cycle behavior to ensure that item transitions are driven effectively Collaborate with Global Supply Planning across all Source Types to ensure Key Launch strategies are supported Analyze size curve recommendations and propose adjustments to optimize demand fulfillment and best utilization of finished goods inventory Demand fulfillment

Complete and on time order fulfillment Effective participant in weekly Value Chain Operations meetings Proactive management of inventory availability and on-time order fulfilment

Analyze and action Inventory Waterfalls Complete Finished Goods Buy Summary Optimize order fulfillment for various strategic and priorities items to ensure on time in market launches and replenishment Maintain Demand Prioritization Rules to executive business strategies and optimize order fulfillment of priority accounts Facilitate the resolution of supply related sales order management issues in collaboration with Customer Operations Participate in monthly S&OP process Recommend expediting Finished Goods via various ship modes in partnership with Value Chain, Logistics, Customer Operations, etc. ie. Air Freight, Inventory Transfers, etc Proactive and timely communication regarding supply constraints and orderbook fulfillment Participate in Finished Goods Quality resolution efforts to mitigate impact to order fulfillment and provide timely updates to impacted partners REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS:

Minimum 2 years planning experience (does not have to be in a Sports/Fashion environment) Experience of ERP/Planning systems and business reporting tools is desirable Strong interpersonal skills with an emphasis on problem solving, conflicting objectives, and dealing with multiple customers and priorities Ability to interpret data and use it to make informed inventory decisions Strong written and verbal communication skills Ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities and to manage time, multiple tasks, and deadlines effectively Great teammate Continuous Improvement attitude Proficient in Microsoft Office: Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, etc

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