Planner, Inventory Optimization

Planner, Inventory Optimization

Job Type: Full-Time Location Type: Hybrid Primary Location: Huntersville, North Carolina, US

Newell Brands is a leading consumer products company with a portfolio of iconic brands like Graco®, Coleman®, Oster®, Rubbermaid®, Sharpie® and Yankee Candle® - and 24,000 talented teammates around the world. Our culture is built on values in action: Integrity, Teamwork, Passion for Winning, Ownership, and Leadership. We work together to win, grow, and make a real impact—supported by a high-performing, inclusive, and collaborative environment where you can be your best, every day.

Job Summary

This role is responsible for developing and maintaining long-range supply plans aligned to the consensus demand forecast, ensuring capacity, inventory, and service objectives are balanced across internal manufacturing sites and external suppliers. The position performs rough-cut capacity analysis to identify constrained or underutilized assets, evaluates supply-demand imbalances, and supports development of level-loaded, capacity-constrained planning scenarios. The position will be responsible for managing inventory safety stock levels across all distribution centers while maintaining service level initiatives for the Reporting Unit. This role will plan, organize, measure, and evaluate suggested safety stock settings to improve in-stock percentages and service levels while minimizing inventory for assigned product categories and locations. Other duties can include diverse activities related to supply planning and data analytics in supply chain management.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain long-range supply plans aligned with the consensus demand forecast.
• Perform rough-cut capacity analysis to assess utilization and identify over- or under-constrained assets across plants and external vendors.
• Analyze supply-demand imbalances and support development of capacity-constrained, level-loaded planning scenarios.
• Identify inventory pre-build requirements driven by capacity constraints and collaborate with short- and mid-range planners to support execution.
• Prepare analytical inputs and recommendations for long-range supply decisions.
• Conduct safety stock and inventory optimization analysis using SAP IBP Inventory Optimization.
• Evaluate trade-offs between service levels, inventory investment, space constraints, and cost.
• Analyze root causes of inventory performance issues (excess, shortages, service risks) and develop improvement recommendations.
• Maintain recurring inventory, service level, and utilization reporting for assigned business areas.
• Maintain and validate IBP master data relevant to long-range planning, including work centers, routings, production versions, lot sizes, MOQs, and BOMs.
• Prepare materials, analysis, and scenario comparisons for Supply Review, IBP, and S&OP meetings.
• Support follow-up actions related to capacity, inventory, and pre-build decisions.
• Collect, analyze, and synthesize data from multiple systems to support planning decisions.
• Develop and maintain analytical models, reports, and dashboards using Excel and Power BI.
• Identify and support opportunities to improve planning processes, data quality, and reporting effectiveness.
• Communicate analytical insights and recommendations clearly to cross-functional stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

Experience 4–6 years of supply chain experience in supply planning, inventory planning, materials planning, or demand planning. Experience with capacity analysis, supply planning, and inventory optimization. Exposure to S&OP / IBP processes and cross-functional planning environments. Manufacturing and/or consumer products experience preferred.

Education Bachelor's degree BS/BA from an accredited university. Major in Business, Supply Chain, Logistics, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Business Management, Economics, Finance, Math, Data Analytics, or a related field preferred.

Systems & Tools Experience with SAP IBP (Supply Planning and/or Inventory Optimization) or similar advanced planning systems. Advanced Excel skills. Experience with Power BI or other business intelligence tools. Working knowledge of MRP concepts and planning master data.

Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Graco, Coleman, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Yankee Candle, Paper Mate, FoodSaver, Dymo, EXPO, Elmer's, Oster, NUK, Spontex and Campingaz. We are focused on delighting consumers by lighting up everyday moments. Newell Brands and its subsidiaries are Equal Opportunity Employers and comply with applicable employment laws. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled are encouraged to apply.