Inventory Planning Manager

Manager, Inventory Planning

We're building a world of health around every individual — shaping a more connected, convenient and compassionate health experience. At CVS Health®, you'll be surrounded by passionate colleagues who care deeply, innovate with purpose, hold ourselves accountable and prioritize safety and quality in everything we do. Join us and be part of something bigger – helping to simplify health care one person, one family and one community at a time.

The Manager, Inventory Planning is an end-to-end supply chain planning professional responsible for inventory planning and replenishment across an assigned portfolio of retail products, supplier lines, and categories. The role manages the planning process from store-level demand through purchasing and supply execution, maintaining inventory needed to support sales while achieving established inventory KPIs. The Manager works collaboratively with Category Management, Merchandising, Finance, Logistics, Transportation, Distribution Center teams, suppliers, and analytics partners to align item, promotional, seasonal, planogram, and supply plans with sales, margin, in-stock, GMROII, inventory-turn, and financial objectives.

The role operates as a senior individual contributor, providing subject-matter expertise, cross-functional leadership, prioritization, and issue resolution without direct people-management responsibility.

Location: Hybrid, based out of 1 CVS Drive, Woonsocket, RI, with required onsite attendance Tuesdays and Wednesdays (2 days/week). Candidates must be able to commute regularly to the Woonsocket office.

Key Responsibilities:

• Inventory Planning & Replenishment
• Lead the development and ongoing management of baseline, promotional, seasonal, and event forecasts across assigned products, vendors, and categories.
• Develop and manage inventory and purchase plans that support demand while achieving inventory, GMROII, turn, service-level, sales, margin, and in-stock targets.
• Monitor inventory positions and service performance, identify exceptions, and take timely corrective action to address shortages, excess inventory, forecast risk, and supply constraints.
• Ensure item flows, replenishment settings, lead times, order parameters, and seasonal strategies accurately reflect current business needs.
• Ensure promotional and planogram readiness by aligning forecasts, purchasing, inventory flow, and execution timing.
• Forecasting & Analytics
• Guide the team in developing and maintaining forecasts using JDA or comparable forecasting and replenishment applications.
• Monitor forecast accuracy, bias, in-stock, fill rate, and on-time and in-full (OTIF) performance; identify root causes and implement actions that improve forecast and supply performance.
• Use market intelligence, sales trends, promotional activity, vendor input, and analytics recommendations to refine forecast models and planning assumptions.
• Translate complex inventory and demand information into clear risks, opportunities, and recommendations for business leaders.
• Cross-Functional Partnership
• Partner with Merchants, Category Managers, Planners, Analysts, Finance, Logistics, Transportation, Distribution Center teams, and suppliers to align demand and supply plans.
• Work with Category and Planning leadership to evaluate new products, assortment changes, promotional strategies, advertising schedules, and other demand-driving activities.
• Lead collaborative discussions with vendors and internal partners to resolve service issues, capacity constraints, order minimums, and other supply-chain risks.
• Identify potential supply disruptions, including supplier delays and weather-related events, and develop practical mitigation strategies.
• Promote an integrated planning approach across demand planning, category management, supply planning, operations, and finance.
• Process Improvement & Business Performance
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve planning processes, inventory productivity, forecast accuracy, and service performance.
• Standardize planning routines, reporting, and exception-management practices across the assigned portfolio.
• Partner with leadership and analytics teams to evaluate planning models, parameters, tools, and performance measures.
• Support initiatives that improve financial performance, supply-chain efficiency, and the customer experience.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in retail, ecommerce, consumer packaged goods, inventory planning, replenishment, supply chain, or a related discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in demand planning, supply planning, inventory planning, or a similar function.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex projects, processes, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to interpret sales, forecast, inventory, and service-level performance.
• Proficiency with supply chain planning systems and advanced proficiency with Excel and other quantitative planning or reporting tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence partners and present recommendations to leadership.
• Strong judgment, decision-making, prioritization, and organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with JDA/Blue Yonder Forecasting and Replenishment, Fulfillment, Order Optimization, or comparable planning systems.
• Experience working in a sales and operations planning environment.
• Working knowledge of forecast accuracy measures, including MAPE and forecast bias.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Management Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Master's degree, MBA, or professional supply-chain certification.

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience

Anticipated Weekly Hours: 40

Time Type: Full time

Pay Range: The typical pay range for this role is: $66,330.00 - $145,860.00. This pay range represents the base hourly rate or base annual full-time salary for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls. The actual base salary offer will depend on a variety of factors including experience, education, geography and other relevant factors. This position is eligible for a CVS Health bonus, commission or short-term incentive program in addition to the base pay range listed above.

Our people fuel our future. Our teams reflect the customers, patients, members and communities we serve and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every colleague feels valued and that they belong.

Great benefits for great people

We take pride in offering a comprehensive and competitive mix of pay and benefits that reflects our commitment to our colleagues and their families. This full-time position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the physical, emotional, and financial well-being of colleagues and their families. The benefits for this position include medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, retirement savings options, wellness programs, and other resources, based on eligibility.