Merchandise & Inventory Planner

GeoCentral Merchandise & Inventory Planner

Department: Planning & Procurement

Reports To: Senior Planning Manager

Primary Focus:

Inventory health, replenishment planning, category management, trend forecasting, and inventory performance improvement.

Position Summary:

The Inventory Planner supports buying and product planning across the product lifecycle, category management, trend forecasting, replenishment, and inventory performance improvement. This role analyzes consumer demand patterns, sales trends, stock levels, and SKU productivity to identify risks, opportunities, and recommended actions. Working closely with the Senior Planning Manager and cross-functional partners, this position translates product and financial insights into buying recommendations, inventory plans, and category-performance reporting.

While inventory and product planning are the primary focus of this position. The role also maintains proficiency in core Assistant Planner processes to provide backup support when business needs require, while continuing to prioritize analytical planning, buying recommendations, and assortment performance. This cross-functional capability ensures business continuity, workload flexibility, and seamless support across the Planning team.

The ideal candidate brings experience in buying, merchandise or product planning, demand planning, or inventory management and understands how product, sales, margin, and inventory decisions work together to drive profitable growth and strong customer service.

Core Ownership Areas:

• Forecast maintenance
• Inventory analysis
• Monthly purchasing recommendations
• Safety stock management
• Re-order point management
• Backorder analysis
• Inventory reporting
• Inventory review meetings
• New item forecasting
• Out-of-stock reporting
• Inventory optimization projects
• Digital platform order review and inventory availability for Amazon and drop ship accounts
• Assist with product check-in

Responsibilities:

Inventory Planning & Analysis:

• Analyze sales trends, demand patterns, and inventory performance to identify risks, opportunities, and recommended actions.
• Prepare purchase quantity recommendations for review and approval by the Senior Planning Manager.
• Monitor inventory levels, stock health, back-orders, out-of-stock items, safety stock, reorder points, and months of supply to support replenishment planning.
• Maintain forecasting and planning tools, including forecast updates, item-level assumptions, and supporting planning data.
• Support new item forecast setup and ongoing forecast maintenance based on sales history, launch plans, and cross-functional input.
• Prepare reporting and analysis for inventory review meetings, including key trends, exceptions, and recommended follow-up actions.
• Support inventory optimization projects through analysis, reporting, and execution of approved actions.
• Collaborate with Sales and Product Development to gather forecast input and recommend updates for Senior Planning Manager review.
• Analyze inventory risks and opportunities and communicate recommendations to support inventory health and service level goals.
• Support purchasing recommendations through inventory analysis, forecast maintenance, and replenishment planning activities.

Digital Platform Inventory Management:

• Review and approve order requests for Amazon, including weekly orders and monthly bulk orders, to confirm inventory availability, order accuracy, and planning impact.
• Maintain accurate inventory availability for Amazon and drop ship accounts, identifying inventory risks, exceptions, and replenishment needs.
• Analyze current sales trends for Amazon and drop ship accounts and communicate the impact on overall inventory levels, replenishment priorities, and inventory risks to the Senior Planning Manager.
• Support sales order entry and order management activities for digital platforms as needed.

Cross-Functional Planning Support:

• Maintain working knowledge of Assistant Planner processes, systems, and responsibilities to provide operational support and business continuity when needed.
• Serve as backup support for purchase order maintenance, vendor follow-up, shipment tracking, item setup, and inventory-related reporting during vacations, absences, peak workload periods, or special projects.
• Assist with purchase order reviews, supplier communication, vendor confirmations, and open order follow-up as necessary to support inventory and customer service goals.
• Support item data maintenance, inventory updates, and system accuracy within Sage and other business platforms.
• Assist with shipment tracking activities and communicate delays, changes, or inventory impacts to internal stakeholders.
• Coordinate with vendors and cross-functional teams regarding artwork status, carton markings, labels, UPC requirements, and packaging-related updates as needed.
• Partner with the Assistant Planner and Senior Planning Manager to ensure planning and purchasing priorities remain aligned and deadlines are met.
• Participate in weekly open purchase order and shipment review meetings.
• Perform other planning and purchasing support activities as assigned to support departmental objectives.

Key Metrics:

• Forecast Accuracy
• Fill Rate
• In-Stock Percentage
• Stockout Frequency
• Months of Supply
• Inventory Aging
• Inventory Turns
• Backorder Dollars and Units
• Service Level Performance

Qualifications:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent work experience may be considered.
• 1 to 3 years of experience in retail buying, demand planning, replenishment, inventory planning or related retail analysis preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong Excel skills required, including the ability to work with large data sets, formulas, pivot tables, lookups, and inventory reporting tools.
• Experience with Sage 100, Sage Inventory Advisor, ERP systems, or inventory management platforms is preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret data and make actionable recommendations.
• Strong communication and organizational skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally with Planning, Sales, Product Development, Operations, and leadership.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, organize work effectively, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment with changing business needs.
• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Demonstrated ability to balance analytical inventory planning responsibilities with operational planning and purchasing support activities.
• Ability to learn and perform Assistant Planner responsibilities as needed to support team objectives and business continuity.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk, and hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or operate office equipment and computer systems. The employee may occasionally be required to stand, walk, reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, or lift and move materials weighing up to 25 pounds.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person (Mason, Ohio)