Position Summary
Vallen’s Director — Inventory Planning is responsible for leading the company’s demand planning and offline planning functions to ensure inventory assets across all regions are managed effectively. This role drives improvements in fill rates, inventory productivity, and risk prevention while reducing excess inventory. The Director will influence the company’s demand forecast, inventory system roadmap, and overall approach to aligning supply with customer needs.
Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Staff management responsibilities including hiring, coaching, performance management, and enforcing company policies while developing a high-performing planning team.
- Lead demand planning activities to ensure accurate forecasts drive inventory purchasing decisions and align with company sales and operations strategies.
- Oversee offline planning to ensure risk prevention plans are comprehensive, actionable, and executed effectively.
- Measure and drive performance of the inventory asset across regions with focus on fill rates, productivity, and working capital efficiency.
- Develop strategies to reduce excess inventory and improve asset utilization.
- Influence the inventory systems roadmap, partnering with IT, Operations, and other functional leaders to implement tools and processes that improve planning accuracy and scalability.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Purchasing, Sales, Finance, and Product Strategy to align inventory plans with company objectives.
- Drive continuous process improvement initiatives to strengthen forecasting accuracy, risk management, and planning effectiveness.
- Provide input into the corporate budgeting process with respect to inventory performance and planning.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Job Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in demand planning, supply chain, or inventory management; prior leadership experience required.
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with demonstrated ability to turn data into actionable insights.
- Experience building and leading new teams and processes.
- Effective staff management and leadership skills, with emphasis on team development.
- Knowledge of ERP and advanced planning systems (GAINS, SAP, Oracle, or similar).
- Strong communication and presentation skills; able to influence across functions and at all organizational levels.
- Proficiency with MS Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
Work Environment & Physical Demands:
Reasonable accommodations will be evaluated and may be implemented to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of this position.
- This job operates in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, etc.
- The work environment is generally favorable. Lighting and temperature are adequate and there are no hazardous or unpleasant conditions caused by noise, dust, etc.
- Long periods of time working on a computer and performing repetitive key-boarding activities.
- Long periods of time performing work over the phone and participating in group conference calls.
- Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand and may include little to no advanced notice.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
- Frequently required to sit and/or stand.
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