Sr. Inventory Planner

Summary: The Senior Inventory Planner is responsible for leading global inventory strategy, optimizing product availability, and minimizing excess and obsolete stock across all company distribution centers and affiliates. This role serves as a strategic partner to Supply Chain leadership, owning inventory health reporting, driving process improvements, and ensuring alignment with business objectives through proactive analysis, lifecycle management, and cross-functional collaboration.

Acting as a subject matter expert in planning systems and processes, the Senior Inventory Planner will provide guidance to junior team members, lead key projects, and make independent decisions on stock positioning, safety stock levels, and product transitions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Inventory Management

• Develop, maintain, and present the Inventory Health Report to leadership on a monthly basis, highlighting risk areas, opportunities to improve turns, and recommended actions.
• Establish and maintain inventory policy frameworks, including safety stock targets, reorder points, and service level agreements for each location.
• Make independent recommendations for stock transfers, purchases, and dispositions to optimize working capital and minimize obsolescence.
• Lead the creation, review, and processing of destruction requests in alignment with shelf-life guidelines, quality standards, and financial considerations.
• Support the logistics flow of inventory to enable effective DRP analysis, ensuring optimal transfer planning and replenishment execution.

Lifecycle & Product Transition Leadership

• Oversee all phase-in/phase-out processes to ensure seamless product launches, reformulations, and artwork changes, minimizing obsolete stock.
• Partner with Marketing and Demand Planning to manage launch timelines and inventory readiness.
• Track and proactively address product transitions to reduce write-offs and inventory risk.

System & Process Optimization

• Serve as the planning systems subject matter expert for Netstock and NetSuite, driving enhancements to improve efficiency and data accuracy.
• Partner with Finance to review and update standard costs for finished goods and marketing collateral, ensuring accuracy in financial reporting and inventory valuation.
• Lead continuous improvement projects in replenishment logic and reporting automation.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate with Marketing, Logistics, Operations, Finance, and affiliates to align inventory plans with business priorities.
• Lead regular inventory review meetings with stakeholders to address supply risks and develop mitigation plans.
• Provide training and mentorship to junior planners on best practices, systems usage, and analytical tools.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintain a clean and organized work environment.
• Participate in departmental strategy sessions and support other projects as needed to meet company objectives.

Perform additional duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to make strategic inventory recommendations.
• Excellent communication skills, able to present complex data in a clear and actionable format to stakeholders at all levels.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, advanced formulas, data modeling).
• Expertise in inventory planning systems (Netstock, NetSuite, or equivalent) and strong Power BI skills preferred.
• Ability to lead projects, influence cross-functional teams, and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

 Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in inventory or supply chain planning, preferably in cosmetics, CPG, or pharmaceutical industries.
• Proven track record of improving inventory performance, reducing obsolescence, and driving process improvements.
• Experience mentoring or leading team members (formal or informal leadership).

Work Environment:   The work environment is indoors in a professional office environment.  The floor surfaces are carpeted in office areas and conference rooms with vinyl floor covering typical in hallways, break rooms and computer rooms.

Work Hours: The work schedule is 5 days per week, 8 hours per day.  Initial start time may vary, with work hours typically from 8am-5pm.  Work hours and shifts are subject to change depending on operating business conditions and needs. The position resides in Orange County but is hybrid with 2 days being remote work.

Physical and Mental Demands: Sedentary, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, or negligible amounts of force frequently, to move objects. This job also requires constant sitting. Constant use of the upper extremities is required to reach, handle, and position tools and equipment.  The employee must know and follow proper safety protocols and maintain a professional and polished appearance.  They must be able to efficiently use Microsoft Office Programs and Project Management systems to retrieve information, generate documents, organize project plans/schedules and coordinate meetings.  The employee must also be able to maintain and preserve confidentiality of company information, exhibit strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with internal stakeholders, including international affiliates.

Supervisory Responsibilities:   None