Planning & Inventory Manager

Direct Source Australia Pty Ltd; City of Brisbane; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Direct Source Australia Pty Ltd is expanding its team and seeks a Planning & Inventory Manager to develop accurate demand forecasts and translate them into effective supply, purchasing and inventory plans. You will balance stock levels with working capital and collaborate across Sales, Product and Operations to optimise service levels.

The role requires strong Excel, ERP and BI skills, plus experience with overseas supplier relationships and presenting to senior leadership in an industrial

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in Supply Chain, Production Planning or Demand Planning.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills including intermediate level formulas and pivot tables.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and juggle these effectively.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercial acumen and confidence in decision making.
• Confident learning and navigating ERP systems.
• Experience importing products from overseas suppliers and maintain these relationships.
• Capable of presenting to senior leadership.
• Experience with Power BI, Unleashed or SQL.
• Experience within manufacturing, automotive, trailer, caravan or other industrial products is advantageous but not required.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain demand forecasts and translate into supply, purchasing and inventory plans.
• Lead purchasing plans based on forecasted demand and supplier lead times.
• Balance inventory with working capital objectives and warehouse capacity.
• Provide monthly and weekly data analyses on inventory performance and availability.
• Maintain ERP master data and planning parameters for accuracy.
• Coordinate shipment schedules with overseas suppliers and local agents.
• Present demand and supply plans to the Commercial Manager and senior stakeholders.

Skills

Demand planning

Supply chain

Excel

Power BI

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

ERP systems

Overseas supplier relationships

Presentation skills

Tools

Unleashed

SQL

Job description

Direct Source Australia (DSA) is a Leading supplier, importer and manufacturer of products for the Trailer industry (www.trailersparesdirect.com.au), specialising in trailers and RVs under 4.5 tonnes, as well as into the Mining industry with carefully selected specialty products. Supplying throughout Australia via wholesale, trade and direct to retail. Due to a new ownership structure, DSA is now part of a larger Group, Recreation Brands (www.recreationbrands.com.au), which owns a range of companies within the Caravan and RV industries.

We are rapidly expanding across product ranges and multiple distribution sites and require a Planning & Inventory Manager to support the business.

About the role

Reporting to the Commercial Manager, the Planning & Inventory Manager is responsible for developing accurate demand forecasts and translating these into effective supply, purchasing and inventory plans that drive the business's sales, operational and financial objectives. This role plays a critical part in ensuring product availability while optimising inventory investment, supplier performance, and warehouse capacity. Working collaboratively across Sales & Marketing, Product, Operations & Logistics, the role analyses and balances customer demand with supply capability to maximise service levels.

Key Responsibilities

Demand & Supply Planning

Develop and maintain accurate SKU level demand forecasts using historical sales, market trends, customer insights, and business intelligence.

Review customer purchasing against forecast requirements and highlight these to Sales team.

Work with Sales and Marketing to understand promotions, seasonality, and new product introductions.

Act quickly to adjust forward supply based on changes to demand.

Lead purchasing plans based on forecasted demand, supplier lead times, and inventory targets.

Ensure supply plans align with warehouse capacity, production schedules, and sales priorities.

Identify supply risks and implement contingency plans to minimise disruption.

Balance inventory availability with working capital objectives.

Highlight any risks or opportunity with transparency.

Proactively present demand & supply plans to the Commercial Manager.

Inventory Planning

Optimise inventory levels across raw materials and finished goods.

Maintain appropriate safety stock levels, in line with business KPIs.

Monitor and balance stock availability across multiple warehouse locations.

Lead inventory reduction initiatives and product changeover programs.

Champion monthly cycle count & annual stocktake schedules.

Review slow moving & obsolete inventory and implement sell thru strategies with the sales team.

Plan purchasing requirements based on sales demand forecasts at SKU level.

Raise official purchase orders in ERP system and provide these to suppliers.

Ensure delivery timelines and order fulfilment requirements from suppliers are achieved.

Coordinate shipment schedules with overseas suppliers and local shipping agents.

Investigate strategies to improve working capital by negotiating with suppliers on KPI’s such as MOQs, DIFOT and terms.

Build and foster healthy relationships with suppliers.

Data Analysis & Reporting (monthly and weekly reports)

Inventory performance and availability.

Demand variance analysis.

Category performance.

Inventory ageing.

Analyse planning data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.

Produce a quarterly merchandise plan highlighting the key inventory and performance metrics of the business and present this to senior management.

Data Maintenance

Maintain the integrity and accuracy of product, supplier, and planning master data within the ERP system.

Ensure planning parameters including lead times, minimum order quantities (MOQs), cost prices, pack quantities, and supplier information are current and accurate.

Partner with Sales and Marketing team to capture any new product requirements or changes to RRP’s and update these accordingly.

Establish and maintain data governance standards to ensure consistency across products, suppliers, and inventory records.

The Person

5+ years' experience in Supply Chain, Production Planning or Demand Planning.

Advanced Microsoft Excel skills including intermediate level formulas and pivot tables.

Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Strong organisational and time management skills.

Ability to manage multiple priorities and juggle these effectively.

Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Commercial acumen and confidence in decision making.

Confident learning and navigating ERP systems.

Experience importing products from overseas suppliers and maintain these relationships.

Capable of presenting to senior leadership.

Experience with Power BI, Unleashed or SQL.

Experience within manufacturing, automotive, trailer, caravan or other industrial products is advantageous but not required.

Our team is always on the loop out for likeminded, friendly, positive and hardworking people. We are passionate about building a strong culture with a can-do attitude.

So, if you enjoy a challenge, are customer focused and truly want to make a positive difference in a progressive, growing business