Category Planner II

FleetPride; Dallas (TX); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

FleetPride in Dallas, TX is seeking a Category Planner II to drive demand forecasting and assortment planning for its parts portfolio. You will monitor POS data, build forecast profiles, and collaborate with sales, supply chain, and category management to optimize service levels.

This role emphasizes accuracy in forecast bias, regular pre-demand reviews, and inventory targets to balance cost and customer service.

Responsibilities

• Forecast and monitor POS demand data to determine patterns and trends and adjust forecast data accordingly.
• Create and maintain forecast profiles to maximize accuracy at SKU/location/month level.
• Analyze forecast metrics and report results; adjust forecasts to minimize bias and error.
• Lead monthly pre-demand forecast review meetings with supply chain leadership and document assumptions.
• Capture risks and opportunities to the demand plan and communicate with business partners.
• Collaborate with sales, category managers, and marketing to enhance models with business intelligence.
• Identify trends and forecast bias; trigger proactive actions via system alerts.
• Provide input into financial planning through demand insights and analysis.
• Align demand plans with inventory management and distribution strategies with cross-functional teams.
• Develop and maintain inventory targets and monitor performance against goals.

Job description

## Category Planner IIApply: Dallas, Texas: Full time: Posted Today: REQ26-24031FleetPride is the largest after-market distributor of heavy-duty truck and trailer parts in the U.S. with some of the best and brightest people in the business! Partner with the best in the heavy-duty industry and apply today!Essential Responsibilities:Forecast and Inventory Planning (60%):· Monitor POS demand data to determine patterns, trends, variability to include but not limited to deviations in demand due to weather, competitive situations and customer's inventory strategies.· Create and maintain forecast profiles best suited to provide the highest level of accuracy at the SKU, location, monthly level.· Analyze and report forecast metric results. Make forecast adjustments and take corrective action in forecast process to minimize error in bias and accuracy.· Facilitate and manage monthly forecast pre-demand review meetings with supply chain leadership. Prepare analysis to support position and recommendations in clear, concise formats to garner alignment and clearly document assumptions driving forecast adds/changes to support demand planning process.· Capture risks and opportunities to the demand plan to communicate to key business partners.· Regular collaboration with commercial sales partners and category managers to enhance statistical models with account specific business intelligence including, but not limited to, category strategies, new items, new item cannibalization, promotion plans, customer inventory levels, historical and current POS and shipment trends.· Manage system generated alerts identifying trends and forecast bias for proactive actions.· Provide input into the financial planning process through accurate demand insights and analysis.· Frequent cross functional interaction with Category Management, Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Operations, and Customer Service to balance demand and supply.· Perform analysis to determine the inventory investment required to ensure a high level of customer service at the lowest cost.· Develop and maintain inventory targets and monitor performance against these goals.· Work closely with supply chain, category management, and operations to align demand plans with inventory management and distribution strategies.· Manage and prioritize multiple tasks to ensure timely completion in a fluid environment.Assortment Planning & Management (40%):· Develop and implement product assortment plans that align with overall portfolio strategy, business goals and market trends.· Provide portfolio insights and recommendations to category management based on portfolio strategy, category performance and other key performance indicators.· Develop and implement tactical plans to facilitate product lifecycle changes, such as the introduction of new products and the phasing out of underperforming ones.FleetPride is the leader in the industry comprised of retail, service, distribution and wholesale divisions.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.