Inventory Planner

Clarks; Needham (MA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Clarks in Needham, MA is seeking an Inventory Planner to manage forecasts across seasonal cycles, align inventory with budgets, and maximize sales while minimizing excess. You will collaborate with Wholesale and Retail Planning, maintain consensus forecasts, and generate time-phased ATP signals for Supply Chain partners, ensuring on-time availability.

Ideal candidates bring strong Excel and planning software experience (SAP, Demand Manager, Power BI), plus a collaborative, data-driven approach

Qualifications

• Successful Demand and Supply Planning, Buying, and Merchandising experience.
• Experience in demand and supply planning in footwear or related field.
• Merchandise planning and forecasting.
• Strong organizational skills to coordinate feedback from a variety of sources.
• Practical understanding of demand planning and inventory management processes.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel (if statements, linking, pivot tables, etc.).
• Strong analytical and verbal skills.
• Planning Software (SAP, Demand Manager, MFP, Business Objects, Power BI, D360).
• Analytical/ highly numerate and able to identify key information.
• Ability to problem solve.
• Team player, goal oriented.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Wholesale and Retail Planning teams to develop supply plans that align with factory capacity constraints and lead-time requirements, ensuring on-time inventory availability.
• Maintain the Demand Manager Planning System consensus forecast at the article level, generating time-phased Available-to-Promise (ATP) signals for Customer Service and Factory Purchase Plan signals for Supply Chain partners.
• Review and validate demand forecasts across customer accounts, channels, and distribution networks to support inventory and service-level objectives.
• Develop and deliver monthly factory purchase plans for the current buying season, balancing inventory targets, receipt plans, and manufacturing capacity limitations.
• Share best practices, communicate key planning insights, and collaborate cross-functionally to improve forecasting accuracy, inventory efficiency, and overall business performance.
• Execute monthly factory purchase order placement activities, ensuring accurate order creation, timely execution, and alignment with inventory and demand plans.
• Create and maintain purchase orders and SKU profiles, supporting accurate product setup, inventory visibility, and replenishment planning.
• Monitor inventory balances and purchasing requirements to support targeted service levels while minimizing excess inventory and obsolescence risk.
• Plan and execute the Direct Ship purchase order process in partnership with Customer Service and Supply Planning teams to ensure efficient order fulfillment and on-time delivery.
• Own data integrity within demand and supply planning systems, ensuring accurate inventory visibility, availability forecasting, and decision-making support across customer service, supply chain, planning and finance functions.
• Accountable for delivering inventory productivity and financial performance in line with or exceeding annual targets across the Americas region. Execute capacity planning, factory purchase planning cycles, and purchase order management with a focus on reducing inventory investment, improving receipt timing, and maximizing inventory efficiency.
• Manage inventory purchases to ensure sales forecasts are adequately supported within factory capacity constraints while meeting inventory receipt plans and financial objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on enhancing forecasting accuracy, optimizing inventory investments, streamlining planning processes, and improving overall supply chain efficiency.

Skills

Demand Planning

Buying & Merchandising

Forecasting

Excel Advanced

Analytical Skills

Team Player

Communication

Tools

SAP

Demand Manager

MFP

Business Objects

Power BI

D360

Job description

Analyze and execute inventory forecasts across three seasonal cycles, managing products throughout their lifecycle to ensure optimal inventory levels. Partners with Finance and cross-functional teams to align inventory investments with company budgets while maximizing sales opportunities and minimizing excess inventory risk.

What You'll Do:

• Collaborate with Wholesale and Retail Planning teams to develop supply plans that align with factory capacity constraints and lead-time requirements, ensuring on-time inventory availability.
• Maintain the Demand Manager Planning System consensus forecast at the article level, generating time-phased Available-to-Promise (ATP) signals for

Customer Service and Factory Purchase Plan signals for Supply Chain partners.

Review and validate demand forecasts across customer accounts, channels, and distribution networks to support inventory and service-level objectives.

Develop and deliver monthly factory purchase plans for the current buying season, balancing inventory targets, receipt plans, and manufacturing capacity limitations.

Share best practices, communicate key planning insights, and collaborate cross-functionally to improve forecasting accuracy, inventory efficiency, and overall business performance.

• Execute monthly factory purchase order placement activities, ensuring accurate order creation, timely execution, and alignment with inventory and demand plans.
• Create and maintain purchase orders and SKU profiles, supporting accurate product setup, inventory visibility, and replenishment planning.
• Monitor inventory balances and purchasing requirements to support targeted service levels while minimizing excess inventory and obsolescence risk.
• Plan and execute the Direct Ship purchase order process in partnership with Customer Service and Supply Planning teams to ensure efficient order fulfillment and on-time delivery.
• Own data integrity within demand and supply planning systems, ensuring accurate inventory visibility, availability forecasting, and decision-making support across customer service, supply chain, planning and finance functions.
• Accountable for delivering inventory productivity and financial performance in line with or exceeding annual targets across the Americas region. Execute capacity planning, factory purchase planning cycles, and purchase order management with a focus on reducing inventory investment, improving receipt timing, and maximizing inventory efficiency.
• Manage inventory purchases to ensure sales forecasts are adequately supported within factory capacity constraints while meeting inventory receipt plans and financial objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on enhancing forecasting accuracy, optimizing inventory investments, streamlining planning processes, and improving overall supply chain efficiency.

What You'll Bring:

• Successful Demand and Supply Planning, Buying, and Merchandising experience
• Understanding of overall business operations and supply chains
• Experience in demand and supply planning in footwear or related field
• Merchandise planning and forecasting
• Strong organizational skills to coordinate feedback from a variety of sources
• Practical understanding of demand planning and inventory management processes
• Advanced Microsoft Excel (if statements, linking, pivot tables, etc.)
• Strong analytical and verbal skills
• Planning Software (SAP, Demand Manager, MFP, Business Objects, Power BI, D360)
• Analytical/ highly numerate and able to identify key information
• Ability to problem solve
• Team player, goal oriented

About Clarks

Clarks, based in Somerset, England, has been at the forefront of innovative shoemaking since its foundation in 1825, when brother James and Cyrus Clark made a slipper from sheepskin off cuts. At the time it was ground-breaking: a combination of invention and craftsmanship that has remained at the heart of what the brand does now. In the Clarks archive of more than 22,000 pairs that have sparked revolutions and defined generations. From the original Clarks Desert Boot, first designed by Nathan Clark and Launched in 1950, to the iconic Wallabee, each design has an instantly recognizable signature that makes it unmistakably Clarks. This season, we're proud to introduce the Clarks Collective: five incredible activists championing authentic social change. From mental health awareness and LGBTQ+ rights to greater racial equality, these trailblazers are committed to creating a brighter future for us all-bringing to life Clarks' new global campaign, for the World Ahead. Through spotlighting their stories and supporting their chosen charities and initiatives, we're ready to lead the way. After all, we're the originators, not imitators. It's who we are, who we've always been. And to change the world of tomorrow, we're doing things differently today.As a global employer, Clarks is committed to embracing diversity throughout our workforce by creating an inclusive environment that reflects the many cultures and locations where we work. We strive to create a productive environment which everyone has an equal chance to succeed at all levels through the organization. We will not discriminate on the basis of sex, age, disability, marital status, color, race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or gender re-assignment', complying with local legislative requirements.

Actual compensation within a pay range will be based on factors including but not limited to a candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, performance, Clarks’ business needs, internal equity and any statutory obligations.The pay range for this role may be modified by Clarks at any time in the future.