Inventory Planner

RS; United States; Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

RS Americas is seeking an Inventory Planner to manage daily supply planning operations, procurement, and PO execution for supplier partners, ensuring stock availability and on-time delivery.

You will collaborate with Sales, Product Management, and Demand Planners, analyze costs, and optimize turns while supporting customer service goals. This role is hybrid and offers growth within the Supply Chain function and cross-functional project exposure.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years in an inventory management or supply chain related role.
• General understanding of end-to-end Supply Chain Planning processes.
• Can correlate forecasting and demand planning activities to Supply Chain cost and service.
• Sets objectives and goals through effective planning and accurately scopes out length and difficulty of tasks/projects.

Responsibilities

• Manages inventory planning and purchase order delivery activities for a defined group of supplier partners.
• Manages the review, approval, and release of purchase orders.
• Proactively conducts cost Break analytics to support and maximize sales revenue and margin.
• Works with Sales, Suppliers, Product Managers and Demand Planners to execute buying decisions.
• Partners with Demand Planning to maintain purchase order schedule by Vendor.
• Reviews scheduled customer orders to maximize purchasing opportunities and to ensure sufficient inventories.

Skills

Inventory planning

Procurement management

Communication

Analytical skills

Teamwork

Customer service

Prioritization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

About RS Group

RS is a high-service global product and service solutions provider for industrial customers, enabling them to operate efficiently and sustainably.

We operate in 33 markets, stock over 875,000 industrial and specialist products and list an additional five million relevant for our industrial customers, sourced from over 2,500 suppliers. This extensive range supports our customers across the industrial lifecycle of designing, building and maintaining equipment and operations. We enhance their experience through a tailored service model, leveraging our efficient physical, digital and process infrastructure sustainably. We combine a technically led and digitally enabled approach with an exceptional team of experts; ultimately, it’s our people that make the difference.

Our purpose, making amazing happen for a better world, reflects our focus on delivering results for people, planet and profit.

About the Role

Role Purpose

This position manages the daily operations of the Supply Planning function and combines purchase order and procurement management with delivery management to ensure a positive customer experience. The Inventory Planner has the direct responsibility for planning, executing, and monitoring Supply Chain’s procurement strategies while maximizing process efficiencies and functional productivity. There are three core elements of the Inventory Planner role:

• Ensure stock availability by using proper planning policies and investment strategies.
• Identify investment opportunities through cost analysis to maximize revenue and gross margin.
• Sustain market leading service levels that leverage automated solutions for scalability of real-time purchase order delivery information from Supplier Partners.

Responsibilities

• Manages inventory planning and purchase order delivery activities for a defined group of supplier partners.
• Manages the review, approval, and release of purchase orders.
• Proactively conducts cost break analytics to support and maximize sales revenue and margin, while maintaining a desired turns objective.
• Works with Sales, Suppliers, Product Managers and Demand Planners to execute buying decisions.
• Partners with Demand Planning to maintain purchase order schedule by Vendor.
• Reviews scheduled customer orders to maximize purchasing opportunities and to ensure sufficient inventories are in place to support the scheduled requirements.
• Works together with other business functions including, but not limited to, Sales and Operations, Product Management, Process and Finance to review and resolve purchase order opportunities related to special costs, ship & debits, and customer’s schedules.
• Monitor, expedite and update open PO’s to confirm material is being processed to meet delivery commitments.
• Works together with Sales and Suppliers to execute sales order expedites.
• Creates, administers, and expedites both customer drop ship and generic orders.
• Collaboration with Process Team:
• Providing analysis/support related to inventory excess and obsolescence.
• Assisting with inbound discrepancy issues as needed.
• Investigates and identifies inventory related challenges both alone and at the direction of Supply Chain Management.
• Participates in company training programs when applicable.
• Performs other duties related to delivery management or non-inventory related tasks as assigned by Supply Chain Management.

Key opportunities for growth in this role

• This role has opportunities for professional growth within the Supply Chain function that include Supply Planner, Sr. Supply Planner, Demand Planner, and potentially the Supply Chain Manager roles.
• This role partners with members of Product Management. In some cases, the Inventory Planner could make a promotional move to Supplier Manager to expand their knowledge for managing supplier relationships.
• This role will be exposed to a variety of cross-functional areas of the business that will help develop business acumen and professional growth which could lead to other/future opportunities within the company.
• This role may participate in the delivery of projects within the supply chain function with the opportunity to participate in other cross-functional projects throughout the company.

Key relationships for my role/Who do I need to consult with?

Internal:

• Supply Chain leadership. Also works together with other business functions including, but not limited to, Sales and Operations, Product Management, and Finance

External:

• Supplier Partners

Who do I need to keep informed and engage with?

Internal:

• Primarily with Supply Chain Leadership along with Supply Planners, Demand Planners and Delivery Planners, and the Process team.
• Engages with other business functions, including but not limited to Sales, Operations, Product Management, Technology and Finance

External:

• Supplier Partners for daily execution of supply & purchase order execution and inventory performance updates.

Candidate Requirements

Qualifications and Skills:

Essential:

• 1-3 years in an inventory management or supply chain related role.
• General understanding of end-to-end Supply Chain Planning processes.
• Can correlate forecasting and demand planning activities to Supply Chain cost and service.
• Set’s objectives and goals through effective planning and accurately scopes out length and difficulty of tasks/projects.
• Managing through systems by implementing best practices.
• Can effectively communicate (verbal, written and listening).
• Must have strong teamwork & organizational skills.
• Ability to perform basic analytical functions.
• Exhibits strong customer service and is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers.
• Knows how to set priorities and can quickly zero in on what is critical.

Desirable:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 1-3 years of experience in a supply chain related position
• Understands market dynamics, industries, products, & competitors.

Equal Employment Opportunity

RS Americas is an equal opportunity employer and maintains policies and practices that are designed to prevent and prohibit unlawful discrimination against any qualified employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, military/veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other unlawful classification to the extent protected by law. This policy of non-discrimination applies to all employment practices, including hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, training and termination. Employees who engage in unlawful discrimination will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

LI-HYBRID #LI-SC1