Inventory Planner - IRP

Lowe's; Mooresville (NC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Lowe's is seeking an Inventory Planner at our Mooresville, NC headquarters. The role focuses on developing and executing inventory strategies to maximize product availability and financial performance across stores, DCs, and digital channels.

You will partner with Merchandising, Replenishment, and Supply Chain to optimize planning assumptions, safety stock, and service levels, while translating complex data into actionable recommendations for leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent years of experience in related field.
• 7+ years of experience in retail, manufacturing, or supply chain.
• 3+ years of inventory planning, replenishment, or related areas.
• Experience independently managing inventory plans for complex categories or networks.
• Advanced knowledge of inventory planning principles (forecasting, safety stock, service levels).
• Strong ability to analyze financial, inventory, demand, and supply data and translate findings into actions.

Responsibilities

• Design inventory strategies balancing customer experience, financial objectives, and constraints.
• Manage inventories across stores, DCs, and digital channels.
• Analyze demand forecasts, sales trends, and vendor performance to identify risks and opportunities.
• Recommend and execute inventory actions addressing stock shortages and excesses.
• Establish inventory targets, safety stock, and service levels based on category needs.
• Collaborate with Merchandising and Assortment Planning on promotions and lifecycle changes.
• Coordinate with Replenishment and Supply Chain to ensure plan execution across network.
• Provide data-driven recommendations to cross-functional leaders.

Skills

Inventory planning

Forecasting

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain/Operations/Business

Job description

Do your Best Work in Mooresville

This position is based at our headquarters in Mooresville, North Carolina. Our corporate office is a space where you can collaborate and do your best work. Take a walk, grab a bite (or a cup of coffee), work out or get a check-up - we invest in you so you can find your inspiration.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time

Your Impact

The Inventory Planner develops and executes inventory strategies for assigned merchandise categories, business units, or distribution networks to maximize product availability, inventory productivity, and financial performance. This role maintains inventory planning assumptions and parameters, independently manages inventory plans, recommends actions that balance customer demand, sales opportunities, service levels, supply constraints, and inventory investment across stores, distribution centers, and digital fulfillment channels. The Inventory Planner serves as a strategic partner to Merchandising, Replenishment, Assortment Planning, Supply Chain, Finance, and Store Operations. This role evaluates complex inventory and demand trends, identifies financial and operational risks, and influences cross-functional decisions throughout the product lifecycle, including seasonal planning, promotions, product launches, assortment transitions, and end-of-life management. The role requires advanced analytical judgment, strong business and financial acumen, and the ability to translate complex data into clear recommendations for leaders and cross-functional partners.

What You Will Do

• Design inventory strategies that leverage system driven planning capabilities while balancing customer experience, financial objectives, and operational constraints.


• Manage inventory strategies across stores, distribution centers, and digital fulfillment channels, balancing product availability with inventory productivity and financial risk.


• Analyze demand forecasts, sales trends, inventory positions, supply constraints, lead times, and vendor performance to identify risks and opportunities.


• Recommend and execute inventory actions addressing potential out-of-stocks, excess inventory, aging inventory, capacity constraints, and changes in customer demand.


• Establish and maintain inventory targets, planning assumptions, safety-stock strategies, service levels, and other inventory parameters based on category and business requirements.


• Partner with Merchandising and Assortment Planning to develop inventory strategies for promotions, seasonal events, product launches, resets, assortment changes, and product lifecycle transitions.


• Collaborate with Replenishment and Supply Chain partners to ensure inventory plans can be effectively executed across the distribution and fulfillment network.


• Evaluate the inventory and financial implications of business decisions and provide data-driven recommendations to cross-functional leaders.


• Lead decision-making discussions by translating system insights into business actions, clarifying trade-offs, and aligning cross-functional stakeholders.


• Evaluate system generated planning scenarios, challenge assumptions, and guide leadership toward decisions under uncertainty.


• Monitor inventory performance against established plans and adjust strategies based on actual results, forecast changes, and evolving business priorities.


• Lead continuous improvement of system enabled planning processes, decision frameworks, and planning governance to improve organizational capability.


• Support planning-system implementations, enhancements, testing, and adoption by providing inventory-planning expertise and business requirements.


• Maintain accurate planning data and ensure inventory strategies comply with established financial controls, operating standards, and planning processes.


• Provide guidance, analytical support, and inventory-planning expertise.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Business Analytics, Data Analytics, Mathematics, or a related field; or equivalent years of experience in lieu of education requirement, if applicable


• 7+ years of experience in retail, manufacturing, or supply chain.


• 3+ years of experience in inventory planning, replenishment, merchandise planning, demand planning, retail operations, merchandise buying, or assortment planning.


• Experience independently managing inventory plans for complex merchandise categories, business units, or distribution networks.


• Advanced knowledge of inventory-planning principles, including forecasting, safety stock, service levels, inventory turns, weeks of supply, product lifecycle management, and working-capital optimization.


• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex financial, inventory, demand, and supply data and translate findings into actionable business recommendations.


• Experience developing invent