Manager, Supply & Inventory Planning

William Vaughn; Wilton (CT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

William Vaughn is seeking a Manager, Supply & Inventory Planning to lead the end-to-end supply planning for a diverse SKU portfolio while coordinating with Demand Planning, Operations, Sales, Finance, and external partners. The ideal candidate has 3–4 years of direct supply planning experience in a retail or inventory-driven business, with strong analytical capabilities and advanced Excel skills.

This role focuses on optimizing inventory turns, service levels, and working capital within a

Qualifications

• 3–4 years of direct supply planning experience.
• Experience in retail, consumer products, eCommerce, or inventory-driven business.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Experience with ERP/MRP inventory planning systems.

Responsibilities

• Own the supply planning process across assigned products, categories, or units.
• Develop and maintain supply plans based on forecasts, lead times, service requirements, and business priorities.
• Translate demand forecasts into purchasing, production, and inventory requirements.
• Monitor inventory levels and identify shortages, excess inventory, and supply risks.
• Balance inventory availability with working capital and inventory investment objectives.
• Partner with Demand Planning to understand forecast changes and promotions.
• Manage supply requirements across a large SKU portfolio.
• Analyze inventory health, weeks of supply, service levels, fill rates, backorders, and obsolete inventory.
• Identify opportunities to improve inventory turns while maintaining product availability.
• Work cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, Finance, Procurement, and Logistics.
• Communicate supply constraints and risks to stakeholders.
• Support new product launches and promotions from a supply planning perspective.
• Develop scenario analyses and recommendations when demand or supply changes.
• Identify opportunities to improve planning processes, reporting, tools, and overall supply chain efficiency.
• Maintain accurate planning data and ensure inputs remain current.
• Support KPI development and tracking related to inventory, service levels, forecast performance, and supply execution.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Advanced Excel

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

ERP systems

MRP systems

Inventory planning software

Job description

We are seeking a Manager, Supply & Inventory Planning to join a growing consumer focused organization and play a key role in ensuring the right inventory is available at the right time across the business. This individual will own critical aspects of supply and inventory planning, partnering closely with Demand Planning, Operations, Sales, Finance, and external partners to balance customer demand, inventory levels, service, and working capital.

The ideal candidate brings at least 3-4 years of direct supply planning experience within a retail, consumer products, eCommerce, or similarly inventory intensive environment. We are looking for someone who is highly analytical, comfortable managing a complex SKU portfolio, and able to turn demand signals and business needs into actionable supply plans.

Manager, Supply & Inventory Planning Responsibilities:

• Own the supply planning process across assigned products, categories, or business units
• Develop and maintain supply plans based on demand forecasts, inventory positions, lead times, service requirements, and business priorities
• Translate demand forecasts into purchasing, production, and inventory requirements
• Monitor inventory levels and proactively identify potential shortages, excess inventory, and supply risks
• Balance inventory availability with working capital and inventory investment objectives
• Partner closely with Demand Planning to understand forecast changes, trends, promotions, seasonality, and potential supply implications
• Manage supply requirements across a broad and complex SKU portfolio
• Analyze inventory health, weeks of supply, service levels, fill rates, backorders, excess and obsolete inventory, and other key planning metrics
• Identify opportunities to improve inventory turns while maintaining strong product availability
• Work cross functionally with Sales, Operations, Finance, Procurement, Logistics, and other teams to align supply with business needs
• Communicate supply constraints, inventory risks, and potential service issues to key stakeholders
• Support new product launches, promotional activity, assortment changes, and other business initiatives from a supply planning perspective
• Develop scenario analyses and recommendations when demand or supply conditions change
• Identify opportunities to improve planning processes, reporting, tools, and overall supply chain efficiency
• Maintain accurate planning data and ensure assumptions, lead times, and other key inputs remain current
• Support the development and tracking of KPIs related to inventory, service levels, forecast performance, and supply execution

Manager, Supply & Inventory Planning Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 to 4 years of direct supply planning experience required
• Prior experience within retail, consumer products, eCommerce, or a similarly inventory driven business required
• Strong understanding of supply planning, inventory management, demand forecasting, and replenishment
• Experience managing supply and inventory across a large or complex SKU portfolio
• Demonstrated ability to analyze inventory and make recommendations related to shortages, excess inventory, service levels, and working capital
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to work with large data sets and translate information into actionable business recommendations
• Advanced Excel skills required
• Experience with ERP, MRP, inventory planning, or supply chain planning systems
• Strong cross functional communication skills with the ability to work effectively across Planning, Operations, Sales, Finance, Procurement, and Logistics
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and operate effectively in a fast paced, evolving environment
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Finance, or a related field preferred