VP - Inventory Planning & Management

Grocery Outlet; Emeryville (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Bonus Program

Equity

401(k) Profit Sharing

Medical, Dental, Vision & More!

Job summary

Grocery Outlet in Emeryville, CA seeks a VP of Inventory Planning & Management to lead end-to-end inventory planning and allocation across categories, channels, and nodes—from suppliers to warehouse to store—balancing in-stock performance, cost, and capacity.

You will architect the planning function, build strategies, processes, tools, and a team to support opportunistic buying at scale in a non-repeatable, variable environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in inventory planning, merchandise planning, or supply chain operations within retail grocery or a similar model.
• Ability to thrive in a fast paced, start-up like environment.
• Deep expertise in OTB management, demand forecasting, allocation, and replenishment.
• Experience in opportunistic, off-price, or highly variable merchandise environments strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to build, lead, and hold high-performing teams accountable.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights.
• Demonstrated strength in root cause problem solving and structured thinking.
• Clear and effective communicator with the ability to create executive-ready materials and drive alignment.
• Strong understanding of retail financial metrics (DOS, OTB, margin, shrink, aged inventory) and their impact on P&L.
• Experience with inventory planning and forecasting systems, with the ability to influence technology strategy.
• Strong executive presence and ability to partner effectively with senior leadership.
• Highly organized, process-oriented, and able to operate with urgency in a fast-paced environment.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the Open-to-Buy (OTB) checkbook process, ensuring accurate and actionable financial guardrails for purchasing decisions.
• Establish and manage warehouse Days of Supply (DOS) targets by product type and category, balancing service levels with carrying costs and capacity constraints.
• Lead a disciplined weekly OTB review cadence with Purchasing leadership, translating inventory KPIs into clear buying guidance.
• Define and enforce need-by date discipline, ensuring proactive PO management and timely upstream execution.
• Lead and develop a team of inventory planners with clear accountability for DOS, in-stock performance, and aged inventory outcomes.
• Maintain a rigorous KPI reporting framework covering warehouse inventory, store in-stock rates, aged inventory, and open purchase commitments.
• Own and manage the OOS Issue Tracker and related store communication processes, ensuring timely resolution of service issues.
• Partner with Distribution Center operations to optimize inbound scheduling, storage utilization, and inventory flow.
• Partner with First Mile and Transportation to align inbound velocity, carrier capacity, and network throughput with inventory targets.
• Serve as the planning engine behind Grocery Outlet’s opportunistic buying strategy, enabling fast, confident decision-making.
• Develop planning protocols tailored to irregular deal flow, quantity variability, and compressed timelines.
• Provide rapid, accurate inventory assessments to support time-sensitive purchasing decisions.
• Build and lead a high-performing inventory planning team grounded in ownership, accountability, and a bias for action.
• Establish clear expectations and a strong feedback culture; address performance gaps with urgency.
• Hire, develop, and retain top talent while building scalable capabilities and career paths.
• Foster a culture where planners act as proactive business partners, not just order takers.
• Drive a data-first problem-solving culture, requiring clear problem definition and quantified impact.
• Lead root cause analysis on inventory performance gaps using structured methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, Pareto).
• Translate complex inventory challenges into clear, concise, data-driven narratives to support decision-making.
• Champion continuous improvement by challenging assumptions and identifying better ways to plan and manage inventory.
• Serve as the primary partner to Purchasing on all inventory-related topics, building strong relationships with Buying leadership.
• Partner with Finance to align inventory planning with financial goals and guardrails.
• Collaborate with Merchandising, Store Operations, and Distribution to align inventory strategy with business priorities.
• Represent the planning function in senior leadership forums, clearly communicating inventory position, risks, and opportunities.

Skills

Strong analytical skills

Clear and effective communicator

Root cause problem solving

Executive presence

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

• Our Mission: Touching lives for the better
• Our Vision: Touching lives by being the first choice for bargain-minded consumers in the U.S.

About Grocery Outlet

• Our Mission: Touching lives for the better
• Our Vision: Touching lives by being the first choice for bargain-minded consumers in the U.S.
• Our Values & Behaviors: Achievement, Diversity, Entrepreneurship, Family, Fun, Integrity & Service

About The Team

Our Planning team’s mission is to constantly push the status quo to deliver the best service to our buying team and store operators. Our team is highly intelligent and engaged with the business- allowing us to operate in a fast-paced environment and form cross-functional partnerships. Successful members of our team maximize profitability and productivity within their department and motivate their team and cross functional partners with their energy.

About The Role

As the VP of Inventory Planning & Management, you will lead the end-to-end inventory planning and allocation function across Grocery Outlet, ensuring our inventory position is optimized across all categories, channels, and nodes—from suppliers to warehouse to store—while balancing in-stock performance, cost, and capacity.

This is a highly visible leadership role where you will serve as the architect of our inventory planning capability, building the strategies, processes, tools, and team needed to support Grocery Outlet’s opportunistic buying model at scale. You will operate in a complex environment defined by non-repeatable buys, variable lead times, and supply unpredictability, requiring deep expertise, strong cross-functional leadership, and a hands-on approach to driving performance and continuous improvement.

The VP, Inventory Planning & Management, reports to the SVP, Chief Supply Chain Officer.

Responsibilities Include

Inventory Strategy & Open-to-Buy (OTB)

• Own and evolve the Open-to-Buy (OTB) checkbook process, ensuring accurate and actionable financial guardrails for purchasing decisions
• Establish and manage warehouse Days of Supply (DOS) targets by product type and category, balancing service levels with carrying costs and capacity constraints
• Lead a disciplined weekly OTB review cadence with Purchasing leadership, translating inventory KPIs into clear buying guidance
• Define and enforce need-by date discipline, ensuring proactive PO management and timely upstream execution

Inventory Execution & Performance Management

• Lead and develop a team of inventory planners with clear accountability for DOS, in-stock performance, and aged inventory outcomes
• Maintain a rigorous KPI reporting framework covering warehouse inventory, store in-stock rates, aged inventory, and open purchase commitments
• Own and manage the OOS Issue Tracker and related store communication processes, ensuring timely resolution of service issues
• Partner with Distribution Center operations to optimize inbound scheduling, storage utilization, and inventory flow
• Partner with First Mile and Transportation to align inbound velocity, carrier capacity, and network throughput with inventory targets

Opportunistic Buying Enablement

• Serve as the planning engine behind Grocery Outlet’s opportunistic buying strategy, enabling fast, confident decision-making
• Develop planning protocols tailored to irregular deal flow, quantity variability, and compressed timelines
• Provide rapid, accurate inventory assessments to support time-sensitive purchasing decisions

Team Leadership & Culture

• Build and lead a high-performing inventory planning team grounded in ownership, accountability, and a bias for action
• Establish clear expectations and a strong feedback culture; address performance gaps with urgency
• Hire, develop, and retain top talent while building scalable capabilities and career paths
• Foster a culture where planners act as proactive business partners, not just order takers

Problem Solving & Analytical Rigor

• Drive a data-first problem-solving culture, requiring clear problem definition and quantified impact
• Lead root cause analysis on inventory performance gaps using structured methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, Pareto)
• Translate complex inventory challenges into clear, concise, data-driven narratives to support decision-making
• Champion continuous improvement by challenging assumptions and identifying better ways to plan and manage inventory

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as the primary partner to Purchasing on all inventory-related topics, building strong relationships with Buying leadership
• Partner with Finance to align inventory planning with financial goals and guardrails
• Collaborate with Merchandising, Store Operations, and Distribution to align inventory strategy with business priorities
• Represent the planning function in senior leadership forums, clearly communicating inventory position, risks, and opportunities

About The Pay

• Base Salary Range: $200,000 - $225,000 Annually
• Annual Bonus Program
• Equity
• 401(k) Profit Sharing
• Medical, Dental, Vision & More!
• Final compensation will be determined based upon experience and skills

About You

• 10+ years of progressive experience in inventory planning, merchandise planning, or supply chain operations within retail grocery or a similar model
• Ability to thrive in a fast paced, start-up like environment
• Deep expertise in OTB management, demand forecasting, allocation, and replenishment
• Experience in opportunistic, off-price, or highly variable merchandise environments strongly preferred
• Proven ability to build, lead, and hold high-performing teams accountable
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights
• Demonstrated strength in root cause problem solving and structured thinking
• Clear and effective communicator with the ability to create executive-ready materials and drive alignment
• Strong understanding of retail financial metrics (DOS, OTB, margin, shrink, aged inventory) and their impact on P&L
• Experience with inventory planning and forecasting systems, with the ability to influence technology strategy
• Strong executive presence and ability to partner effectively with senior leadership
• Highly organized, process-oriented, and able to operate with urgency in a fast-paced environment
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred