Inventory Planning Manager

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Full Time Regular Auburn, WA, US

5 days ago Requisition

Salary Range: $85,000.00 To $ Annually

Who We Are

Opening our doors in 1947, we are a third-generation, family-owned and operated direct importer, converter, and full-service distributor. We value the connections made over the bond people share through food, whether they are internal or external. For more information about who we are, please visit Peterson Company ().

POSITION SUMMARY

The Manager of Inventory Planning sits at the operational center of Peterson's inventory planning function — bridging day-to-day planning execution and the strategic direction set by the Director of Financial Planning & Analysis. This role directly manages the Inventory Planner team, translating enterprise inventory strategy, financial targets, and category priorities into structured planning workflows, performance standards, and actionable team guidance. The Manager of Inventory Planning owns team output quality, planning process integrity, and the accuracy and timeliness of inventory data that flows upward to the Director of FP&A and across to Category Management, Supplier Management, and Operations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead, coach, and develop the Inventory Planner team, providing clear direction, structured performance feedback, and meaningful development opportunities that build each planner's technical capability and cross-functional effectiveness.
• Translate the Director of FP&A's inventory strategy, financial targets, and planning priorities into clear, well-structured team workplans — ensuring each Inventory Planner understands their category scope, KPI targets, and the standards expected of their work.
• Develop the team's core capabilities in the skills essential to their success — including demand forecasting, inventory analytics, ERP proficiency, MSC tracking discipline, and cross-functional communication — through hands-on coaching and structured training.
• Conduct regular one-on-ones, team huddles, and planning reviews with Inventory Planners, maintaining visibility into workload, performance, risks, and escalation needs across all assigned categories and locations.
• Foster a high-performance, data-driven planning culture within the team — grounded in accuracy, accountability, proactive communication, and continuous improvement.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and retention of Inventory Planner talent, ensuring new team members are set up with the tools, access, and process knowledge needed to contribute quickly and effectively.

Inventory Planning Oversight & Quality Control

• Oversee the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of all inventory planning outputs produced by the team — including sales and inventory forecasts, replenishment plans, MSC trackers, and aging and expiry reports — reviewing work before it is escalated to the Director of FP&A or shared cross-functionally.
• Own the MSC (Minimum Stock Coverage) tracking program across the team, ensuring planners maintain accurate, item-level MSC records, monitor threshold breaches proactively, and escalate risks to the appropriate stakeholders within defined time frames.
• Establish and enforce planning standards, templates, and cadences across the team — including forecast review cycles, replenishment schedules, and inventory health check-ins — ensuring consistency and comparability across categories and locations.
• Monitor team-level inventory KPIs — including turns, fill rate, weeks of supply, forecast accuracy, and expired inventory percentage — identifying patterns, coaching planners on root cause analysis, and driving corrective actions where performance is trending below target.
• Serve as the first escalation point for Inventory Planners on complex planning challenges, supply disruptions, demand anomalies, or cross-functional issues that require management-level resolution or escalation to the Director of FP&A.

Inventory Strategy Execution

• Partner with the Director of FP&A to translate enterprise inventory strategy — including…