Sr​/Manager, Demand Planning & Forecasting

Sr./Manager, Demand Planning & Forecasting

Join to apply for the Sr./Manager, Demand Planning & Forecasting role at Northern Tool + Equipment

At Northern Tool + Equipment we get up every day to serve the tradespeople who keep our country running strong and the weekend warriors who want to work like them. It’s our mission to make sure they have the right tools for the job, and an easy, hassle-free experience at our store so they can get in, get out and get on with the job at hand.

Your top priority as an Inventory Manager is to effectively manage, oversee and optimize inventory operations for the organization, ensuring efficient stock management, accurate tracking, and seamless supply chain and merchandising coordination. This role requires strategic planning, data-driven decision-making, and leadership to maintain optimal inventory levels while minimizing costs, budgeted open-to-buy, and ensuring product availability across all locations and channels.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist in strategic planning to optimize inventory for all channels of the organization. Able to develop a strategic vision with hands-on execution.
• Oversee and manage inventory levels across the enterprise to ensure optimal stock availability while delivering inventory reduction and other initiatives.
• Manage, coach, and lead inventory team, building a culture of accountability and driving continuous improvement of inventory planning processes.
• Develop and implement inventory processes, procedures, and business rhythms to streamline operations, build predictability and accountability for team execution.
• Determine execution approaches and develop monitoring tools and techniques (reports and KPI scorecards) to track current performance, trends, and proactive issue identification and mitigation.
• Build and manage effective business relationships with key stakeholders to ensure strong partnership, open communication, and collaboration in planning and execution of daily, weekly and monthly objectives.
• Lead/coordinate cross-functional initiatives to improve team efficiencies, drive inventory reduction, and implement cost avoidance strategies, while managing financial targets to ensure efficient product flow, inventory health, and high level of instocks for all sales channels.
• Plans, evaluate, and improve the efficiency of business processes and procedures to enhance speed, quality, efficiency and output. Identify areas of opportunity and lead process improvement initiatives to ensure the inventory team executes to the core job responsibilities.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills. Ability to work cross functionally and influence using data analytics.
• Proficiency with inventory software, tools and Microsoft Suite. Leverages advanced system capabilities, leads system enhancements and ensure optimal configuration, performance and utilization of technology.

What you will bring to the table:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or related field.
• 7+ years of related inventory management/merchandising experience in a multi-channel environment.
• 3+ years in a supervisory role with multiple direct reports.
• Strong analytical ability to interpret data, gain buy-in and make strategic decisions.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills to manage teams and collaborate cross-functionally.
• Strong analytical skills with a passion for using data to develop innovative, effective solutions to address business needs. Ability to execute deep dives to eliminate problems at their source.
• Integrated problem-solver, partnering across functions to deliver results.
• Proficient with inventory management software, MS Office and Power BI (or other reporting platform).
• Proven track record of implementing process improvements and driving accuracy in inventory financial reporting.
• Experience in a manufacturing setting a plus.
• Demonstrates Northern Tool + Equipment’s 12 Core Competencies.

About Us

Northern Tool + Equipment is a family business with roots stretching back three generations to Minnesota’s Iron Range, where our blue-collar work ethic and commitment to serving the people who do the tough jobs was born. Our mission…