JOB TITLE: DIRECTOR OF INVENTORY / PLANNING & ALLOCATION

DEPARTMENT HEAD

LOCATION: NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Inventory/Planning and Allocation role at Ocean State Job Lot (“OSJL” and “Company”) leads, develops, improves, facilitates, oversees, and directs the replenishment, allocation, inventory control, and order management functions at OSJL. This leadership position plays a significant role in overseeing the entire supply chain process, and is directly responsible for ensuring that inventory levels are optimized, that all reorderable and seasonal products are properly planned and allocated to meet customer demand, and that we maximize sell-thru and margin of significant quantities of closeout and opportunity-based buying. This position provides direction to a team of professionals responsible for suggested vendor reorders, allocation of merchandise to the stores, as well as purchase order and inventory management.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Understand in an expeditious manner the current state of the department including, but not limited to, people, process, systems, and current objectives and key results to support the company's mission, vision, and values.
• Rapidly assess what is working and what requires improvement regarding the department’s partnership with the company’s buying and merchandising teams, distribution and logistics teams, and store operation teams. Prioritize and communicate findings and recommendations with confidence.
• In conjunction with your team and other department leaders, periodically present to ownership a departmental long term roadmap strategy in support of the company’s growth plans and in conjunction with key stakeholders.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure that inventory, planning, and allocation processes are integrated and aligned with business goals.
• Review, update and modernize inventory management policies, procedures, and best practices to ensure accurate and timely inventory management.
• Optimize margin and inventory turns through analysis and reporting. Articulate recommendations with confidence when stock keeping unit inventory positions should be expanded or reduced.
• Review, update, and modernize planning together with allocation processes to ensure accurate and efficient product allocation to meet customer demand.
• Ensure timely and accurate communication with internal stakeholders and external partners to resolve day-to-day inventory and allocation issues.
• Provide regular executive reporting and analysis on inventory levels, allocation performance, and supply chain efficiency to senior management.
• Manage associate performance, write performance reviews, as well as provide coaching and feedback. As needed, delegate work and follow up with team members to confirm timely completion of tasks.
• Assist with hiring, coaching, motivating, and if required, disciplinary actions for team members as well as train new team members in addition to acting as a mentor to develop new teammates.
• Effectively utilize virtual means to communicate efficiently and work independently under remote conditions as applicable.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field is required; Master’s degree is preferred.
• 8 or more years of experience in inventory management, or planning and allocation with a proven track record of success is required.
• 5 or more years of supervisory experience is required.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing and developing teams.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to exercise independent sound judgment and work autonomously.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and inventory management software.
• Ability to work well under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Proficient in Google platform (i.e.,Sites, Slides, Drive, Docs, Sheets) preferred, or significant experience with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Familiarity with Qlik Analytics Software is preferred.

ATTRIBUTES:

• Leadership: You are a leader and exhibit that in your everyday work. You pride yourself on developing future leaders. You have direct experience managing others and have been responsible for supporting their performance.
• Effective Communicator: You possess strong communication skills and have the ability to build and maintain a culture of trust and respect.
• Team Oriented: You are capable of embracing the ideas of others (even if they conflict with your own) for the sake of the Company. You commit time, focus, and energy to develop future OSJL leaders by motivating them around a common purpose and vision.
• Self-motivated: You can work with a minimum amount of supervision and be capable of strategically prioritizing multiple tasks in a proactive manner. You understand the tools and processes needed to meet larger strategic initiatives.
• Passionate: You must be passionate about online collaboration and ensuring our clients are successful; we love seeing hunger and ambition.
• Strategically Oriented: You advocate for your team on both short-term and long-term projects by moving decisions forward and eliminating barriers.
• Analytical: You use logical reasoning and data to build conclusions, recommendations, and reporting.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Works primarily in a climate controlled environment with minimal safety and health hazard
  potential.
• Works in an office environment remaining stationary at a desk, table, or computer workstation for extended periods of time. Frequently uses near vision for reading and computer tasks.
• Hybrid option: Work may be completed outside of the company locations. The role is responsible for setting up a professional and ergonomically safe work environment and to be available during working hours. The role may also bring their own device(s) to complete all work (e.g., all computer hardware and software, including audio and video capabilities for virtual meetings; and reliable Internet connection with ability to access the Google platform for virtual meetings and applications used for work).
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to
  perform essential functions.

This job description does not list all the duties of the job. You may be asked by supervisors or managers to perform other job duties and tasks, some of which may be essential to the position. Leadership has the right to revise this job description at any time. The job description is not a contract, either express or implied. You are an at-will employee, meaning either you or the Company may terminate your employment at any time, with or without notice.