DescriptionYour top priority as a Senior Director of Inventory Planning & Replenishment is to be accountable for enterprise-wide inventory strategy, forecasting, financial planning, and execution across Northern Tool + Equipment. This leader ensures the organization delivers optimal in-stock performance while effectively managing inventory investment, working capital, and profitability.
This role owns the end-to-end inventory planning function-driving a system-based, SKU-level planning model that integrates forecasting, replenishment, and financial plans. This position partners closely with Merchandising, Finance, Supply Chain, and Executive Leadership to align demand, inventory, and financial outcomes while building a scalable, disciplined operating model. Your positive, professional, roll-up-your-sleeves-to-help attitude contributes to our winning culture and makes sure we leave a lasting impression.
Key Responsibilities:
Enterprise Inventory Strategy
- Define and lead the company's inventory strategy, including segmentation (A-F ranking), service level targets, and replenishment approaches.
- Establish enterprise inventory policies and guardrails balancing service, working capital, and profitability.
- Define and govern enterprise tradeoffs between service levels, inventory investment, and financial performance, ensuring clear decision rights and alignment across functions.
- Drive alignment on standardized inventory planning methodologies across all categories and channels.
- Own long-term inventory roadmap including systems, process, and operating model evolution.
Forecasting Ownership & Demand Integrity
- Establish enterprise forecasting framework, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and accountability.
- Own integration of merchant input, historical data, and system-driven forecasting (E3) into a single demand signal.
- Ensure forecasts are SKU-level, actionable, and aligned to promotions, lifecycle, and seasonality.
- Drive forecast accountability across Merchandising and Planning teams.
Financial Planning, Budgeting & Inventory Investment
- Own inventory alignment to financial outcomes, including sales, margin, and working capital targets.
- Partner with Finance to lead annual budgeting, monthly forecasts, and in-season reforecasting.
- Ensure inventory decisions support enterprise financial commitments.
- Drive visibility to tradeoffs between service, inventory investment, and margin.
Replenishment & Execution Excellence
- Ensure system-driven replenishment execution across stores, DCs, and direct channels.
- Drive a fully exception-based operating model, where teams focus on prioritized risks and opportunities rather than manual, item-level intervention.
- Hold teams accountable for ordering tied to promotions, programs, and key items.
- Establish and drive ladder planning for priority SKUs, ensuring alignment between demand forecasts, manufacturing commitments, and inventory execution, with clear visibility to risks, gaps, and required actions.
- Drive improvements in lead time accuracy, vendor performance, and inventory flow.
- Ensure alignment with sourcing and vendor partners on lead times, supply commitments, and production plans to support inventory and service targets.
Inventory Performance & KPI Ownership
- Establish and own enterprise KPIs: In-stock / service levels, forecast accuracy, inventory turns / WOS, backorders / fill rate, GMROI and inventory productivity.
- Deliver consistent executive reporting with clear actions and risk visibility.
- Drive root-cause analysis and corrective action across teams.
Cross-Functional Leadership & SIOP
- Serve as the primary inventory planning partner to Merchandising, Finance, Supply Chain, and Operations.
- Partner with Manufacturing to establish and drive a clear, accountable SIOP process that connects forecasting, production planning, and inventory execution, ensuring alignment to service levels, inventory targets, and financial commitments.
- Lead cross-functional alignment on priorities, tradeoffs, and execution timing.
- Ensure accountability across teams for delivery against plans.
Technology, Data & Operating Model Leadership
- Own inventory planning systems strategy, roadmap, and adoption (E3, JDE).
- Ensure a single system of truth and eliminate shadow planning.
- Partner with IT and Analytics to build reporting, forecasting tools, and dashboards.
- Drive automation, standardization, and scalability across planning processes.
Leadership & Talent Development
- Build, develop, and retain a high-performing inventory planning organization.
- Establish clear roles, ownership, and accountability across team structure.
- Develop bench strength and succession plans.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
What you will bring to the table:
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Operations, or related field (MBA preferred).
- 10+ years of progressive inventory planning, demand planning, or supply chain experience.
- 5+ years of leadership experience managing professional-level teams.
- Demonstrated success driving inventory optimization and business performance improvements.
- Strong financial and business acumen with experience managing inventory investments and working capital.
- Advanced analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing senior stakeholders.
- Knowledge of SIOP, demand planning, and advanced inventory management methodologies.
- Experience within retail, e-commerce, wholesale distribution, or multi-channel environments.
- Experience with inventory optimization, forecasting, ERP, replenishment, and planning systems.
- Represents Northern Tools Core Values.
