For Greg and Joanne Starkman, their path was illuminated by their love for family, health and beauty for people and the planet. When the seasoned beauty professionals were learning to navigate busy careers and raising a family with a special-needs daughter, the most memorable advice they received was, "trust your inner sense."
Fueled by passion, personal purpose, and a call to service, the visionary couple founded Innersense Organic Beauty in 2005, bringing the highest quality organic ingredients and pure actives to professional hair care.
Innersense Organic Beauty is an award-winning global leader in hair care with a complete range of safe, sustainable, and cruelty-free products that deliver pure performance and salon-quality results. As a B-Corp certified company, Innersense is committed to a path of integrity, transparency and wellbeing for people and the planet.
Demand and Inventory Planner
We are seeking a highly skilled, detail-oriented, and organized Demand and Inventory Planner Manager. In this role, you will be responsible for managing supply planning and inventory control. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of inventory principles, exceptional analytical skills, and proficiency in cloud-based software solutions, all while maintaining a continuous improvement mindset. You must be able to work both strategically and tactically, overseeing forecasting, planning, purchasing, and inventory management. As a Demand and Inventory Planner, your role will focus on optimizing inventory levels, ensuring accurate forecasting, and implementing strategies to drive efficiency across the supply chain.
Responsibilities
Forecasting & Planning: Lead the development and continuous refinement of demand forecasts by analyzing historical sales data, market trends, and external factors such as marketing promotions, seasonal variations, and retailer/distributor purchasing forecasts. Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including sales, marketing, and product development, to gather input on upcoming product launches, promotional campaigns, and any other factors that may impact demand. Regularly update the forecast to align with the latest financial projections, market conditions, and supply chain capabilities. Use advanced forecasting techniques and tools (e.g., historical data analysis, trend forecasting, and statistical models) to generate accurate and actionable demand plans that balance supply and demand, ensuring that inventory levels are optimized for both short-term needs and long-term growth. Provide purchasing forecasts to contract manufacturers on a monthly basis and adjust procurement strategies as needed to maintain efficient inventory levels while preventing stockouts and excess inventory.
Inventory Monitoring: Leverage Excel and NetSuite to track real-time inventory levels, analyze trends, and generate accurate demand forecasts. You will be responsible for leading the transition to Fuse, our cloud-based inventory management system, to streamline and optimize inventory processes across the company. As the transition progresses, you will oversee the implementation of Fuse to ensure seamless integration and effective use in managing inventory, providing support and guidance to the team throughout the process.
Inventory Optimization: Develop and implement strategies to optimize inventory levels, balancing stock availability and demand while minimizing excess stock and stockouts. Manage safety stock levels to ensure supply continuity in case of demand spikes, supply disruptions, or variability in lead times.
Inventory Risk Management: Proactively manage inventory health by identifying and addressing risks related to slow-moving products, expiry dates, and potential obsolescence. Regularly review inventory to identify slow-selling SKUs and products approaching expiration. Work with marketing and sales teams to develop strategies to increase sales of at-risk products, mitigate financial exposure, and avoid waste. Implement obsolescence management practices to identify and reduce excess or obsolete stock, minimizing financial loss and optimizing inventory turnover. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to take corrective actions and implement preventive measures for at-risk inventory, ensuring that stock levels remain aligned with demand while minimizing the impact of aging or non-sellable products.
Cycle Count & Inventory Accuracy: Lead and sustain a regular cycle counting program to ensure physical inventory counts match system records. Use data from cycle counts to identify discrepancies, improve inventory accuracy, and refine forecasting models. Implement corrective actions and preventive strategies to address any issues discovered during cycle counts.
Product Launch & Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with product development, marketing, sales, and production teams to ensure alignment of inventory plans with business objectives, including new product launches, packaging refreshes, and the onboarding of new retailers and distributors. You will support the successful execution of product launches by managing inventory needs, ensuring timely availability of stock, and coordinating across teams to account for lead times, packaging requirements, and cost efficiencies. Your ability to work cross-functionally will ensure smooth execution and on-time product availability, aligning inventory strategies with the company's growth initiatives and customer demand.
Purchase Orders, Supplier Coordination & Inventory Tracking: Create and issue purchase orders for finished goods, components, merchandise, and collateral based on demand forecasts. Work closely with suppliers to ensure timely delivery of inventory, maintaining accurate lead times and delivery schedules. Once goods are received, manage the receiving process in NetSuite, ensuring all items are accurately logged and tracked in the system. Maintain inventory accuracy by ensuring the timely and accurate recording of deliveries, and coordinate with contract manufacturers to resolve any discrepancies in shipments or inventory records.
International Inventory & Order Management: Manage the "Open to Buy" process for subsidiary operations, ensuring inventory levels align with projected demand. Create allocation orders for regular container shipments to ensure consistent stock levels and avoid stockouts.
Reporting, Insights & Root Cause Analysis: Generate detailed inventory performance reports, providing key metrics such as fill rate, inventory turnover, and carrying costs. Use these insights to identify trends, highlight areas for improvement, and support data-driven decision-making. In addition, conduct root cause analysis of any inventory discrepancies, discrepancies in forecasts, or losses, both internally and with contract manufacturers. Use findings from these analyses to implement corrective actions, prevent future issues, and continually enhance inventory management processes and system accuracy.
Training & Support: Provide training and ongoing support to team members on the effective use of the cloud-based inventory management system and best practices in inventory management. In addition, gain a comprehensive understanding of warehouse operations, including receiving, storage, picking, and shipping processes. Lead the rollout of new inventory management processes and procedures to warehouse employees, ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge and tools to implement these changes effectively. Continuously monitor the success of these initiatives and provide further training and adjustments as necessary to optimize warehouse efficiency and accuracy in inventory handling.
Other Duties as Assigned
Qualifications and Experience
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, or related field.
Proven experience in supply chain management, demand planning, or inventory management.
Strong proficiency in utilizing inventory management software, with experience in cloud-based solutions preferred.
Strong understanding of inventory control, demand forecasting, and procurement processes.
Proficiency in Excel (advanced functions such as pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and data analysis) and experience with NetSuite or similar systems.
Solid analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret large datasets and generate actionable insights.
Strong collaboration skills with the ability to work cross-functionally across teams (sales, marketing, product development, etc.).
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present data and insights clearly to stakeholders at all levels.
Ability to adapt to changing business needs and work effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
This is a full-time, in-office position located at our headquarters in Concord, California.
Target Salary Based on Experience
The standard range for this position is $90,000-100,000 annually plus bonus.
Compensation offered will be determined by factors such level, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and competitive bonus achievement. Certain roles may be eligible for variable compensation and benefits.
Innersense Organic Beauty is an equal opportunity employer. We value a culture of inclusion and diversity within our workforce and are committed to maintaining a workplace free from prohibited employment conduct, including discrimination or harassment based on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, civil or family status, age, disability, race, and any other characteristic protected by State and Federal law.
We thank you for your interest in a career opportunity with Innersense Organic Beauty. Due to high volume, only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.