Sr. / Manager, Inventory Planning

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. 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 :

• 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 :

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 is to be the best in the world at serving the professional tradespeople and those who want to work like them. With over 130 retail stores across 24 states, top national brands and global manufacturing operations designed to create our own specialized tools and equipment, we are busting our knuckles to deliver the products, prices and advice our customers need to succeed. We’re looking for people who share our blue-collar work ethic. If you’re the kind of person who likes to put your nose to the grindstone to help your customers and company succeed, we’d love to talk to you about becoming a member of our team.

Northern Tool + Equipment is proud to be recognized by Forbes as a Top Midsize Employer in 2023 . We are committed to creating a workplace where your contributions are valued, and your professional growth is encouraged. When you join our team, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive and competitive compensation package that includes :

When you join Northern Tool + Equipment, you're not just starting a job—you're joining a community that supports your success. Come be a part of a team where your skills, dedication, and passion are recognized and celebrated. Your future starts here!