About this role
Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you’re empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work.
This position will be located in: Fargo, ND
Application Deadline: Posted Until Filled.
Please note that the position may be filled before or after the listed application deadline. Applications will only be accepted while the posting remains active.
Job Summary
The Inventory Planner facilitates effective two-way communication between local branch sales and operations teams and centralized purchasing and demand planning teams with respect to demand forecasts, inventory availability, slow-move inventory reduction, and supplier performance. Provides inventory, demand planning, and purchasing consultation to branches and acts as a primary contact point within the assigned region. Provides oversight, analysis, and coordination of project inventory to ensure that inventory availability, inventory turnover, and profitability are maximized throughout project duration. Engages branch sales teams assigned to key open-market customers, reviews customer-specific inventory service and performance, and proactively addresses branch or customer concerns related to inventory or purchasing activities.
Responsibilities
Essential Functions
- Collaborates with branch leadership on aggregate demand forecasts and makes adjustments according to qualitative or anecdotal feedback.
- Identifies seasonal product families for each branch and schedules follow up reviews based on seasonal patterns.
- Collaborates with branch support inventory demand planners and purchasing specialist on inventory ramp-up/down.
- Facilitates communication between branch and the Branch Support Center regarding product and/or vendor conversion projects.
- Initiates communication with branch support and branch stakeholders, stocking parameter setup and purchasing activities to support various project phases.
- Provides oversight and analysis of project inventory availability, sales order date management, project status.
- Ensures stocking parameters and inventory are phased out to avoid overstock at each project’s termination.
- Conducts regular reviews of consignment inventory levels and turnover by customer.
- Facilitates any changes to consigned inventory though applicable account managers.
- Reviews product stocking status with branch operations, counter, and inside sales staff with a focus on removing reorder points on unnecessary slow-moving products, adding reorder points on non-stocking products with sufficient sales history, and maintaining complete product offerings on key “service item” product families.
- Collaborates with branch leadership and sales and inventory teams to solicit and provide feedback regarding operational effectiveness, strategy, and updates to ensure effective inventory management.
- Communicates scorecard information, key findings, and inventory updates to inventory and purchasing team and the executive council.
Non-Essential Functions
- Presents updates, strategy changes, and other key information regarding inventory and purchasing at committee meetings.
- Coordinates and leads frequent inventory committee meetings with branch leadership, account managers, demand planners and buyers.
- Reviews regional hub and spoke settings.
- Participates in vendor and product training.
- Attends regional trade shows and sales panning events.
- Completes other duties as assigned by manager or other designate.
Qualifications
- Four year business or technical degree or equivalent in work experience.
- 2+ years of experience in an inventory management, supply chain, or demand/supply planning role.
- Solid understanding of demand planning and forecasting concepts (trending, seasonality, etc.), inventory management, and stocking parameters such as order points, lead times and quantities, distribution networks, and hub-spoke replenishment.
- Strong data analysis and manipulation skills – MS Excel/Access.
- Experience in wholesale distribution, electrical manufacturing, or electrical wholesaling is preferred.
- Familiarity with the electrical wholesaling industry and electrical products is preferred.
Skills and Abilities
- Excellent conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
- Ability to take a collaborative approach to solving problems.
- Excellent customer service skills include being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.
Physical Requirements
Frequency at which you would carry/lift in a typical day:
Occasionally 0 – 33% Frequently 34 – 66% Continuously: 67 – 100%
- Lift from Waist:
< than 10 lbs. - Not at all
- 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
- 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
- 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
- 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
- 100+ lbs. - Not at all
- Lift from Floor:
< than 10 lbs. - Frequently
- 10 to 25 lbs. - Frequently
- 26 to 50 lbs. - Ocasionally
- 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
- 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
- 100+ lbs. - Not at all
- Carried for Distance:
< than 10 lbs. - Not at all
- 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
- 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
- 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
- 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
- 100+ lbs. - Not at all
Physical Activity
Frequency at which you would do the following in a typical day:
- Sitting (a continuous period of being seated) - Continuously
- Standing (for sustained periods of time) - Frequently
- Walking (moving about on foot to accomplish tasks) - Frequently
- Bending/stooping (downward and forward) - Occasionally
- Crawling (moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet) - Not at all
- Climbing/Walking Stairs (ascending or descending) - Frequently
- Reaching (extending arms in any direction) - Frequently
- Crouching/squatting (bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine) - Occasionally
- Kneeling (bending legs at knee to come to rest on knee(s)) - Occasionally
- Balancing (maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling) - Occasionally
- Repetitive motion (substantial movement (motions) or the wrists, hands, and/or fingers) - Continuously
- Pivoting (movement in any direction with one foot, keeping the other in contact with the floor) - Occasionally
- Pushing/Pulling (using upper extremities to press against or draw or tug) - Occasionally
- Grasping (Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm) - Continuously
- Fingering (picking, pinching, typing; working with primarily fingers and not whole hand) - Continuously
- Talking (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word) - Frequently
- Driving (the control and operation of a motor vehicle) - Occasionally
- Desk work (work usually performed at a desk) - Continuously
- Use of a computer - Continuously
- Use of a telephone - Frequently
- Hearing (Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels) - Continuously
- Exposure (to adverse weather & temperature conditions) - Not at all
- Travel (travel needed to perform job duties) - Occasionally
Additional Information
This job description is a summary of the job duties and responsibilities and is not intended to cover all possible job duties and is subject to change at the employer’s discretion. Employees must be able to perform the essential job duties and satisfy job requirements either with or without a reasonable accommodation.
Our History
Border States is a leader in the electrical supply distribution industry with approximately 130 locations in 31 states. Our employee-owners are second to none in delivering top-notch customer service and in demonstrating extra-ordinary people skills. We are one of the largest independent electrical distributors in the United States providing products and services to the construction, industrial and utility industries. Border States has a competitive benefit package and is a 100 percent employee-owned company. Employee-ownership is a significant part of our culture and our success stems from the dedication of our employee-owners. We practice open-book management and our employee-owners are empowered with clearly defined levels of authority to be innovative and decisive, allowing us to respond quickly to the needs of customers. Employee-owners understand their roles in the success of the company and care about customers’ needs, which drives our focus on adding value to everything we do. We recognize that not all customers are the same and each has specific requirements. Our employee-owners understand these diverse needs and have the commitment, resourcefulness and flexibility to outperform all others.
Values
As a Border States employee-owner, you’re responsible for living our mission, service philosophy and service standards.
Our Purpose
We believe unstoppable businesses shouldn't go it alone. We are owners - of relationships, of outcomes, of every moment these unstoppable businesses need to deliver.
Service Philosophy
We earn customer loyalty and confidence by caring about their needs and adding value to everything we do.
Service Standards
Border States employee-owners are competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged .
Your career
Join an experienced team at one of the largest electrical distributors in the United States. What are you waiting for?
Border States has a competitive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:
Health, Dental and Vision Benefits
Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity
FSA & HSA
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
Disability Benefits
401(k) Retirement Plan
Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Paid Holidays
Paid Volunteer Time
Personal Leave time and more!
Border States provides bonuses to their employee-owners upon the achievement of branch and company goals.
Equal Opportunity For All
It’s not just the law. It’s something we’ve believed in since our founding. We value the diversity of all of our employee-owners and will always be an equal opportunity employer.
Drug Free/Smoke Free workplace
Employment may be contingent on the offered candidate successfully passing one or more of the following pre-employment screenings:
- Criminal background check (required for all positions)
- Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check (required for positions involving driving)
- Drug testing
The MVR check and drug testing vary by role and will be communicated to the offered candidate during the onboarding process and as applicable.