Senior Manager - Inventory Planning and Replenishment

Job Summary

The Senior Manager, Inventory Planning & Replenishment (IPR) is responsible for leading a significant inventory planning function and developing the organizational capabilities required to optimize inventory investment, customer service, and operational performance across the enterprise. This role provides strategic leadership over multiple teams, planning processes, and inventory initiatives while ensuring alignment between enterprise objectives and inventory execution. The Senior Manager partners closely with Merchandising, Supply Chain, Distribution, Finance, Store Operations, and Technology leaders to drive inventory performance and advance planning capabilities. The Senior Manager is accountable for delivering sustained improvements in inventory productivity, customer availability, process effectiveness, and organizational capability through strong leadership, strategic thinking, and operational execution.

Responsibilities

Strategic Inventory Leadership

• Develop and execute inventory strategies aligned with enterprise priorities and financial objectives.
• Translate business objectives into actionable inventory planning initiatives.
• Drive improvements in inventory productivity, service levels, customer availability, and working capital performance.
• Evaluate inventory risks and opportunities across multiple business areas.
• Lead inventory planning decisions that balance customer service, inventory investment, and profitability.
• Establish inventory priorities that support long-term business growth.

Organizational Leadership

• Lead multiple teams, managers, or large planning functions.
• Create a high-performance culture centered on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Establish clear priorities, goals, and performance expectations.
• Develop organizational structures that support scalability and business growth.
• Foster engagement, ownership, and leadership development throughout the organization.
• Build strong succession pipelines and future leadership capability.

Business Partnership & Enterprise Influence

• Serve as a strategic partner to Merchandising, Supply Chain, Finance, Operations, and Technology leaders.
• Influence enterprise decisions through expertise, data, and business insight.
• Drive alignment across functions on inventory priorities and performance objectives.
• Represent the IPR organization in strategic business initiatives and executive forums.
• Build credibility and trust with senior leaders throughout the organization.
• Resolve cross-functional issues that impact inventory performance.

Operational Leadership

• Establish operating rhythms, governance processes, and performance management systems.
• Drive execution consistency across planning teams and functions.
• Monitor organizational performance and ensure accountability for results.
• Remove barriers that limit team effectiveness and business performance.
• Promote standardization and best practices across inventory planning activities.
• Ensure planning processes support scalable and sustainable business growth.

Transformation & Capability Development

• Lead major planning transformation initiatives, system implementations, and process redesign efforts.
• Drive adoption of advanced planning capabilities, automation, and analytics.
• Champion modernization of inventory planning processes and tools.
• Identify opportunities to improve organizational effectiveness and decision quality.
• Sponsor initiatives that strengthen enterprise inventory capabilities.
• Measure and communicate the business impact of transformation efforts.

Strategic Analytics & Performance Management

• Establish key performance measures and organizational scorecards.
• Utilize analytics to identify strategic opportunities and emerging risks.
• Drive fact-based decision making throughout the organization.
• Ensure organizational focus on key inventory performance drivers.
• Develop executive-level insights and recommendations.
• Promote analytical rigor and accountability across teams.

Talent & Leadership Development

• Develop managers and future organizational leaders.
• Coach leaders on performance management, talent development, and organizational effectiveness.
• Identify and accelerate high-potential talent.
• Build development plans and succession strategies for critical roles.
• Strengthen leadership capability across the organization.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and growth

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations, Economics, Finance, Analytics, Mathematics, or related field.
• 8-12 years of experience in inventory planning, replenishment, supply chain, merchandising, retail operations, analytics, or related disciplines.
• 3+ years of people leadership experience, including leadership of managers or large teams.
• Demonstrated success leading inventory performance improvement initiatives.
• Strong understanding of inventory management, replenishment, forecasting, and supply chain operations.
• Experience leading cross-functional business initiatives.
• Strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder management capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in retail, automotive aftermarket, distribution, or multi-echelon supply chain environments.
• Experience leading large-scale inventory planning organizations.
• Experience with advanced planning systems, inventory optimization tools, and forecasting platforms.
• Experience leading organizational transformation initiatives.
• MBA or advanced degree.

Physical Demands / Working Environment

o Standard office environment with the ability to sit, stand, and operate office equipment.
o Travel may be required occasionally.
o Ability to work extended hours as needed during peak business cycles or project demands

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GPC conducts its business without regard to sex, race, creed, color, religion, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, age, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, military status, status as a veteran, or any other protected characteristic. GPC's policy is to recruit, hire, train, promote, assign, transfer and terminate employees based on their own ability, achievement, experience and conduct and other legitimate business reasons.