Senior Supply Planner, Inventory

Nextpower•Fremont, CA

29d

About The Position

The Sr. Supply Planner, Inventory is responsible for designing, implementing, and governing Nextpower’s enterprise inventory planning framework across regions and business lines. This role leads global inventory planning governance, owns global inventory policy execution, and partners with regional planning teams to ensure the right materials are available at the right locations, at the right time, and at the right cost. The role will drive the deployment of planning tools (Anaplan and related analytics/MRP), standardize planning parameters and processes, and ensure inventory decisions are KPI-driven and aligned with financial and service-level targets.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business, or related field
12-15 years of progressive experience in supply chain planning, including at least 5-7 years in relevant inventory planning roles within a global, multi-site, or project-driven environment.
Experience leading multicultural teams dispersed in different regions
Strong command of demand and supply planning concepts (forecasting, multi-echelon inventory, safety stock modeling, ABC/XYZ, service–cost trade-offs).
Hands-on experience with advanced planning tools (ideally Anaplan or similar) and strong analytical skills in Excel/Power BI or equivalent.
Proven ability to work with and influence regional teams without direct authority.
Excellent communication skills in English, both written and verbal; able to present complex analyses in a clear, executive-friendly way.
Strategic and analytical thinker with strong attention to detail.
Data-driven decision-maker; comfortable challenging assumptions with facts.
Strong partnering skills across functions, cultures, and time zones.
Ownership mindset and bias for action; able to balance design with execution.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Experience in solar, EPC/construction, or capital-project businesses is a plus.

Responsibilities

Inventory Strategy & Policy Execution Translate the corporate inventory policy into operational guidelines, parameters, and playbooks for all regions and key inventory families (project, supplemental, DG projects, aftermarket, warranty, RMA, etc.).
Own global design and maintenance of min/max, safety stock, and reorder models, incorporating demand variability, lead times, service-level targets, and supplier constraints.
Lead deep-dive analyses of non-project, short-lead-time, and exception-driven flows (project exceptions, IMO, After Sales, Warranty, Supplemental, DG) and propose differentiated inventory strategies by family and channel.
Planning Process & Tools (Anaplan / MRP / Analytics) Lead the design, build, and roll-out of the advanced planning model for defined scopes (regions, flows, product families).
Sponsor AI/ML experiments for demand forecasting and replenishment; evaluate pilots and move successful use cases into production.
Define and maintain inventory planning master data and parameters in collaboration with Business Systems, including item attributes, lead times, and planning calendars.
Global / Regional Governance Coordinate global inventory planning activities across regional planners and key functional stakeholders to ensure consistent standards and execution.
Establish standard planning cadences (monthly/weekly inventory reviews) with regions, ensuring consistent use of models, parameters, and dashboards.
Define and maintain a global RACI for inventory planning activities, balancing global coherence with regional accountability.
Global / Regional Operations Lead the day-to-day operations of the inventory supply planning function supporting projects, integrating strategic planning with daily tactical execution to effectively plan, deliver, process required transactions and fulfill project orders.
Lead identification, design and implementation of process improvements and automation required to reduce transactional, improve efficiency and service levels.
Performance Management & KPIs Define and track inventory-related KPIs: inventory accuracy, service level (fill rate, stockouts), forecast accuracy/bias, inventory turns, DIO, obsolescence, and expedites attributable to planning.
Provide regular reporting and insights to Supply Chain leadership and Finance, including root-cause analysis and corrective action plans.
Partner with Finance to align inventory targets with working capital objectives and to quantify the impact of planning improvements.
Cross-Functional Collaboration Work closely with regional planners, regional Supply Chain leaders, Sourcing, Warehouse Operations, Logistics, Project Operations, Aftermarket/Warranty, Engineering, and Business Systems.
Support sourcing decisions with inventory implications (MOQ, lead-time, Incoterms, buffer stock strategies).
Contribute to M&A integration by assessing and harmonizing inventory planning processes and tools.
S&OP / IBP Leadership Represent inventory planning in the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process as well as in the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) processes.
Own inventory-related scenarios and recommendations presented in executive planning forums.