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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Warehouse Planner

💰 $45,000 - $75,000

LogisticsSupply ChainWarehouseInventoryPlanning

🎯 Role Definition

The Warehouse Planner is responsible for planning, coordinating, and optimizing warehouse inventory flow and distribution activities to ensure product availability, minimize costs, and meet service level agreements. This role combines inventory forecasting, slotting optimization, schedule coordination, and continuous process improvement using WMS, advanced Excel, and data analytics to drive operational efficiency and KPI performance across receiving, storage, and shipping operations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Inventory Analyst or Inventory Control Specialist
  • Logistics Coordinator or Shipping & Receiving Coordinator
  • Material Planner or Production Planner

Advancement To:

  • Senior Warehouse Planner / Inventory Planning Lead
  • Supply Chain Planner or Demand Planner
  • Warehouse Operations Manager or Logistics Manager
  • Distribution Center Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Demand Planner
  • Shipping & Transportation Planner
  • Inventory Manager / Replenishment Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and maintain daily, weekly, and monthly inventory planning schedules to ensure optimal stock levels across multiple locations, reducing stockouts and excess inventory while achieving target fill rates and customer service levels.
  • Create and maintain accurate demand forecasts and replenishment plans using historical consumption, demand signals, safety stock calculations, and seasonality adjustments to drive automated and manual replenishment actions.
  • Execute slotting and storage optimization projects by analyzing SKU velocity, cube utilization, and picking profiles to reduce travel time, improve pick rates, and increase warehouse throughput.
  • Manage inbound appointment scheduling and receiving capacity planning to balance dock utilization, minimize detention time, and ensure timely putaway with coordination across suppliers, carriers, and receiving teams.
  • Design, implement, and monitor pick/pack/ship schedules and labor plans in coordination with warehouse supervisors and HR to align workforce capacity with workload peaks, seasonal surges, and promotions.
  • Configure and maintain master data in the Warehouse Management System (WMS), including locations, storage types, replenishment rules, lot/batch attributes, and handling units to ensure accurate system-driven transactions.
  • Perform root cause analysis on inventory discrepancies, cycle count variances, and returns processing issues; develop corrective action plans and lead cross-functional teams to implement process and system changes.
  • Coordinate transfer orders, inter-warehouse replenishments, and cross-dock operations to optimize inventory allocation, reduce lead times, and decrease safety stock requirements.
  • Monitor and report key warehouse KPIs such as inventory accuracy, on-time shipments, order fill rate, picking accuracy, dock-to-stock time, and labor productivity; prepare executive summaries and weekly performance reviews.
  • Lead continuous improvement initiatives (Lean, Six Sigma or Kaizen events) focused on reducing waste, improving throughput, and enhancing safety across receiving, storage, picking, and shipping functions.
  • Manage inventory lifecycle activities including obsolescence reviews, slow-moving SKU strategies, returns disposition, and scrap processing to maintain inventory health and minimize carrying costs.
  • Communicate with procurement and demand planning teams to reconcile purchase orders, expedite critical replenishments, and ensure alignment between supply availability and warehouse capacity.
  • Develop and enforce FIFO/FEFO/lot-control practices, hazardous materials handling protocols, and regulatory compliance requirements (e.g., OSHA, DOT, food safety/HACCP where applicable) within the warehouse.
  • Build and maintain daily operational dashboards using Excel, Power BI, or other BI tools to provide real-time visibility into inventory levels, exceptions, and shipment status for stakeholders.
  • Implement and validate cycle count programs and scheduled physical inventories, ensuring investigation and resolution of variances and continuous improvement of counting accuracy.
  • Manage vendor-managed inventory (VMI) and third-party logistics (3PL) relationships by defining service levels, performance metrics, and exception management processes.
  • Prepare capacity and space utilization plans, recommending changes to racking, mezzanine, or automation (AS/RS, conveyors, sortation) investments to support future volume growth and reduce handling costs.
  • Coordinate returns and reverse logistics processes including RMA handling, inspection, refurbishment routing, and disposition to maximize recovery while ensuring accurate system updates.
  • Oversee documentation and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for planning, receiving, putaway, picking, and shipping activities; provide training and enablement to operations teams on updated processes and system workflows.
  • Support new product introductions and seasonal promotions by creating temporary slotting, replenishment, and labor plans to absorb demand spikes while minimizing disruption to regular operations.
  • Conduct regular audits of inventory controls, location accuracy, and labeling/barcode standards; implement remediation plans and ensure barcode/RF scanner reliability and data integrity.
  • Collaborate with transportation planners to align outbound loading schedules, pallet profiles, and carrier consolidations to optimize freight costs and on-time delivery performance.

Secondary Functions

  • Provide ad-hoc analytical support and exploratory analysis to cross-functional partners using Excel, SQL, or BI tools to solve inventory-related questions and improve decision-making.
  • Participate in cross-functional S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning) and demand review meetings to represent warehouse constraints, capacity, and risks to supply continuity.
  • Assist IT and WMS support teams during system upgrades, testing, and rollout of new warehouse automation features, ensuring planning logic and master data are validated.
  • Support health, safety, and environmental compliance initiatives by identifying hazards in planning workflows and recommending controls or training to mitigate risks.
  • Facilitate continuous knowledge transfer and cross-training within the planning and operations teams to build resiliency and coverage during peak periods or employee absences.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Inventory management and replenishment planning, including safety stock, reorder point, min/max settings, and EOQ concepts.
  • Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) expertise (e.g., SAP EWM, Manhattan, Oracle WMS, JDA/Blue Yonder) including configuration of locations, wave/release rules, and replenishment logic.
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, INDEX/MATCH, VLOOKUP, advanced formulas, macros) for ad-hoc analysis and modeling.
  • Data visualization and dashboarding using Power BI, Tableau, or similar BI tools to track KPIs and support business reviews.
  • Basic SQL knowledge to query inventory and transactional databases for investigative and reporting purposes.
  • Forecasting and demand planning methodologies, including time-series analysis, seasonality adjustments, and statistical smoothing techniques.
  • Slotting optimization and warehouse layout design principles to improve pick density and reduce travel time.
  • Knowledge of barcode/RF scanning systems, label generation, and mobile device workflows to ensure transaction accuracy.
  • Experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite) for PO reconciliation, goods receipts, and inventory valuation impacts.
  • Transportation and carrier coordination fundamentals, including load planning, consolidation, and appointment scheduling.
  • Familiarity with automation technologies (AS/RS, conveyors, pick-to-light, voice picking) and how they integrate with warehouse planning logic.
  • Regulatory and compliance knowledge (OSHA, DOT, hazardous materials, food safety) relevant to warehouse operations, if applicable.

Soft Skills

  • Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into actionable plans and measurable improvements.
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills to align operations, procurement, demand planning, and carriers.
  • Problem-solving orientation with the ability to lead root-cause analysis and implement durable corrective actions.
  • Project management and organizational skills to drive slotting, system changes, and seasonal planning projects from concept to execution.
  • Attention to detail and methodical approach to ensure data integrity, accurate cycle counts, and error reduction.
  • Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced distribution environments with fluctuating volumes and priorities.
  • Leadership and coaching abilities to influence and mentor warehouse supervisors and cross-functional peers.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to balance daily operational needs with strategic improvement initiatives.
  • Customer service focus to ensure internal and external customers receive timely and accurate fulfillment.
  • Collaboration and cross-functional teamwork to support S&OP cycles and continuous improvement efforts.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent; relevant certifications (e.g., APICS/ASCM Certified in Planning and Inventory Management) are a plus.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Logistics and Transportation
  • Industrial / Manufacturing Engineering
  • Business Administration / Operations Management
  • Data Analytics or Information Systems (for WMS/BI emphasis)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of warehouse, inventory planning, or related logistics experience.

Preferred: 3–7 years of progressive experience in warehouse planning or inventory control roles, with demonstrated experience using WMS platforms, driving slotting and replenishment optimization, and delivering measurable improvements in inventory accuracy, fill rate, and labor productivity. Experience working with 3PLs, implementing automation, or supporting S&OP processes is highly desirable.

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