Replenishment Analyst

PRIMARY FUNCTION

The Replenishment Analyst is responsible for ensuring Viking's branch network has the right inventory, in the right place, at the right time. This role combines analytical thinking, forecasting, and business partnership to anticipate inventory needs before shortages occur.

Rather than simply reacting to inventory requests, the Replenishment Analyst uses historical sales trends, customer demand, inventory performance, and business insights to forecast future needs, recommend purchasing decisions, and optimize inventory across a multi-million-dollar distribution network.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys working with numbers, identifying patterns, solving business problems, and turning data into actionable recommendations. Successful candidates are naturally curious, detail-oriented, proactive, and enjoy making informed decisions that improve customer service and operational performance.

MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Analyze historical sales, inventory movement, customer demand, and business trends to accurately forecast inventory requirements across assigned branch locations.
• Develop replenishment strategies that ensure products are available when customers and branches need them while balancing inventory investment and inventory turn goals.
• Monitor inventory performance daily to identify potential shortages, excess inventory, and emerging trends before they become business issues.
• Evaluate inventory data and recommend purchasing decisions that optimize customer service, working capital, and inventory health.
• Analyze Order-to-Complete (OTC), Fill Rate, inventory turns, service levels, and other key performance metrics to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Review safety stock levels and recommend adjustments based on changing customer demand, seasonality, sales forecasts, and branch feedback.
• Partner closely with branch operations, sales teams, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to understand upcoming demand and proactively position inventory.
• Identify slow-moving, excess, and obsolete inventory and recommend the most effective disposition strategy, including redistribution, vendor returns, or inventory reduction initiatives.
• Monitor supplier performance and collaborate with vendors to improve order fulfillment, lead times, and overall inventory performance.
• Analyze inventory challenges, identify root causes, and develop practical solutions that improve service levels while maintaining healthy inventory investment.
• Communicate inventory recommendations and analytical findings clearly to operations leadership and business partners.

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE ABOUT THIS ROLE

• You'll solve business problems using data every day.
• Your recommendations will directly impact customer satisfaction and operational success.
• You'll have the opportunity to influence purchasing decisions across a multi-million-dollar inventory network.
• You'll work with a variety of departments including Operations, Sales, Branch Leadership, Purchasing, and Suppliers.
• Every day brings new analytical challenges requiring critical thinking and problem solving.
• You'll spend more time analyzing data and making recommendations than simply processing transactions.

SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE

Successful Replenishment Analysts naturally:

• Enjoy working with numbers and large sets of data.
• Look beyond spreadsheets to identify patterns and trends.
• Anticipate problems before they occur instead of reacting after the fact.
• Balance customer service with sound business decisions.
• Ask thoughtful questions to understand why demand changes.
• Are highly organized, dependable, and detail-oriented.
• Enjoy continuous analysis rather than project-based work.
• Take ownership and follow through to ensure branches have the inventory they need to serve customers.

EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, or a related field required; **equivalent recent and directly relevant professional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

EXPERIENCE

Preferred qualifications include one or more of the following:

• Experience in inventory planning, replenishment, purchasing, demand planning, supply chain, finance, accounting, business analytics, or operations.
• Experience analyzing business data and making recommendations based on trends.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with a passion for working with numbers.
• Experience using ERP systems such as JD Edwards (JDE), SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, or similar systems is preferred.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills including Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, formulas, filtering, sorting, charts, and data analysis.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain analytical findings and recommendations to business partners.

Recent graduates with internships, co-op experience, or strong academic backgrounds in Supply Chain, Finance, Accounting, Business Analytics, or related disciplines are encouraged to apply.

ANALYTICAL & PROBLEM-SOLVING RESPONSIBILITIES

The Replenishment Analyst is expected to think critically, analyze data, and make informed business recommendations that support Viking's inventory strategy.

This includes:

• Forecasting future inventory demand using historical trends, sales activity, seasonality, and business intelligence.
• Balancing customer service with inventory investment by recommending appropriate inventory levels.
• Identifying potential inventory shortages before they impact customers and developing proactive solutions.
• Evaluating multiple options to determine the most effective way to fulfill urgent branch inventory needs.
• Interpreting complex inventory data to identify root causes, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Continuously monitoring inventory performance and adjusting replenishment strategies as business conditions change.
• Building strong partnerships with branch teams to understand changing customer demand and operational needs.