Operations & Supply Planning Specialist, House Brands

Job Summary: 

The House Brands Operations & Supply Planning Specialist , applies their analytical skills and business expertise to take ownership and drive growth and profitability for the iHerb brands while articulating a clear strategy and long-term vision.  The Specialist will have a fundamental understanding of the products, vendors, manufacturing process, brands and global trends driving the business. They will lead the team in evaluating, curating, pricing, promoting, and growing the iHerb brands/products and cultivating strong vendor partnerships that result in mutually beneficial opportunities. 

Job Expectations:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key manufacturers and vendors to support sales growth, product innovation, margin expansion, and promotional initiatives.

• Create and implement operational policies, procedures, and strategies to align with business objectives.

• Create, review, and utilize data/reports to enable in-depth analysis of iHerb brands successes/challenges.

• Streamline workflows, eliminate bottlenecks, and implement process improvements to increase efficiency and productivity.

• Responsible for full-cycle contract management and the corresponding creation and maintenance of vendor and SKU data.

• Understand manufacturing process and timeline.  Collect, track, and update production schedules from manufacturers; maintain and distribute the internal Finished Goods Report.

• Manage inventory, oversee procurement, and optimize logistics and supply chain operations to ensure stock availability and control costs.

• Lead the team to strategically negotiate with vendors to secure exceptional pricing and MOQ, special opportunity buys, delivery, and payment terms for large volume, highly visible accounts.

• Work with cross-functional departments to ensure seamless communication and coordination.

• Identify and address operational challenges, troubleshoot issues, and manage risk management effectively. 

• Collaborate with Marketing to plan and manage short- and long-term promotional activities that are both profitable and operationally feasible.

• Partner with the VMS and BBPC Product Development teams to ensure projects are on track and aligned with established timelines.

• Comply with company policies and procedures, including safety, business ethics, and standards of conduct. The duties and responsibilities described above may provide only a partial description of this position. This is not an exhaustive list of all aspects of the job.  Other duties and responsibilities not outlined in this document may be added as necessary or desirable, with or without notice.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Required:         

• Skillful, creative negotiator with long-term Private Labels development and management experience.

• Intellectually curious, energetic self-starter that is highly resourceful with a can-do attitude and solid decision making skills.

• Confidence to manage up, secure buy-in from senior leadership, and navigate challenging situations.

• Analytical and deductive reasoning skills; stickler for processes and ability to identify needed improvements. 

• Entrepreneurial mindset and positive leader that is a mentor and team player/developer/builder and collaborator with strong interpersonal skills and long term vision.

• Ability to operate independently, work under pressure and coordinate, organize and motivate team to meet deadlines and goals successfully with a high level of quality.

• Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to manage multiple projects with competing demands for resources and meet deadlines.

• Proven strength in oral/written communication skills with ability to make presentations, communicate and partner with people at all levels of the organization and with external contacts.

Equipment Knowledge:

• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

• Experience with Google Business Suite (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms) preferred

• SAP, Asana, Tableau, WMS, EDI, experience a plus

Experience Requirements:

Generally, requires a minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience in operations, supply chain, purchasing, merchandising, marketing or directly related role with equivalent responsibilities, preferably in an e-commerce environment with natural products experience a plus

Education Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Supply Chain, Merchandising or related field preferred, or a combination of education and equivalent work experience. MBA a plus.

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