L&R Distributors is the 6th largest distributor and purchaser of cosmetics in the United States. We now distribute over 40,000 items (cosmetics, toys, school supplies, hosiery, hair accessories, OTC, HBA, and more) through 3 regional warehouse locations in Arkansas, New Jersey, and Nevada.

Primary Job Functions

• The Supply Planner/Buyer will be planning, purchasing, and tracking inventory to support company goals and KPIs.
• Assisting in the continuous improvement of processes and best practices for the department.
• Supporting the supply chain initiatives that enable speed, flexibility, and risk-reduction

Essential Functions

• Determine if inventory inbound and OH are sufficient for business needs by utilizing systems and insight from cross-functional teams
• Support manager in monitoring inventory levels and suggesting transfers as needed
• Highlight potential gaps to forecast and provide analysis for resulting implications to inventory levels (ex. PPSM audits, etc.)
• Review and track exceptional SKUs (ex. “early warnings” items, back-ordered items, etc.)
• Utilize and track second source stock availability and inbounds
• Contribute to standard reporting (ex. Open PO Report, Fill Rate, EOM summaries, etc.)
• Manage PO lifecycle from issuance to completion, ensuring on-time delivery of stock
• Maintain relevant information from suppliers regarding order status, changes, or availability of a product
• Utilize traffic reports and work with suppliers to resolve shortages, expedition needs, missed or late deliveries, and other issues
• Maintain relevant data integrity in the system (ex. item maintenance, purchasing files, price lists, etc.)

Job Qualifications

• 1-3 years of planning and purchasing experience
• Demonstrated success in inbound PO management
• Understanding of inventory level effects on customer service, DC workflow, and company financial health
• Experience with inventory metrics and KPIs (OTIF, fill rate, turn, etc.)
• Understanding of distributor and e-commerce models, omni - channel inventory management
• Broad knowledge of multiple categories including cosmetics, toys, stationery, and other general merchandise categories
• Ability to learn new systems quickly; efficient in Excel (v lookups, pivot tables, conditional statements, etc.)
• Strong analytical skills: ability to identify the required analysis, analyze data and generate insights
• Ability to think strategically and execute tactically with a bias for action
• Creativity, ability to think out of the box
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Stellar interpersonal skills, ability to empathize with and influence people from diverse backgrounds
• Strong sense of ownership, proactive, can-do attitude
• Curiosity and vigor to learn, grow and challenge the status quo
• Passion for exceeding customer expectations
• Bachelor’s degree in analytical field

#LRC