Inventory Planning & Procurement Associate

About the Role We are a fast-growing consumer brand operating across DTC, retail, and wholesale channels. As the business continues to scale, we're looking for an experienced Inventory Planning & Procurement Associate to strengthen our supply chain, inventory planning, and procurement capabilities. This is not a PO-processing or inventory tracking role. We're looking for a strong operator who can own the detail while applying a critical, commercial mindset to inventory decisions. The ideal candidate is highly analytical, exceptional in Excel, experienced in CPG supply chains, and capable of taking increasing ownership across the broader operations function over time. Work Structure & Requirements Location: Remote / Virtual Schedule: Part-time initially, with opportunity to grow into full-time, Pacific Timezone Compensation: 8 USD per hour Key Responsibilities 1. Inventory Planning & S&OP Support and ultimately own key components of the S&OP process end to end — connecting demand forecasts, inventory requirements, production schedules, and purchasing decisions Partner closely with the Growth team to understand demand forecasts and translate these into actionable inventory and raw material requirements Build, maintain, and continuously improve detailed Excel-based inventory planning and forecasting models Monitor inventory levels, lead times, safety stock, and expected demand to proactively identify potential shortages, excess inventory, or production constraints Apply critical thinking to forecasts and assumptions — proactively challenge numbers where they don't make operational sense Develop a clear view of upcoming production requirements and confidently explain the assumptions and logic behind recommendations to the wider team 2. Procurement & Vendor Management Translate production and inventory plans into raw material and ingredient purchase schedules Source and order ingredients, packaging, and other required raw materials Prepare, issue, and manage purchase orders through delivery Work directly with suppliers including farms and ingredient producers, maintaining strong and professional vendor relationships Negotiate pricing, minimum order quantities, payment/net terms, lead times, and other commercial terms where appropriate Track inbound materials and shipments, following up proactively to ensure production timelines remain on schedule 3. Financial & Cross-Functional Planning Partner with the Finance team to translate upcoming purchasing requirements into a forecast of expected cash outlays Maintain visibility into when cash will be required for ingredients, production, and other inventory-related commitments Work cross-functionally with Growth, Finance, and Operations to ensure demand, purchasing, and financial planning remain aligned Clearly communicate inventory recommendations, assumptions, risks, and upcoming purchasing requirements to stakeholders 4. Systems & Operational Support Work confidently across Excel and our broader supply chain technology stack, including ERP, 3PL, Shopify, and other operational platforms Support the effective use and ongoing development of our ERP environment — NetSuite or comparable ERP experience is highly valuable Maintain accurate inventory, purchasing, and supplier records across relevant systems As the role develops, support broader omnichannel operations across DTC, retail, wholesale, and distribution Required Skills & Experience Excel & Modelling: Exceptional Excel and financial/operational modelling skills — this is critical to the role Experience: Strong hands-on experience in inventory planning, procurement, and S&OP, ideally within food & beverage or CPG Supply Chain: Strong understanding of the end-to-end CPG supply chain, from raw materials and manufacturing through 3PL/distribution and ultimately DTC and retail channels Analytical: Strong analytical ability with the confidence to interrogate data, challenge assumptions, and make recommendations rather than simply process information ERP: Experience with NetSuite or another leading ERP platform Communication: Excellent written and verbal English communication skills Profile: Detail-oriented, comfortable operating independently in a fast-moving entrepreneurial environment, and able to manage multiple moving pieces across vendors, inventory, production, and logistics