Job Description

About us:

As a Fortune 50 company with more than 400,000 team members worldwide, Target is an iconic brand and one of America's leading retailers.

Joining Target means promoting a culture of mutual care and respect and striving to make the most meaningful and positive impact. Becoming a Target team member means joining a community that values different voices and lifts each other up. Here, we believe your unique perspective is important, and you'll build relationships by being authentic and respectful.

Overview about TII

At Target, we have a timeless purpose and a proven strategy. And that hasn’t happened by accident. Some of the best minds from different backgrounds come together at Target to redefine retail in an inclusive learning environment that values people and delivers world-class outcomes. That winning formula is especially apparent in Bengaluru, where Target in India operates as a fully integrated part of Target’s global team and has more than 4,000 team members supporting the company’s global strategy and operations.

Job Summary

The Planning & Inventory Management Operations Analyst is responsible for executing and supporting daily planning and inventory management processes that ensure product availability, inventory accuracy, and operational efficiency. The role focuses on inventory monitoring, demand and supply planning operations, exception management, operational reporting, data governance, and process improvement initiatives. The analyst will collaborate with Planning, Stores, Distribution Centers, Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance, Merchandising, and Vendor Management teams to maintain inventory health, improve planning effectiveness, and support business objectives through data-driven decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

Planning and Inventory Management Operations

• Monitor planning/Inventory system outputs and identify supply-demand imbalances, inventory gaps, and replenishment exceptions.
• Maintain inventory and planning parameters, replenishment settings, lead times, and inventory policies within upstream and downstream systems.
• Support forecast reviews, stores and field team activities, seasonal planning and retail strategy activities through data analysis and reporting.
• Ensure data integrity and compliance with established operational processes.
• Monitor inventory levels across warehouses, distribution centers, suppliers, and fulfillment locations.
• Analyze inventory health, stock availability, excess inventory, aging inventory, and inventory risks.
• Execute inventory correction actions and coordinate with stakeholders to address inventory exceptions.
• Investigate inventory variances, transaction discrepancies, and root causes impacting inventory accuracy.
• Support inventory audits, reconciliation activities, and inventory governance processes.

Reporting & Business Analytics

• Develop, maintain, and automate operational reports, dashboards, and scorecards.
• Analyze trends related to inventory performance, replenishment effectiveness, and service levels.
• Conduct root cause analysis for inventory shortages, excess inventory, and planning exceptions.
• Provide actionable insights and recommendations to improve inventory productivity and operational efficiency.
• Prepare business reviews and operational performance presentations for leadership teams.

Process & Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Stores/Field Teams, Logistics, Finance, and Operations teams to resolve inventory and planning issues.
• Participate in operational reviews and inventory governance meetings.
• Support escalation management for inventory shortages, supply/demand constraints, and service risks.
• Ensure compliance with inventory management policies, controls, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Continuous Improvement & Automation

• Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and eliminate operational inefficiencies.
• Support process improvement initiatives focused on inventory optimization and planning effectiveness.
• Participate in system implementations, testing, pilots and process documentation.
• Drive data quality improvement initiatives across planning and inventory systems.
• Recommend enhancements to reporting, dashboards, and planning workflows.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Operations/Retail Management, Engineering, Business Administration, Data Analytics, or a related field.
• MBA or relevant Supply Chain certification preferred.

Experience

• 3–5 years of experience in Planning Operations, Inventory Management, Supply Chain Operations, or Business Operations.
• Experience managing inventory and planning-related KPIs and operational reporting.

Reporting & Analytics Tools – Working knowledge of Microsoft Power BI, SQL, Advanced Microsoft Excel (Pivot Tables, Power Query, Power Pivot, Macros)

Key Competencies

• Functional Competencies: Inventory & Planning Management Operations, Replenishment Planning, Inventory Analysis, Supply Chain Analytics, Operational Reporting, KPI Management, Data Governance
• Behavioral Competencies: Analytical Thinking, Problem Solving, Attention to Detail, Stakeholder Management, Communication Skills, Process Excellence Mindset, Collaboration & Teamwork, Continuous Improvement, Ownership & Accountability
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Inventory Accuracy, Inventory Health Score, Excess & Obsolete Inventory Reduction, Planning Exception Resolution Time, Replenishment SLA Adherence, Inventory Turns, Forecast Consumption Accuracy, Reporting Accuracy & Timeliness, Data Quality and Master Data Compliance, Process Compliance and Audit Readiness

Success Profile

A successful Planning & Inventory Management Operations Analyst demonstrates strong operational discipline, analytical problem-solving, and expertise in planning and inventory systems. The individual proactively identifies inventory risks, improves operational processes through automation and insights, maintains data accuracy, and enables efficient inventory management that supports customer service goals and business growth.

Useful Links-

Life at Target- https://india.target.com/

Benefits- https://india.target.com/life-at-target/workplace/benefits