Position Summary:

The senior-level Analyst position plays a key role for the company by providing analysis, communication and guidance to stakeholders around strategic business indicators and metrics related to order book performance and inventory optimization. 

This role is responsible for managing the company allocation rules and ensuring strategic delivery and shipping objectives are achieved.   This position is called on to increase inventory turn and margin, and to maximize company profitability through proactive and efficient inventory utilization.

The Sr. Analyst leverages relationships across the company supply chain to streamline and facilitate business operations and execute against regional brand initiatives.  This includes collaborating across several cross functional departments including Account Operations, Sales Management, Logistics, Distribution, Planning, Master Data and Manufacturing.

Essential Functions/Responsibilities:

• Key problem-solving partner to Account Operations, Sales Management, and Planning on how to interpret and improve order book coverage.  Communicate the “why’ behind the results.  Educate key partners through process and analytical understanding.  Central resource to provide guidance to partners around the performance of the order book.

• Drive team execution to support corporate Allocation rules and develop process as needed.  Work in complex and dynamic situations, leading recommendations and action plans.  Partner with Account Operations and Sales leadership to break allocation rules when supply is constrained (allocated products, production delays and shortages, etc.). 

• Lead the DC communication and team execution around allocation, delivery processes and order flow.  Facilitate regular discussions and provide cross-functional visibility to progress towards established corporate goals related to inbound processing, shipping and special projects.

• Provide visibility at all levels of the organization including senior leadership to key order book metrics that support our strategic initiatives.

• Track and analyze progress to shipping targets for the month and quarter collaboratively with key partners including Account Ops, Distribution, Logistics, Planning, Sales.

• Identify opportunities for improvement in Account Operations reporting strategy and spearhead resolution.  Develop reports, provide analysis of information and make recommendations for decision making to support aspects of the order management process (order fill rate, on time delivery, order accuracy, pricing and order creation timeliness).  Provide scenarios and trend analysis to determine how best to maximize on-time customer order fulfilment.

• Create and maintain metrics to establish a baseline and better understand shipping execution to manage order book performance.  Initiate conversation with senior leadership on areas of concern and areas of focus. Collaborate with key stakeholders on recommendations to drive improvement.

• Lead cross-functional projects across the business.  Partner with cross-functional teams including Planning, Distribution, Logistics, Master Data and Sales to better understand trends and root cause issues.

• Possess an expert understanding of the up-stream and the down-stream processes and high-level systems flow in order to determine the impact of process changes. Provide leadership in determining gaps and opportunities in the effectiveness of regional and/or channel planning and operations systems and processes.

• Work with Account Ops Analysts and Allocation Analysts in other regions to implement best practices and initiatives. Connect with others outside the organization to identify trends and develop industry best practices.

• Proactively influence internal Supply Chain business partners to ensure strong execution to corporate initiatives, and so that the needs and objectives of Columbia’s account base are incorporated in all processes.

• Train, coach and serve as a mentor to Allocation Analysts and Super Users.  Lead development and delivery of training to internal partners.

Key areas include the following:

• Shipping Forecasting & Tracking

• Contract Management and Performance

• Inventory Utilization and Optimization

• Logistics

• Customer Fulfillment and Delivery

• Product Initiatives

Secondary Functions:

• Develop ad-hoc reports and tools as requested to support senior leadership.  Combine data from multiple sources and formats into tools for planning decision support, capacity and inventory analysis, auditing and other purposes. When needed, ensure a smooth transition of use to other employees within the department through documentation and training.

• Provide technical process and systems expertise to others and lead special projects as assigned.

• When needed, ensure a smooth transition of use to other employees within the department through documentation such as SOPs/written instructions and training.

• Positively influence company morale by championing process change and new initiatives.

• Lead various intra-department meetings, trainings and projects.

Job Scope:

Job contains periodic new or unique tracks of work involving a high degree of complexity. Incumbent is an individual contributor with responsibilities of leading and mentoring and is responsible for establishing practices and procedures. Duties are performed independently with limited supervision and work is verified by results. Decisions are made within established departmental guidelines, and role is called on to interpret and apply organizational policy and recommend changes in procedures.  Assists leadership in determining team and departmental objectives.  Position has high visibility due to leadership exposure and direct impact to company profitability. Errors in judgment or work performance could result in insufficient profitability for retailers and Columbia Sportswear. Errors in judgment directly affect sales and relationships with retailers.

Interpersonal Contacts:

• Maintain positive open lines of communication with all Columbia Sportswear management and all other internal departments and outside suppliers in order to contribute to the smooth flow of information and efficient operation of the organization.

• Be a leader on the team and offer suggestions for achieving team goals.  Take initiative to get things done and make things better.  Be reliable and follow through meeting deadlines and commitments.  Be flexible when change is needed. Be approachable.

• Coach/mentor to peers and new team members

• Readily establish business relationships within and outside of Columbia Sportswear.  Achieve results through collaboration and involving appropriate partners.

• Energize and inspire others.  Recognize and celebrate the achievements of others.  Act with honesty and integrity in business situations.  Treat others with respect and dignity.  Actively participate in making Columbia Sportswear a great place to work.

Supervisory Responsibility:

 Responsible for providing expertise and leadership to other Account Operations team members.

Specific Job Skills:

• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.

• Proactive and assertive in follow-through with colleagues and business partners.

• Ability to understand and translate complex technical concepts verbally and in writing. 

• Ability to prioritize tasks and respond to urgent requests/inquiries with minimal supervisory involvement. 

• The ability to collaborate and influence others.

• Ability to mentor / train others.

• The ability to cope with conflicting constraints

• A well-developed ability to speak, read, and write English, including writing clear and concise business communication.

• Significant experience using Microsoft Excel to create spreadsheets, charts and pivot tables; using of functions such as sumif, vlookup, and similar.

• Ability to apply experience and knowledge to provide creative solutions to problems

• Strong executive presence; comfortable with providing key deliverables and updates across all levels of management.

• Expert understanding of key Account Operations & Supply Chain processes and data with ability to represent Account Operations requirements and work directly with technical development teams to build long term solutions and support strategic initiatives.

Desired:

• SAP AFS experience with preferred focus on Allocation, ATP & Order Management functions

• Previous work with other cultures in a business setting, and awareness of and sensitivity to cultural differences.

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Supply Chain Management, or equivalent work experience.

Experience:

• Minimum 5+ years’ professional experience and mastery of relevant technical or business skills required to accomplish the job.

• Experience in analyzing and interpreting customer/consumer trends desired,

• Experience in supply chain management, planning, or retail desired.

• Apparel/footwear industry experience desired.

• International business experience desired.

• Retail experience is beneficial.

#Hybrid

#LI-LC1

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company. 

Columbia Sportswear is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. The Know Your Rights poster is available here: https://www.eeoc.gov/poster The pay transparency policy is available here: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OFCCP/pdf/pay-transp_%20English_formattedESQA508c.pdf Columbia Sportswear is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please notify your recruiter.

At Columbia Sportswear Company, we’re proud to offer regular full-time employees a benefits package that includes a variety of services and products to help make your life and work more rewarding. Our benefit programs contribute to overall employee well-being by aligning those programs with the fundamental elements of well-being: physical, social/emotional, financial, career and community. Benefits that can protect your family’s financial future and help you save money through our 401k plan plus a generous company match. Columbia offers medical, dental, vision, life Insurance, disability, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, and an assortment of voluntary benefit offerings (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and legal services). In addition, Columbia offers EAP + which is free and confidential 24/7/365 counseling services. We have extensive wellness benefits, employee discounts and a generous time off program available.

If you need an accommodation/adjustment to successfully complete and submit your application, please reach out to [email protected] with the Subject: Applicant Assistance Requested.