The Inventory Planning Business Analyst II supports the Whole Foods Market Center Store Inventory Planning Team by converting data into actionable business insights that drive inventory optimization, demand forecasting accuracy, and supply chain efficiency. This role combines analytical expertise with deep understanding of order management and inventory planning operations to enable data-driven decision-making across promotional planning, seasonal forecasting, new item launches, and everyday replenishment. The Business Analyst will work closely with Inventory Planners, suppliers, category management, distribution, and business intelligence partners to ensure operations function effectively and efficiently. Key job responsibilities Develop analytical models to evaluate inventory forecast accuracy using metrics such as MAPE, WAPE, and Forecast Health Index (FHI) Identify forecast bias patterns (over/under forecasting) and recommend corrective actions to Inventory Planners Monitor overall order management operations to identify areas of concern and develop data-driven resolution strategies Extract, analyze, and model relevant data from Whole Foods Market supply chain systems Build and maintain dashboards and reports to track KPIs including DC fill rates, store in-stock percentages, promotional in-stock rates, forecast accuracy, and order management performance Develop techniques to process large datasets related to sales history, inventory levels, promotional lifts, and supplier performance Provide root cause analysis for inventory deviations, out-of-stock situations, forecast misses, and delivery issues Design reporting solutions that enable stakeholders to manage inventory planning and order management operations effectively Partner with Inventory Planners, Category Merchants, DC Buyers, and In-Stock Managers to translate business needs into analytical requirements and data objects (metrics, attributes, reports, dashboards) Draft concise documents communicating analytical findings to stakeholders, visualizing data to drive decision-making Communicate effectively with all types of audiences, internally and externally, adapting communication style to the audience Identify opportunities to improve demand planning and order management processes, reduce manual effort, and increase automation adoption Support the implementation and optimization of demand planning tools Measure and track manual intervention rates in forecasting systems to identify areas for improvement Apply project management principles to identify alternatives to existing processes and execute actions for improvement. A day in the life Develop and maintain key inventory planning and order management dashboards used by the team Provide actionable insights that improve forecast accuracy, in-stock rates, or fill rates Identify and support implementation of process improvement initiatives with product managers and inventory planning team captains Build trusted relationships with Inventory Planners, Category Management, and vendor partners Demonstrate proficiency in extracting and analyzing data from supply chain systems Create and share out automated reports that track the team's main KPIs (in-stock rates, promotional forecasting accuracy, and promotional in-stock) on a regular cadence. About the team. The Center Store Inventory Planning Team at Whole Foods Market exists to bring the right assortment of Grocery and Whole Body products to our customers at the right time, to the right stores, and in the right quantities; thus ensuring that every customer has the opportunity to get exactly whattheyre looking for whether thats new and emerging brands or local products, seasonal limited-time items, or adding extra items to their baskets during promotional events. OUR GOAL: Maximize product availability by ensuring inventory levels are maintained and optimized throughout the product lifecycle. This is achieved by refining demand planning management strategies, order planning, and order execution. Basic Qualifications- 4 years of business or financial analysis, product costing, procurement, or a quantitative role experience- 2 years of supply chain experience- Experience in technical support, or experience that includes strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and effective communication abilities- Experience with SQL and advanced Excel- Experience with MS Office Professional Suite and excellent working knowledge of MS Excel- Knowledge of data visualization tools such as Quick Sight, Tableau, Power BI or other BI packages- Education: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Statistics, Supply Chain Management, or related field; OR 4 years of professional experience in a highly analytical role- Communication: Intermediate-level ability to explain complex analytical issues clearly and adapt communication to various audiences; experience in stakeholder and communication management. Preferred Qualifications- Experience in retail, operations and/or business management- Knowledge of key technology and market trends- Experience in financial analysis, retail buying, retail planning & allocation, product/project management, marketing, business development, consulting, negotiation or supply chain- Knowledge of supply chain management concepts - forecasting, planning, sourcing, optimization and logistics or equivalent- Experience using data and trends to articulate business needs or equivalent- Experience applying key financial performance indicators (KPIs) to analyses, or experience delivering forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis, and data interpretation of results- Experience in business analytics and reporting or demand forecasting- Experience that includes strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and effective communication abilities- Experience in retail, project management, supply chain, inventory management, sourcing, finance and/or consulting- Experience managing external vendors, distributors, partners or learning providers.