Director of Inventory Planning and Optimization

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of the global inventory strategy to support company objectives for service levels, cost efficiency, and working capital objectives
• Direct the evolution of demand forecasting strategies, processes, and systems to ensure accurate planning and alignment with sales and operational requirements
• Manage and optimize inventory planning tools, software platforms, and analytics systems used to forecast and manage inventory across the organization
• Establish and monitor key performance metrics, including service levels, fill rates, inventory turns, and shipping reliability, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction
• Develop and manage annual inventory forecasts for finished goods across all sales plants
• Collaborate with Finance and Supply Chain executives to establish and manage working capital targets, including total inventory value and days of inventory by Sales Plant
• Drive data-driven decision-making through advanced analytics, reporting, and modeling to identify risks, opportunities, and inefficiencies within the inventory network
• Work closely with Finance and Supply Chain executives on end-of-life, excess, and scrap inventory initiatives to minimize financial exposure
• Identify and implement process improvements, system enhancements, and best practices to increase forecasting accuracy and inventory efficiency
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, audit requirements, and inventory management policies

Qualifications

• Strong analytical and quantitative skills with a solid understanding of statistical concepts and their application in forecasting and inventory optimization
• Hands-on experience with inventory planning and ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, or similar platforms)
• Expert in advanced analytics tools and reporting systems (e.g., Excel modeling, BI tools such as Power BI or Tableau)
• Working knowledge of SQL or other advanced database programming preferred
• Experience working with Snowflake or similar cloud-based data platforms a plus
• Demonstrated success improving working capital, inventory turns, and service level KPIs
• Strong understanding of supply chain processes, including S&OP, production planning, and demand/supply balancing
• Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills with the ability to translate data into clear, actionable business recommendations
• Comfort operating in an environment where analytics capabilities are evolving, with a willingness to help build and mature processes over time
• Optics and optical industry knowledge a plus
• Comfortable in a multi-cultural/global environment
• Strong customer focus
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Analytics, Finance, Operations, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred)
• 10+ years of experience in inventory management, supply chain planning, or operations
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing teams and cross-functional initiatives
• Proven experience in demand planning, forecasting, and inventory optimization in a complex, multi-location environment