Global Integrated Business Planning Director

About Us

Founded in 1908, Merz is a successful, family-owned specialty healthcare company with a rich history. As a leading global aesthetics business, our award-winning portfolio of injectables, devices, and skincare products empowers healthcare professionals to enhance confidence through aesthetic medicine. Our purpose is to fuel confidence by helping people look better, feel better, and live better. We believe you do not have to choose between living life and making a living.

About the Role

The Director of Global Integrated Business Planning (IBP) is accountable for leading and advancing the end-to-end global Integrated Business Planning process across Merz Aesthetics. This strategic leadership role is responsible for aligning commercial, operational, supply, inventory, financial, and portfolio plans into a single integrated business plan that enables executive decision-making, supports growth objectives, and ensures supply chain resilience. The Director serves as the process owner for the global IBP framework, establishing governance, performance management systems, planning standards, and organizational capabilities that drive cross-functional alignment and operational excellence.

The role partners closely with Commercial, Finance, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain leadership teams to balance customer service, growth, inventory, capacity, and financial objectives. In addition to owning the monthly IBP process, this position leads large-scale business transformation and process improvement initiatives focused on increasing planning maturity, improving operational effectiveness, standardizing business processes, and developing sustainable capabilities across the global organization.

The role requires strong strategic leadership, executive communication, business acumen, change management expertise, and demonstrated success leading complex cross-functional initiatives in a global pharmaceutical or medical device environment.

Responsibilities

• Integrated Business Planning Leadership
  • Own and lead the global Integrated Business Planning process across all business units and regions.
  • Establish and maintain IBP governance, standards, policies, and operating procedures.
  • Facilitate monthly Executive IBP meetings and decision-making forums to guide strategic decisions.
  • Ensure alignment between strategic objectives, commercial plans, operational plans, and financial commitments.
  • Drive cross-functional consensus and accountability for business plans and performance outcomes.
  • Provide executive leadership with visibility to risks, opportunities, constraints, and scenario alternatives.
• Demand & Commercial Integration
  • Partner with Commercial leadership to develop demand assumptions and market scenarios.
  • Lead consensus forecasting and demand review processes.
  • Challenge assumptions and identify forecast risks and opportunities.
  • Incorporate market intelligence, product launches, promotional plans, and portfolio changes into business planning activities.
  • Drive continuous improvement in forecast quality and planning effectiveness.
• Supply, Inventory & Capacity Planning
  • Align supply, capacity, inventory, and service strategies with business objectives.
  • Ensure inventory optimization balances service, financial, and operational requirements.
  • Lead supply-demand balancing processes and executive decision-making regarding constraints and trade-offs.
  • Drive proactive identification and mitigation of supply chain risks.
  • Support strategic decisions regarding network capacity, inventory positioning, and business continuity.
• Financial & Strategic Integration
  • Integrate financial planning with operational planning processes.
  • Ensure alignment between revenue, margin, inventory, and operating plans.
  • Partner with Finance to reconcile operational assumptions with financial objectives.
  • Support Annual Operating Plan, strategic planning cycles, and long-range business planning activities.
  • Incorporate portfolio strategy, lifecycle management, and new product introductions into the integrated planning process.
• Business Transformation & Process Excellence
  • Lead large-scale transformation initiatives focused on improving planning capabilities and overall supply chain performance.
  • Design and implement standardized planning processes, governance frameworks, and operating models across regions.
  • Drive planning maturity improvements through process simplification, standardization, and capability development.
  • Apply Lean, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, and structured problem-solving methodologies to improve business performance.
  • Lead root-cause analyses and implement sustainable solutions that address systemic challenges.
  • Develop and maintain global planning playbooks, SOPs, governance documents, and best-practice standards.
  • Ensure process improvement initiatives deliver measurable improvements in forecasting, inventory management, service performance, and working capital utilization.
• Performance Management & Business Insights
  • Define and govern global planning performance measures and KPI frameworks.
  • Establish performance management processes for:
    • Forecast Accuracy, Forecast Bias, Customer Service Levels, Inventory Health
    • Days of Supply, Working Capital, Supply Reliability, New Product Launch Readiness, IBP Process Maturity
  • Lead routine performance reviews and ensure accountability for corrective actions.
  • Identify business risks early and escalate recommendations through appropriate governance forums.
  • Drive data-informed decision making throughout the planning organization.
• Change Leadership & Organizational Capability
  • Serve as the primary change agent for IBP transformation and process improvement initiatives.
  • Lead organizational readiness, stakeholder engagement, communication, and adoption strategies.
  • Influence senior leaders in complex and ambiguous business environments.
  • Coach teams in continuous improvement methodologies and planning best practices.
  • Build organizational capability by embedding sustainable processes, governance, and new ways of working.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement.
• Stakeholder & Team Leadership
  • Lead and develop a global team of planning and process excellence professionals.
  • Establish clear performance expectations, career development plans, and succession strategies.
  • Partner closely with executive leadership teams to drive enterprise priorities.
  • Influence and align stakeholders across multiple functions and geographic regions.
  • Build strong relationships that support cross-functional collaboration and business performance.
  • Hold teams accountable for process compliance, milestone achievement, and business results.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Engineering, Business Administration, Economics, Finance, Life Sciences, or related discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in Supply Chain, Integrated Business Planning, Sales & Operations Planning, Operations, or Business Planning.
• Demonstrated experience leading global planning organizations and cross-functional initiatives.
• Significant experience managing complex planning and supply chain processes within highly regulated industries.
• Strong understanding of forecasting, inventory management, supply planning, manufacturing, and business operations.
• 5+ years of demonstrated leadership experience overseeing global teams, enterprise-wide projects, business transformation programs, cross-functional initiatives, and large-scale strategic change efforts that drive organizational performance and growth.
• Experience driving organizational change management and process improvement programs.
• Proven success influencing senior leaders and leading through matrix organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Medical Device, or other highly regulated industry environments.
• Leading global Supply Chain, Planning, or IBP organizations.
• Experience within Medical Device, Pharmaceutical, or Life Sciences industries.
• Experience leading business transformation, operational excellence, or continuous improvement initiatives.
• APICS CPIM or APICS CSCP certification.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification.

Skills

• Strong executive communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to influence and manage stakeholders through executive levels.
• Deep expertise in Integrated Business Planning and S&OP processes.
• Expertise in demand planning, supply planning, inventory management, and business planning.
• Advanced scenario planning and decision-support capabilities.
• Strong financial acumen and understanding of operational-financial integration.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience leading organizations through transformation and change.
• Experience building governance structures and performance management systems.
• Ability to work effectively across cultures and global organizations.
• Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to lead complex business initiatives with multiple stakeholders.
• Experience developing and mentoring high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated success implementing continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong organizational and project leadership capabilities.
• Leadership in Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Problem Solving, Resiliency, and Time Management.
• Leadership in Collaboration, Motivation & Influence, Talent Development, and Project Management.
• Leadership in Business Acumen, Change Management, Strategic Thinking, Innovation, and Continuous Improvement.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans.
• 20 days of Paid Time Off.
• 15 paid holidays.
• Paid Sick Leave.
• Paid Parental Leave.
• 401(k).
• Employee bonuses.
• Additional benefits starting the date you're hired with no waiting period.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Merz will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity.