Planning and Inventory Program Manager

Position Accountabilities

• Own end-to-end S&OP / IBP program governance, including cadence, inputs, outputs, decision forums, and escalation paths.
• Lead integrated demand, supply, and inventory planning programs across short- and long-term planning cycles.
• Translate business and supply chain strategy into actionable planning roadmaps, timelines, and deliverables.
• Partner with senior business leaders to identify, prioritize, and structure short- and long-term planning initiatives.
• Translate demand signals into feasible supply and inventory plans, clearly communicating constraints, risks, and assumptions.
• Develop and present planning insights, scenarios, and recommendations to senior and executive leadership to support aligned decision-making.
• Monitor inventory health, supply risks, and performance metrics; proactively manage and escalate exceptions to minimize service impact.
• Own program execution across scope, timelines, dependencies, and cross-functional coordination.
• Define, track, and report KPIs related to service levels, forecast accuracy, inventory performance, and cost.
• Support promotions and Limited Time Offer (LTO) planning by ensuring supply and inventory readiness.
• Lead continuous improvement of planning processes, governance, and execution readiness.
• Drive planning system enablement, including implementing and enhancing forecasting and inventory planning tools and integrating system outputs with Excel-based analysis.
• Document planning processes, standards, and best practices to support scalability, adoption, and consistency.

  Employment Standards

  • Demonstrates full accountability for S&OP / IBP program performance and execution-ready planning outcomes.
  • Operates as a trusted planning owner who partners effectively with Supply Chain, Marketing, Finance, and Executive stakeholders.
  • Influences to drive alignment and decisions in complex, cross-functional environments without formal authority.
  • Uses data, KPIs, and scenario analysis to inform decisions and surface risks and opportunities.
  • Anticipates supply and inventory risks and proactively drives mitigation plans.
  • Drives process and system improvements, supporting adoption of scalable, system-enabled planning capabilities.
  • Effectively manages multiple initiatives while meeting deadlines and commitments.
  • Communicates clearly and confidently with cross-functional teams and senior leadership.

  Education

  • Required:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business Management, Engineering, Finance, or a related field required.
  • Preferred:
  • Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration (MBA), or related discipline preferred.
  • Professional certifications such as APICS Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Project Management Professional (PMP), or equivalent are a plus.

  Experience

  • Required:
  • 10+ years of progressive experience in planning and inventory management (including supply planning, inventory management, demand planning) and program management.
  • Demonstrated experience leading or coordinating cross-functional planning initiatives, partnering with Supply Chain, Demand Planning, Finance, and Executive stakeholders.
  • Prominent experience using data, KPIs, and scenario analysis to drive planning decisions, monitor performance, and improve inventory availability and service outcomes.
  • Demonstrated experience owning or operating S&OP / IBP processes, including cadence management, scenario preparation, decision documentation, and follow-up actions.
  • Experience presenting planning scenarios, risks, and recommendations to senior and executive leadership to support alignment and decision-making.
  • Demonstrated experience working with and improving S&OP/IBP, forecasting, and inventory planning systems, including ERP or planning tools (e.g., demand, supply, or inventory platforms), and integrating system outputs with Excel-based analysis to support scalable planning and execution.
  • Experience driving planning process and system change, including stakeholder adoption, standardization, and sustained execution.

  Essential Physical Requirements

  • Ability to sit for extended periods (4–6 hours/day) at a desk or computer.
  • Ability to work in varying environments (temperature, noise, etc.) if applicable.
  • Visual acuity to review reports and digital materials with or without corrective lenses.
  • Ability to attend in-person meetings and collaborate across departments.
  • Clear verbal communication for meetings, presentations, and stakeholder sessions.

  Competencies

  • Process Management - Designs and continuously improves planning and inventory processes that enable reliable execution in fast-paced environments. Establishes clear workflows and enables decision-making across demand, supply, and inventory. Uses KPIs to monitor performance, identify gaps, and drive scalable improvements that balance availability, cost, and execution effectiveness.
  • Strategic Agility - Can anticipate future impacts and trends accurately; has broad knowledge and perspective; can develop and communicate scenarios based on changing conditions. Anticipates and balances the needs of supply, demand, finance, and operations to drive aligned enterprise decisions.
  • Planning - Applies end-to-end supply chain understanding to integrate demand, supply, inventory, and distribution decisions. Effectively scopes work, sets clear objectives, builds executable plans and schedules, anticipates risks and constraints, and measures results to ensure outcomes are delivered.
  • Drive for Results - Delivers measurable improvements in forecast accuracy, inventory performance, and service levels. Takes ownership of outcomes, removes obstacles, and drives programs to successful completion. Consistently translates plans into execution that supports restaurant operations and the customer experience.
  • Business Acumen - Understands how a QSR or similarly fast-paced business operates end to end, including the financial, operational, and customer impacts of planning and inventory decisions. Applies insight into demand drivers, promotions, seasonality, and cost structures to inform decision-making and improve planning outcomes.
  • Dealing with Ambiguity - Effectively navigates demand volatility, evolving data, and shifting priorities common in a QSR or similarly fast-paced environment. Maintains forward momentum while helping cross-functional partners stay aligned through change.
  • Interpersonal Savvy - Builds strong, trust-based relationships across stakeholders involved in the end-to-end S&OP process. Uses diplomacy and influence to drive alignment and decision-making, and translates complex planning data and scenarios into clear, audience-appropriate messaging for operational teams and executives.