Senior Manager, Supply Inventory Strategy & Performance

About the Role

The Senior Manager, Supply Inventory Strategy & Performance will lead the strategic direction, execution, and oversight of inventory health, customer service levels, capacity planning, and demand alignment. This leadership role is accountable for guiding and supporting a team focused on optimizing inventory performance and driving supply chain efficiency through data-driven decision-making. Acting as a key liaison between field leadership and operations, this individual will ensure alignment across functions, identify trends, and implement initiatives that improve service levels and inventory flow. This role requires a proactive leader with strong analytical and communication skills, capable of influencing cross-functional teams and mentoring talent.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Oversight
  • Provide leadership and direction to the Inventory Performance Managers.
  • Develop strategic initiatives to improve inventory performance and service reliability.
  • Identify inventory performance gaps and create action plans for improvement.
• Customer Service Level Management
  • Monitor and analyze service levels across customer segments and geographies.
  • Lead service level root cause analysis and corrective action planning.
  • Guide the resolution of escalated customer inventory issues, including Red Alert Customers.
• Inventory Level Optimization
  • Direct analysis of Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) at both USBL and category levels.
  • Monitor inventory levels across customer groups to ensure stock aligns with forecasted demand and service expectations.
  • Champion initiatives to reduce excess inventory while maintaining service targets.
• Aged & Obsolete Inventory Management
  • Supervise reporting and reduction strategies for aged and obsolete inventory.
  • Ensure consistent review of inactive and slow-moving items with mitigation plans.
  • Monitor and guide oversight of single-site items to reduce obsolescence risk.
• Capacity Planning & Response
  • Lead development and execution of reserve capacity strategies by temperature zone.
  • Serve as the additional leadership point of contact for the PO Prioritization and Capacity Response process.
• Demand Planning Support
  • Partner with business stakeholders to advise on demand forecasting strategies.
  • Validate and communicate forecast accuracy and local demand trends.
  • Drive seasonal planning efforts in collaboration with local field teams.
• Reporting & Collaboration
  • Deliver monthly performance reports and insights to executive leadership.
  • Foster strong cross-functional relationships with Sales and Operations.
  • Support change management and continuous improvement through influence and collaboration.
• Strategic Leadership & Cross-Functional Alignment
  • Own end-to-end buying and material planning activities across multiple categories including raw materials, packaging materials, buying, and planning.
  • Align supply, inventory, and purchasing strategies with organizational goals, global initiatives, and the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
  • Develop, implement, drive continuous improvement, and coordinate with manufacturing operations to meet service levels, demand, inventory control, and planning policies, procedures, and work instructions.
  • Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Distribution Centers to optimize service levels and working capital performance.
  • Support the sourcing team to negotiate and manage purchase agreements and contracts, including pricing, payment terms, service levels, quality standards, and risk mitigation.
• Supply Planning, Buying & Inventory Management
  • Lead demand forecasting and supply planning activities for assigned Business Units; ensure ERP system accuracy for purchasing status, lead times, and replenishment parameters.
  • Monitor inventory levels, turns, and aged inventory; review 90+ day inventory and execute actions to reduce excess and obsolete inventory, including redistribution, return to vendor, or material destruction.
  • Monitor cap variance on the P&L for all materials purchased.
• Supplier Management & Procurement Excellence
  • Develop, evaluate, and maintain a qualified supplier base; establish long-term partnerships with key suppliers and conduct regular supplier audits and performance evaluations.
  • Identify, evaluate, and qualify new suppliers to support innovation, reduce costs, and improve supply chain resilience.
  • Resolve procurement and supply issues such as delivery delays, quality concerns, back-orders, return-to-vendor activities, warehouse receiving discrepancies, and miss-picks to ensure continuity of operations.
  • Monitor supplier performance through KPIs such as OTIF, defect rates, compliance, and cost performance.
  • Negotiate and manage purchasing contracts to improve key terms including price, payment terms, delivery lead time, quality standards, and after-sales service, ensure quality, and mitigate risks.
  • Authorize and oversee material disposition processes including Return to Vendor (RTV), Material Service Requests (MSR), and Material Destruction Authorizations in accordance with regulatory and internal controls.
  • Identify and mitigate supply risks through dual sourcing, safety stock strategies, and supplier diversification.
• Regulatory Compliance, Quality & Sustainability
  • Maintain accurate and complete documentation for audits, quality checks, and regulatory submissions.
  • Ensure all suppliers meet cosmetic industry standards (ISO 22716, GMP, FDA guidelines, EU regulations, etc.).
  • Ensure compliance with cGMP, FDA, and internal company policies across procurement, inventory, and supplier management processes.
  • Manage certification and sustainability requirements (e.g., RSPO, FSC), including supplier certification validation, documentation maintenance, and audit readiness.
• Master Data Governance & Reporting
  • Maintain governance over master data related to current and launch materials, suppliers, pricing, lead times, and certifications to ensure data integrity and operational effectiveness.
  • Develop and publish master data error and consistency reports to ensure operational accuracy.
  • Deliver monthly performance reports and insights to executive leadership.
• Team Leadership & Development
  • Lead, coach, and develop teams across supply planning, purchasing, and inventory performance.
  • Establish KPIs, performance goals, and training plans to build organizational capability.
  • Oversee daily activities of the team, ensuring timely ordering, warehouse coordination, supplier communication, and responsive issue resolution across Business Units.
  • Guide subordinates in supplier development, price inquiry and comparison, contract signing, and other work to improve the overall professional procurement capabilities of the team.

Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 5–7 years in supply chain operations, demand planning, or inventory management, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Strong analytical skills with expertise in interpreting complex data sets.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to influence at all levels.
• Proven ability to manage teams, prioritize tasks, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with inventory planning systems, demand forecasting tools, and data visualization platforms.

Skills

• Experience with supply chain platforms such as SAP, JDA, Oracle, or similar.
• Proficiency in Excel, Power BI, or other analytics tools.
• Knowledge of foodservice or distribution industry is a plus.