Canadian Solar

Manager, Planning

Canadian Solar$110K — $150K *
Energy & Utilities
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in supply chain, business, operations, or related field, or equivalent hands-on experience.
  • 7+ years in demand planning, supply planning, inventory planning, or related roles.
  • Strong understanding of the entire planning and order lifecycle.
  • Advanced Excel skills for large data analysis, modeling, and validation.
  • Hands-on experience with ERP and CRM systems.
  • Proven analytical judgment with commitment to data accuracy.
  • Excellent communication skills tailored for executive levels.

Responsibilities

  • Own and align demand and supply planning with customer needs and production capacity.
  • Drive and enhance forecast accuracy through analysis and risk management.
  • Guide inventory allocation decisions based on business priorities and commitments.
  • Maintain accurate planning and inventory data in collaboration with various departments.
  • Analyze data to identify trends and provide actionable insights for decision-making.
  • Communicate forecast changes and implications effectively to stakeholders.
  • Lead the improvement of planning systems and manage the planning team.

Benefits

  • 401(k) Retirement Plan
  • Medical, dental, life, and disability insurance
  • Paid time off (PTO) and sick days
  • Performance-based bonus structure
  • Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
Full Job Description

Company Summary:

Location:
Our Walnut Creek, CA office is conveniently located near public transportation (BART), is ideally situated for bicycle commuters, there's plenty of free parking, and an abundance of eateries in the surrounding area. Regular office attendance is expected 4-days per week.

The Opportunity

CS PowerSystems is seeking a highly analytical and self-driven Planning Manager, reporting to the Director of Sales Operations and Planning, to lead demand planning, supply planning, forecasting, inventory management, allocation, and planning operations for the North American business. The role partners closely with Factory, Sales Representatives, Sales Operations, Finance, Logistics, Product Management, and company executives.
The ideal candidate combines strong planning fundamentals and business understanding with strategic thinking and exceptional attention to detail. This person must be able to identify meaningful differences in complex data, produce accurate forecasts, and clearly communicate changes, assumptions, risks, and business implications. We value intellectual curiosity and the ability to continue learning and growing in the role.

Key Responsibilities

Planning & Forecasting

  • Own demand and supply planning across products and planning horizons, aligning forecasts with customer demand, inventory, and production capacity.
  • Drive forecast reviews, improve forecast accuracy through disciplined analysis and validation, and identify risks with practical mitigation plans.

Inventory, Allocation & Business Support

  • Guide allocation and reallocation decisions based on customer commitments, available supply, and business priorities, while driving effective use of inventory, including aging inventory.
  • Maintain planning and inventory data integrity and partner with Factory, Sales Representatives, Sales Operations, Finance, Product Management, and company executives to resolve planning gaps and support decisions.

Data, Communication & Decision Support

  • Analyze complex data, identify discrepancies and trends, and translate findings into clear recommendations and executive-ready insights.
  • Communicate forecast changes, assumptions, risks, and actions accurately and promptly, while remaining accessible and responsive to Operations, Logistics, the Director of Sales Operations and Planning, and company leadership.
  • Ensure planning reports and outputs are accurate, precise, traceable, and delivered on time.

Systems, Process Improvement & Team Leadership

  • Own planning-related ERP and CRM processes and data quality, and improve planning tools, controls, automation, and reporting with IT and business stakeholders.
  • Lead system and process changes while maintaining operational continuity and manage and develop the planning team with clear priorities and accountability.

Qualifications and Experience:

Required

  • Bachelor6s degree in supply chain, business, operations, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on planning experience.
  • 7+ years of progressive experience in demand planning, supply planning, inventory planning, or related planning functions, including experience at the specialist level.
  • Strong understanding of the end-to-end planning and order lifecycle.
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including large-dataset analysis, modeling, reconciliation, data validation, and variance identification.
  • Hands-on experience with ERP and CRM systems.
  • Strong business acumen, analytical judgment, and commitment to data accuracy and precision.
  • Ability to connect operational details to broader business priorities and translate data into clear recommendations.
  • Excellent written, verbal, and executive-level communication skills.
  • Self-starter who can manage competing priorities, remain positive, and drive results in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred

  • Experience in the solar, renewable energy, manufacturing, high-tech, or industrial products industry.
  • Power BI experience, including dashboard development and data visualization.
  • Experience leading S&OP or similar cross-functional planning processes.
  • Experience managing and developing a planning team.

Canadian Solar offers a competitive salary plus fully comprehensive benefits and performance bonus package based on an annual objective achievement. Our generous benefits package includes a 401(k) Retirement Plan, medical/dental/life/disability program, PTO and sick days.

The pay range for this position 110-150K. This range represents annual base salary only, without regard to location, and does not include bonus or other incentives or benefits that may apply. The pay range for this role is subject to change.

#CSPowerSystems

#CSPowerSystems

About Canadian Solar

Canadian Solar Inc. is a publicly traded company that manufactures solar PV modules and provides solar energy solutions. It was founded in 2001 in Canada and has since expanded to over 20 countries. Canadian Solar has delivered over 38 GW of solar modules to customers in over 150 countries. In 2018, Canadian Solar was ranked #6 on the list of top solar panel manufacturers by PV Tech. The company is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
Learn more about Canadian Solar
Size
13,535 employees
Market Cap
$1.9 billion
Industry
Net Income
$299.3 million
Founded
2001
5 Year Trend
+13.1%
Revenue
$3.5 billion
NASDAQ

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