Position Overview:
The Senior Director, Planning is responsible for leading enterprise-wide planning functions to ensure the right products are available at the right time, in the right quantity, and at the right cost-while meeting all regulatory, quality, and service-level requirements of a medical device environment. This role owns demand planning, supply planning, inventory strategy, and Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), partnering closely with Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Finance, and Procurement to enable profitable growth and operational excellence.
This leader will transform planning capabilities through process standardization, advanced analytics, and system optimization, ensuring scalability, resilience, and compliance across a global manufacturing and distribution network.
What you will do:
Strategic Planning & Leadership- Define and execute the enterprise planning strategy aligned with business growth, product lifecycle management, and regulatory requirements.
- Lead and develop high-performing planning teams across demand, supply, and inventory planning.
- Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on capacity, inventory risk, service levels, and growth scenarios.
Demand Planning- Own demand forecasting across all product lines, incorporating sales forecasts, market trends, product launches, and end-of-life planning.
- Partner with Sales and Marketing to improve forecast accuracy, assumptions, and accountability.
- Establish forecast bias and accuracy KPIs and drive continuous improvement.
Supply & Capacity Planning- Translate demand plans into executable supply and capacity plans across internal manufacturing and external suppliers.
- Balance service levels, cost, and working capital while mitigating supply risk.
- Lead scenario planning for capacity expansion, make/buy decisions, and supply disruptions.
Inventory Management- Define inventory segmentation strategies (e.g., safety stock, service levels, ABC/XYZ).
- Optimize inventory investment while ensuring continuity of supply for critical and regulated products.
- Monitor excess, obsolete, and expiring inventory and drive cross-functional mitigation plans.
Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP / IBP)- Own the end-to-end S&OP (or Integrated Business Planning) process, ensuring disciplined monthly cadence and executive alignment.
- Facilitate executive S&OP meetings with clear recommendations, trade-offs, and decisions.
- Ensure alignment between demand, supply, financial targets, and strategic initiatives.
Systems, Data & Continuous Improvement- Lead planning system strategy (ERP, APS, forecasting tools), including upgrades and digital transformation initiatives.
- Establish strong data governance, master data integrity, and planning analytics.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies.
Compliance & Risk Management- Ensure planning processes support FDA, ISO, and other global regulatory requirements.
- Partner with Quality and Regulatory teams to manage product availability risks related to compliance actions or changes.
- Build robust contingency plans for supply chain disruptions.
Competencies- Enterprise planning leadership (Demand, Supply, S&OP)
- Medical device or regulated manufacturing expertise
- Executive-level communication and influence
- Data-driven decision making and scenario modeling
- Change leadership and cross-functional collaboration
- Strong financial acumen and working capital management
Supervisory responsibilities- Directly supervises leaders and/or managers responsible for Demand Planning, Supply Planning, Inventory Planning, and S&OP/IBP and Customer Service.
- Responsible for hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, and succession planning for the planning organization.
- Establishes clear objectives, accountability, and development plans for direct reports.
- Provides leadership, mentorship, and guidance to build a high-performing, engaged planning team.
- Conducts regular performance reviews and provides timely feedback in alignment with company performance management processes.
- Ensures appropriate staffing levels, skills development, and organizational design to support current and future business needs.
- Provides leadership and strategic direction for Customer Service teams responsible for order management, customer support, and customer communication.
- Establishes service performance expectations and customer satisfaction goals aligned with overall business objectives.
Develops organizational capabilities to support growth, customer retention, and operational excellence.
Skills for Success:
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related field
- 12+ years of progressive experience in supply chain or planning roles
- 5+ years of senior leadership experience managing planning teams
- Experience in a regulated manufacturing environment (medical device, pharma, life sciences preferred)
- Experience with advanced planning systems (QAD, SAP APO/IBP, Kinaxis, Oracle, o9, etc.)
- Experience supporting global manufacturing and distribution networks
- Deep experience leading S&OP or IBP processes
Preferred Education and experience- MBA or Master's degree
- APICS certifications (CPIM, CSCP)
Physical demands & Travel required
