Director of Inventory Planning and Optimization
$150,000–$165,000 year
On-siteBarrington, New Jersey, United States
Job Summary
Develop and execute global inventory strategy to balance service levels, cost efficiency, and working capital across the supply chain. Direct demand forecasting strategies, processes, and systems while managing inventory planning tools and analytics platforms used for organization-wide forecasting. Establish and monitor key performance metrics including service levels, fill rates, and inventory turns to ensure customer satisfaction. Collaborate with Finance and Supply Chain executives on annual finished goods forecasts, working capital targets, and end-of-life inventory initiatives. Drive data-driven decision-making through advanced analytics and modeling to identify risks and inefficiencies, implementing process improvements to increase forecasting accuracy. Ensure compliance with internal controls and audit requirements.
Required Qualifications
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills with a solid understanding of statistical concepts and their application in forecasting and inventory optimization
- Hands-on experience with inventory planning and ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, or similar platforms)
- Expert in advanced analytics tools and reporting systems (e.g., Excel modeling, BI tools such as Power BI or Tableau)
- Working knowledge of SQL or other advanced database programming
- Demonstrated success improving working capital, inventory turns, and service level KPIs
- Strong understanding of supply chain processes, including S&OP, production planning, and demand/supply balancing
- Ability to engage directly with data and analysis, guiding and validating outputs while supporting team execution
- Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills with the ability to translate data into clear, actionable business recommendations
- Comfort operating in an environment where analytics capabilities are evolving, with a willingness to help build and mature processes over time
- Optics and optical industry knowledge
- Comfortable in a multi-cultural/global environment
- Strong customer focus
- US Citizenship or permanent residence
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Analytics, Finance, Operations, or a related field
- 10+ years of experience in inventory management, supply chain planning, or operations
- 5+ years of leadership experience managing teams and cross-functional initiatives
- Proven experience in demand planning, forecasting, and inventory optimization in a complex, multi-location environment
- Ability to operate office equipment such as a copier
- Ability to sit or stand for long periods of time
- Work in office setting
- Ability to travel 10-20%
Desired Qualifications
- Master's degree
- Experience working with Snowflake or similar cloud-based data platforms
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