Director of Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP)
Location: Kansas City Metro Area
Reports To: Chief Operations Officer Industry: Industrial Distribution / Manufacturing
Position Summary
A high-growth, market-leading organization is seeking a Director of SIOP to serve as the enterprise owner of the end-to-end planning cadence. This strategic leader will drive cross-functional alignment between sales demand, inventory strategy, supply capabilities, and financial objectives to support service excellence and working capital efficiency. Operating in a complex, multi-SKU industrial environment, the Director will influence senior leadership and lead a high-performing planning and buying organization of 6 to 10 professionals.
Core Responsibilities
- SIOP Leadership & Governance: Own the monthly cycle including demand and supply reviews, inventory planning, and executive reconciliation meetings. Establish KPIs, decision rights, and protocols to translate business strategy into executable plans.
- Demand Planning & Sales Alignment: Partner with Sales and Product teams to develop unbiased forecasts at the customer and channel levels. Incorporate market intelligence, pricing actions, and new product introductions into a monthly consensus process.
- Inventory Strategy & Optimization: Manage inventory segmentation (ABC/XYZ), safety stock levels, and reorder points across the distribution network. Lead initiatives to reduce excess and obsolete inventory while protecting customer service levels.
- Supply Planning Coordination: Align supply plans with demand signals in collaboration with Procurement and Operations. Identify and mitigate supply risks, capacity constraints, and lead-time variability.
- Financial & Systems Integration: Align SIOP outputs with budgeting and financial forecasting. Support the design and implementation of advanced planning tools and leverage ERP and BI systems to enable a scalable process.
- M&A Support: Support the acquisition and integration of new business entities into the centralized SIOP process.
Qualifications & Experience
- Professional Experience: 8–12+ years of progressive experience in SIOP, demand planning, or supply chain leadership.
- Sector Expertise: Proven success in industrial distribution, manufacturing, or similar complex, multi-SKU environments.
- Process Transformation: Demonstrated track record of implementing or leading an enterprise-level SIOP process.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, or a related field. An MBA or advanced degree is preferred.
- Technical Skills: Proficiency with major ERP and planning tools. Experience in private equity-backed or high-growth transformation environments is a plus.
- Certifications: APICS/ASCM certifications (e.g., CPIM, CSCP) are highly preferred.
Success Measures
- Improved forecast accuracy and a measurable reduction in forecast bias.
- Increased inventory turns and reduction in stagnant or obsolete stock.
- Enhanced customer fill rates and overall service levels.
- Established scalable planning capabilities that support profitable, long-term growth.
Physical Requirements & Logistics
- Must be able to manage prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Must be local to or willing to work in the Kansas City regional hub.
