Director S&OP

Purpose and Scope

The Director Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) leads S&OP and S&OE processes to align demand, supply, inventory, capacity, lifecycle, and financial plans. In a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment, this role supports reliable product availability by accounting for patient supply, quality and regulatory requirements, launch readiness, shelf-life, constraints, and supply risks. The Associate Director partners across Commercial, Finance, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Procurement, and Supply Chain to support executive decision-making, escalate trade-offs, and translate priorities into executable plans.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Deploy and orchestrate the S&OP and S&OE (Control Tower) process across the organization.
• Ensure successful execution of S&OP process cycle to achieve process objectives across key areas – finance, end-to-end supply chain, customer, team and stakeholder engagement.
• Lead Demand, Supply S&OE (Control Tower) and S&OP meetings.
• Synthesize information and key data points to frame a cross-functional perspective for decision makers in the organization through the S&OP process.
• Drive enterprise-level decision-making and alignment of business plans by leading cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring strategic priorities are translated into aligned, executable outcomes.
• Ensure that the S&OP meetings take place at regular cadence, effectively facilitate the meetings, and summarize and share key takeaways.
• Function as a key liaison between various stakeholders to drive consensus on important decisions related to balancing supply and demand and aligning the plan to business strategy and financial goals.
• Consolidate inputs from markets and supply, analyze demand and supply changes and constraints and compare with financial targets.
• Work closely with peers to detail out and understand trade-offs in a constrained environment.
• Reconcile supply to demand, aligning with the financial plans and understanding the financial implications of different scenarios.
• Conduct and/or facilitate “what-if” analysis to create alternate scenarios for reconciling demand, supply and financial plans.
• Explain the risks and upside associated with different scenarios for more productive discussions in the executive S&OP meeting.
• Collaborate with multifunctional teams to align on which decisions will be presented in the executive S&OP meeting, and who will present them.
• Ensure that all inputs needed for the executive S&OP meeting are available.
• Own and lead the executive S&OP process, facilitating meetings that drive informed decision-making, ensure full stakeholder engagement, and result in clear, time-bound execution plans; ensure outcomes and accountabilities are effectively communicated across all functions (including S&OE), oversee follow-through on execution, and partner with executives to manage escalations and remove barriers.
• Establish and lead a continuous improvement loop for the S&OP process by proactively soliciting executive and stakeholder feedback on process design, meeting effectiveness, metrics, and downstream execution, and driving prioritized improvements to address gaps and enhance outcomes.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Business, Commercial, and Financial Acumen: Understands the interdependencies among commercial, sales, marketing, product development, finance, manufacturing, and supply chain functions, and can connect operational decisions to business strategy and financial plans.
• Planning and S&OP Expertise: Demonstrates deep knowledge of demand planning, supply planning, inventory planning, integrated business planning (IBP), product portfolio planning, new product introduction, material requirements planning (MRP), and S&OP processes.
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Knowledge: Applies strong understanding of pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chain considerations, including GMP expectations, quality release timing, batch and campaign planning, shelf-life and expiry management, controlled inventory strategies, serialization or packaging dependencies, and regulatory change impacts.
• Systems and Analytics: Uses MS Office programs, including Excel, Access, Word, and Project, and supply chain planning tools to analyze information, process data, and present clear findings and recommendations; advanced Microsoft Office skills preferred. Utilize Ai software where possible to simplify workflow.
• Continuous Improvement: Assesses and implements process improvements as business and production conditions evolve, applying practical knowledge of methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma.
• Leadership and Collaboration: Builds effective teams, supports talent development, resolves conflict constructively, and fosters cooperation across functions and individuals.
• Execution and Problem Solving: Manages multiple priorities with strong attention to detail, time management, organization, and planning, while adapting to changing situations and solving practical problems under pressure.
• Executive Communication: Communicates clearly in verbal and written formats and translates complex planning scenarios, supply risks, financial implications, and patient supply considerations into actionable recommendations for senior leadership.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related field required; Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
• Twelve or more years of progressive experience in supply chain, demand planning, supply planning, production planning, inventory management, or integrated business planning, with significant experience in a multi-product manufacturing environment.
• Five or more years of experience leading or heavily influencing S&OP, S&OE, IBP or similar cross-functional planning processes, including demand review, supply review, reconciliation, and executive decision forums.
• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, or other regulated manufacturing environment strongly preferred, including exposure to GMP, quality release, regulatory requirements, shelf-life management, and supply continuity expectations.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with senior leaders across Commercial, Finance, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Procurement, and Supply Chain to resolve complex supply-demand trade-offs and drive aligned business decisions.
• Experience leading people, managing direct reports, or providing functional leadership to cross-functional teams required.
• Advanced experience using ERP, MRP, planning, analytics, or business intelligence tools to support scenario planning, KPI tracking, risk management, and executive-level reporting preferred.
• APICS / ASCM CPIM or CSCP certification preferred; Lean, Six Sigma, PMP, or equivalent continuous improvement/project management certification a plus.

Working Conditions

Typical office environment working conditions. This position is eligible for a hybrid working arrangement (combination of remote and on-site), with ability to maintain a regular office presence in either Windsor, Colorado or Buffalo Grove, Illinois.