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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Global Planner

💰 $95,000 - $150,000

Supply ChainPlanningLogisticsOperations

🎯 Role Definition

At its core, the Global Planner role is the strategic linchpin of an international supply chain. This position is responsible for orchestrating the intricate balance of worldwide demand with global supply capabilities. The Global Planner develops and executes comprehensive plans to ensure products are in the right place, at the right time, and in the right quantity, all while optimizing for cost, service, and inventory. This is a highly collaborative and analytical role that requires a big-picture, strategic mindset to navigate the complexities of global markets, manufacturing networks, and logistics channels.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Demand Planner / Regional Planner
  • Supply Chain Analyst
  • Master Production Scheduler
  • Senior Buyer

Advancement To:

  • Global Planning Manager
  • S&OP Manager
  • Director of Supply Chain Planning
  • Head of Global Operations

Lateral Moves:

  • Logistics Manager
  • Procurement Manager
  • Continuous Improvement Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, maintain, and execute the global supply plan, ensuring it aligns with demand forecasts, manufacturing capacity, and strategic inventory targets across all regions.
  • Lead the consolidation of regional demand forecasts to create a cohesive global demand signal, challenging assumptions and collaborating with commercial teams to improve accuracy.
  • Manage the Master Production Schedule (MPS) for key global manufacturing sites or contract manufacturers, ensuring production is synchronized with the overall supply plan.
  • Steer the global Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) or Integrated Business Planning (IBP) cycle, preparing data and facilitating meetings to drive consensus and executive decision-making.
  • Establish and govern global inventory policies, including safety stock levels, cycle stock, and pre-builds, to achieve service level agreements while minimizing working capital.
  • Proactively identify and mitigate potential supply chain risks, such as capacity bottlenecks, raw material shortages, or geopolitical disruptions, by developing contingency plans.
  • Drive cross-functional alignment by leading regular meetings with regional planning, marketing, sales, finance, and operations to resolve supply gaps and align on business priorities.
  • Design and implement fair-share allocation strategies for products in constrained supply, communicating decisions and rationale clearly to all global stakeholders.
  • Monitor, analyze, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) like forecast accuracy, schedule attainment, on-time in-full (OTIF), inventory turns, and backorder value.
  • Lead root cause analysis for performance deviations and champion the implementation of sustainable corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
  • Act as the supply chain lead for new product introductions (NPI), coordinating with R&D, marketing, and regional teams to ensure flawless launch execution and ramp-up.
  • Manage end-of-life (EOL) product transitions on a global scale, developing detailed phase-out plans to minimize obsolescence and excess inventory.
  • Own the integrity of master data within planning systems (e.g., SAP IBP, Kinaxis), including lead times, safety stocks, and sourcing parameters that dictate supply chain behavior.
  • Formulate long-range supply and capacity plans (18-36 months) to support strategic growth initiatives, capital expenditure requests, and network design decisions.
  • Serve as the central point of contact for global supply escalations, providing timely updates, impact assessments, and clear resolution paths to senior leadership.
  • Champion continuous improvement initiatives within the global planning function, leveraging methodologies like Lean, Six Sigma, and best practices to enhance process maturity.
  • Prepare and present comprehensive supply chain performance reviews and executive summaries that translate complex data into actionable business insights.
  • Collaborate closely with global procurement and sourcing teams to gain visibility into supplier capacity, potential constraints, and opportunities for improved lead times or costs.
  • Conduct robust "what-if" scenario planning and analysis to evaluate the supply chain impact of promotions, market downturns, or strategic shifts.
  • Reconcile the unconstrained demand plan against supply capabilities to generate a constrained, consensus-based master plan that is both feasible and financially sound.
  • Partner with global logistics and distribution teams to provide forward-looking volume projections, enabling them to optimize transportation modes and warehouse capacity.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to answer critical business questions.
  • Contribute to the organization's broader data and supply chain technology strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate evolving data and planning needs into system engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies for projects related to planning systems and tools.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced ERP & Planning Systems: Deep proficiency in ERP systems (e.g., SAP S/4HANA, Oracle) and their planning modules (APO, IBP), coupled with hands-on expertise in Advanced Planning Systems (APS) like Kinaxis, Blue Yonder, or o9 Solutions.
  • Data Analysis & Visualization: Expert-level ability to manipulate and analyze large datasets using tools such as Microsoft Excel (Power Query, Pivot Tables), SQL, and data visualization platforms like Power BI or Tableau.
  • Supply Chain Mastery: Comprehensive knowledge of end-to-end supply chain concepts, including Master Production Scheduling (MPS), Material Requirements Planning (MRP), Distribution Requirements Planning (DRP), and sophisticated inventory management theories.
  • Statistical Forecasting: Solid understanding of various statistical forecasting models and the ability to interpret and adjust system-generated forecasts.
  • Financial Acumen: Strong ability to connect planning decisions to financial outcomes, including impacts on working capital, inventory carrying costs, and Excess & Obsolete (E&O) reserves.
  • Process Modeling: Capability to map, analyze, and redesign complex global planning processes.

Soft Skills

  • Global Collaboration & Influence: Exceptional cross-cultural communication skills with a proven ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders across different time zones, functions, and levels of seniority without direct authority.
  • Analytical Problem-Solving: A sharp, analytical mindset capable of dissecting complex, ambiguous problems, identifying root causes, and developing effective, data-driven solutions.
  • Strategic Thinking: The ability to see the bigger picture, connecting day-to-day tactical planning activities to long-term business strategies and goals.
  • Resilience & Adaptability: High level of composure and flexibility to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, and often-unpredictable global environment.
  • Negotiation & Conflict Resolution: Adept at facilitating difficult conversations, mediating between competing regional interests, and negotiating outcomes that benefit the entire organization.
  • Ownership & Accountability: A proactive, self-starting attitude with a strong sense of ownership for business results and a commitment to delivering on promises.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s Degree or MBA with a concentration in Supply Chain Management or Operations.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Operations Management
  • Business Administration
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Logistics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 5-10 years of progressive experience in supply chain, with a significant portion focused on demand planning, supply planning, or S&OP.

Preferred:

  • Direct experience in a global or multi-regional planning capacity is highly desirable. Professional certifications from APICS (e.g., CPIM, CSCP) or the Institute of Business Forecasting & Planning (IBF) are a significant advantage and demonstrate a commitment to the profession.
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