Senior Manager, Planning & Purchasing

Company Description

Josie Maran is a pioneer in clean, sustainably-sourced beauty, offering products like Argan Oil-powered body butters and skincare designed to nourish and enhance well-being. Rooted in an Earth-first philosophy, we strive to create formulas that are kind to both people and the planet, while delivering exceptional results. Our team is a group of visionary, passionate individuals working together to cultivate beauty, positivity, and environmental responsibility. We are driven by a mission to promote harmony with nature, inspire personal transformation, and protect the planet's beauty for future generations, all within a collaborative and innovative culture.

About the Senior Manager, Planning & Purchasing Role

The Senior Manager, Planning & Purchasing is an individual with strong management skills and a hands-on approach, who is adept at strategizing, coordinating, and planning. They understand all the interrelations of developing, manufacturing, and distributing products to our retail partners, and they enjoy a fast-paced and detail-oriented environment. The ideal candidate has a strong foundation working with contract manufacturers in a complex supply chain environment. This job requires big-picture thinking and the ability to set/prioritize daily and long-term goals, while managing a team and working collaboratively alongside various other departments. This role is responsible for generating and publishing a variety of reports to keep the organization informed of key data and metrics critical to running the business. This person is detail-oriented, a strong communicator, and a confident multi-tasker. They are highly analytical and resourceful and are good at recognizing patterns/drawing conclusions. They are comfortable designing new processes to maximize resources/effectiveness. Excellent problem-solving skills, out-of-the-box thinking, and strong capabilities in Excel are assets to this position. Experience working in ERP system (preferably NetSuite) is a requirement, experience using Netstock is a plus. This position reports to the Executive Director of Operations.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Planning

• Primary responsibility for planning and purchasing new product launches to meet ship-to-trade date.
• Supervise all aspects of first production at contract manufacturing partners and ensure successful/timely delivery to 3PL.
• Primary responsibility for all inventory replenishment, to maintain target months of stock and minimize out of stocks, with support of Assistant Manager of Supply Chain.
• Monitor and maintain sufficient inventory levels to successfully fulfill customer orders and maximize investments.
• Maintain reasonable component and raw material safety stock levels to support unplanned opportunities/growth.
• Strategically plan incoming and outgoing raw materials/components and finish goods to assure orders arrive on-time and in-full.
• Monitor real-time forecast consumption; make recommendations as needed to minimize liability and optimize supply & sustainability.
• Work with suppliers to expedite next deliveries in instances of low stock; work with suppliers to de-expedite/cancel orders in instances of overstock.
• Act as a liaison with third-party suppliers.
• Devise ways to optimize inventory control procedures.
• Look for opportunities to reduce cost (without compromising on quality) and improve our business model to provide better services and products to our clients.
• Analyze and share data to anticipate future needs and gain alignment within the organization.

Supervising

• Oversee Planning/Purchasing team (1 direct report with potential to grow in the future); interview and hire Planning/Purchasing staff and oversee staff training.
• Supervise personnel actions/decisions related to purchasing and inventory management.
• Control Planning/Purchasing department budgets, including freight and all inventory-related costs.
• Oversee all item data and bill of materials creation/maintenance to ensure accuracy of item attributes in ERP.
• Ensure accuracy of all purchase order, work order, transfer order, and inventory data in ERP; create and document processes/procedures the reinforce this goal.
• Develop and refine routine operational processes to maximize accuracy, speed, and accessibility by leveraging available resources.
• Review purchase order claims and contracts for conformance to company policy, in collaboration with Strategic Sourcing dept.
• Evaluate suppliers to achieve performance goals and maintain trust-based relationships, in collaboration with Strategic Sourcing dept.

Coordinating

• Arrange for disposition/certified disposal of surplus materials and expired/damaged goods.
• Ensure materials and products are received on time/in full, at the quality and the cost expected; collaborate with Quality Assurance and Product Development teams to resolve any quality-related issues that arise.
• Resolve vendor or contractor grievances, and manage claims against suppliers, in partnership with Strategic Sourcing dept.
• Interface with Accounting team to resolve any invoice- or cost-related discrepancies.
• Participate in the development of specifications for products or substitute materials, including those for new product launches.
• Collaborate with Sales team, Warehouse team, and 3PL to ensure business goals are met.
• Initiate and implement process improvement initiatives within the company.
• Interface with multiple departments including Marketing, Creative, Product Development, Sales, Accounting, Warehouse, and Quality Assurance to meet the needs of the organization.

Executing

• Review inventory, plan and generate purchase orders, contract manufacturer work orders, and transfer orders.
• Make decisions around changes to purchase order quantities/timing/other details and communicate these to third-party manufacturers.
• Maintain records of goods ordered and received.
• Generate and distribute reports (utilizing NetSuite ERP and Power BI), including inventory reports, item master data, cost analysis reports, and purchasing reports.
• Report to internal stakeholders and upper management on stock levels, issues etc.
• Organize annual third-party physical inventory at contract manufacturer locations; oversee inventory reconciliation and adjustments, and supply all supporting documentation to Accounting/Finance to support annual financial audit.
• Perform cost analyses on purchase price v.s. average cost to stay within cost variance target parameters.
• Analyze ordering patterns, monitor/report on inventory levels (in association with cost/liability), and identify excess and obsolete stock.

Competencies

• Minimum of 7-10 years relevant work experience.
• Leadership experience, including managing direct reports.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and writing skills.
• Strong working knowledge of ERP software, preferably NetSuite.
• Proficient in Excel and Microsoft Office.
• Experience working with contract manufacturers.
• Experience in inventory management/control.
• Strong analytical capability.
• Knowledge of budget and financial analysis.
• Excellent organizational and planning skills.
• Strong problem-solving abilities.
• Team mentality.
• Reliable and trustworthy.
• Excellent multi-tasker, comfortable in a high-pressure/fast paced environment and able to prioritize.

Key skills/competency

• Supply Chain Management
• Inventory Planning
• Purchasing
• NetSuite ERP
• Contract Manufacturing
• Leadership
• Data Analysis
• Process Improvement
• Forecasting
• Budget Management