Director, Planning & Procurement – Domestic Operations

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Arizona, +1 more state.

📋 Description

• Oversee Planning & Procurement for Domestic Operations at the Hope, Arkansas and Peebles, Ohio facilities, as well as third-party pellet manufacturing.

• Convert operational strategy into yearly sourcing, planning, and cost-reduction initiatives.

• Provide guidance to Domestic Operations leadership regarding cost-per-ton performance, supply risks, mitigation approaches, and capital planning.

• Foster cross-functional alignment on supply plans, inventory targets, service performance, and operational priorities.

• Create scalable processes, enhance organizational capability, and deepen team expertise.

• Manage the delivered fiber cost per finished ton and strive for performance against budget objectives.

• Discover savings opportunities and expand as well as manage the supplier network.

• Formulate sourcing strategies and purchasing guidelines based on species, form, and plant location.

• Optimize decisions related to form, freight, and sizing for a dependable, cost-effective fiber supply.

• Negotiate supplier agreements, monitor performance, and assess sourcing alternatives.

• Direct production planning for both internally produced and third-party manufactured pellet products.

• Coordinate fiber procurement with production schedules, inventory needs, and customer demand.

• Develop capacity models and contribute to executive dashboards and monthly IBP/S&OP processes.

• Maintain planning assumptions concerning yield, moisture, consumption, and inventory.

• Achieve cost-per-ton reduction targets for MRO and packaging consumables.

• Standardize suppliers, pricing, contract terms, and category management practices.

• Establish spare-parts strategies and appropriate stocking levels.

• Define inventory policies that balance service levels with working capital efficiency.

• Enhance inventory accuracy, cycle counting discipline, and internal controls.

• Support OTIF service performance through effective inventory and supply planning.

• Elevate procurement and planning through data-driven decision-making and process improvements.

• Assist with SAP Inventory Management stabilization and ongoing process enhancement.

• Manage KPI governance related to sourcing, costs, supplier performance, yield, and inventory accuracy.

• Conduct root-cause analysis and implement corrective actions for cost, supply, and service discrepancies.

• Lead and cultivate procurement and operations process teams.

• Develop supplier and partner relationships while ensuring compliance with safety, quality, and performance standards.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related discipline.

• Director level: Over 10 years of progressive experience in procurement, planning, or supply chain within a manufacturing context.

• Director-level responsibility for multi-site sourcing expenditures and production planning.

• Proven experience in leading managers and influencing at the executive level.

• Required: Wood fiber procurement experience in pellet, panel, paper, or biomass manufacturing.

• Experience in raw material or commodity sourcing, including supplier qualification, negotiation, and category strategy formulation.

• Background in production planning and master scheduling utilizing MTS and MTO models.

• Experience in capacity modeling.

• Proven track record in managing indirect, MRO, and packaging categories.

• Knowledge of inventory management, including safety stock, cycle counting, and inventory accuracy governance.

• Familiarity with SAP or a similar ERP system.

• Strong financial skills, including P&L management, landed-cost modeling, and ROI assessment.

• Willingness to travel to Hope, Peebles, third-party suppliers, and distribution sites as necessary.

• Preferred: Experience in leading or enhancing IBP/S&OP processes within manufacturing operations.

• Preferred: Experience in deploying or advancing SAP IM and EWM in production and distribution settings.

• Preferred: Certification in Six Sigma and/or Lean Manufacturing.

• Preferred: Advanced analytical and cost modeling skills, data governance, and familiarity with AI-enhanced sourcing or planning optimization.

🏝️ Benefits

• E-Verify employment eligibility confirmation for newly hired U.S. team members.

• Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

• Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action workplace.