Director of Demand Planning and Sales & Operations Planning

BrightFarms is The Place to Grow!

At BrightFarms, we’re on a mission to revolutionize the way leafy greens are grown. But we don’t just want to grow great-tasting greens, we want them to do good as well: for the planet, for the health of people, and for the well-being of our employees. We give BrightFarmers the tools, training, support, and opportunities they need to do better for themselves and the world every day. Because when you do good for your people, they do good for the world.

BrightFarms is a national leader in the booming indoor farming industry, transforming how produce is grown and delivered with its expanding network of high-tech, sustainable hydroponic farms. We currently operate six high-tech greenhouse farms, with four new regional salad greenhouse hubs breaking ground to begin opening in 2024. BrightFarms' fresh lettuce options, from classic greens to crunchy mixes and salad kits, are available in more than 3,700 retail stores across the East Coast and Midwest.

We are looking for a seasoned leader to spearhead BrightFarms Demand Planning and S&OP processes. In this role, you will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies that ensure we have the right products, in the right quantities, at the right time to meet customer demand. You will lead the S&OP process and collaborate closely with key stakeholders across Sales, Marketing, Farm Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance to drive operational excellence and profitability. You will develop, build, and execute a demand planning capability roadmap that will transform our organization by embracing advanced process and technology capabilities to create a truly connected enterprise that will enable proactive planning with predictive analytics.

Specifically, You Will

• Develop and implement a comprehensive S&OP process that integrates cross-functional teams across multiple facilities
• Responsible for training all S&OP stakeholders to ensure clear expectations of roles and responsibilities
• Lead the S&OP meetings in partnership with Supply Planning Leaders to align demand and supply plans facilitating cross-functional collaboration to optimize Order fill rate, minimize costs, reduce waste, identify potential gaps or constraints, and develop action plans to address them
• Give assessments and recommendations on the Company level financial risks related to Demand/Sales/Inventory forecast
• Lead an Executive S&OP monthly meeting to resolve all demand vs supply issues including the potential deployment of additional capital
• Work with Procurement team, and Farms Operations to understand supply constraints and plan solutions to address gaps with the demand-based forecasts
• Engage with Customer Service and Sales teams to collaboratively define service level agreements and fulfill sales orders
• Monitor performance through management indicators (KPIs) and provide visual dashboards of all key metrics including Root Cause Analysis and Corrective/Preventative Actions
• Lead the Demand Planning team in developing accurate and timely 24-month statistical forecasts, cleansing historical data, gathering market trends, customer insights and cross-functional demand inputs
• Lead monthly demand review and consensus meetings with leadership in Sales, Farm Operations, Supply Chain and Finance teams to ensure reconciliation of demand to business needs and financial plans
• Identify opportunities for Demand Planning and S&OP improvements, automation, process standardization, and implement best practices.
• Analyze variances between forecasts and actual sales, identify root causes and take corrective actions
• Manage and prioritize demand during periods of supply constraints.
• Communicate demand plans and S&OP outcomes clearly and concisely to senior management
  
  

The Ideal Candidate

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, or a related field (MBA preferred)
• 12+ years of experience in demand planning, S&OP, or a related field in fast moving consumer goods with short shelf life
• 8+ years of experience managing teams in a cross-functional environment
• Proven track record of implementing successful demand forecasting models, S&OP processes, inventory management, and scenario planning
• Excellent analytical, communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle)
  
  

Come grow with us - the future is BRIGHT!

BrightFarms is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer - All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law.