Senior Manager, Planning Transformation & Inventory Strategy

Title: Senior Manager, Planning Transformation & Inventory Strategy (Ref: 196611)

Location: Hybrid – New York City (3 Days Onsite)

Salary: $160,000 – $170,000 USD Bonus

Contact: Jessica.Dobie@forsythbarnes.com

Overview:

Forsyth Barnes are partnering with a premium consumer brand undergoing a major operational and planning transformation, seeking a Senior Manager, Operations Planning & Analytics to help modernise forecasting, inventory strategy, and operational decision making through analytics, automation, and AI-enabled workflows.

This is a highly visible role operating at the intersection of operations, analytics, finance, merchandising, and technology. The successful candidate will act as a strategic partner to senior leadership while leading a small planning and analytics function responsible for improving operational performance across the business.

Key Requirements:

• 7 years of experience across operational strategy, planning, supply chain, inventory, forecasting, analytics, or transformation-focused environments
• Experience leading teams and influencing cross-functional stakeholders across operations, finance, merchandising, commercial, and technology functions
• Strong business and commercial acumen with the ability to challenge operational outputs, influence decision making, and improve business performance
• Experience operating within planning, forecasting, inventory management, S&OP / SNOP, operational analytics, or transformation environments
• Proven experience driving operational improvement, process redesign, workflow optimisation, or scalable transformation initiatives
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to translate complex operational data into actionable business insights and recommendations
• Comfortable operating in ambiguous, fast-moving, and evolving environments with high levels of ownership and autonomy
• Strong executive communication skills with experience presenting operational insights and strategic recommendations to senior leadership teams

Preferred Experience:

• Exposure to AI / ML applications within operational, planning, forecasting, or supply chain environments
• Experience with intelligent automation, predictive analytics, exception-based planning, or AI-enabled operational workflows
• Hands-on familiarity with SQL, Python, Tableau, Power BI, Snowflake, or similar analytics and reporting technologies
• Experience working with planning systems such as SAP IBP, Anaplan, o9, JDA / Blue Yonder, or similar enterprise planning platforms
• Experience partnering with engineering, data, product, or technology teams to improve operational tooling and automate reporting processes
• Background within retail, ecommerce, FMCG / CPG, premium consumer brands, consulting, or analytically mature operational businesses preferred
• Experience supporting planning transformation programmes, operational tooling implementations, or digitally enabled operational environments

Ideal Candidate:

• Commercially minded, analytically strong, and operationally curious
• Experienced leading teams while driving operational transformation and process improvement
• Able to bridge business operations, analytics, and technology functions effectively
• Strong communicator with executive presence and the ability to influence senior stakeholders
• Comfortable balancing strategic thinking with hands-on operational execution
• Naturally curious about AI, automation, and the future of intelligent operational workflows
• Thrives in ambiguity and enjoys solving complex operational and business challenges
• Motivated by building scalable operational processes that drive measurable business impact