Senior Manager of Operational Excellence

We’re looking for a strategic, hands-on Senior Manager of Operational Excellence to lead cross-functional initiatives that strengthen our supply chain, improve inventory performance, and build the operational foundation for continued growth. In this role, you’ll turn business priorities into actionable projects that connect demand planning, supply planning, procurement, technology, and inventory management. Your work will help us make better decisions, streamline processes, improve customer service, and scale our operations while balancing cost, profitability, and product availability.

Our ideal candidate is a collaborative, data-driven problem-solver who can bring people together around shared goals and translate big-picture thinking into meaningful results. You take ownership, communicate clearly, and know how to influence decisions across teams and levels of an organization. You’re comfortable navigating change and ambiguity, balancing competing priorities, and finding practical ways to make things better. You approach challenges with curiosity and a continuous improvement mindset, keeping both the customer experience and the needs of the business in focus.

Role & Responsibilities

Lead Strategic Projects & Cross-Functional Initiatives

• Lead supply chain projects from initial concept through implementation, ensuring initiatives align with business priorities, product roadmaps, and customer service objectives.

• Coordinate cross-functional initiatives spanning demand planning, supply planning, procurement, and inventory management to improve operational performance and business outcomes.

• Establish project plans, governance structures, risk mitigation strategies, change management approaches, and stakeholder communication plans to support successful execution.

• Implement and refine project management methodologies, including Agile, stage-gate, or hybrid approaches, to improve execution speed while maintaining quality and cost controls.

• Evaluate project outcomes, track progress against objectives, and use post-project reviews to identify lessons learned and opportunities for improvement.

Optimize Planning, Inventory & Supply Chain Performance

• Drive inventory optimization initiatives across sales channels and product categories, balancing working capital efficiency with product availability and customer service expectations.

• Lead initiatives that improve demand and supply planning, procurement effectiveness, supplier performance, cost management, and continuity of supply.

• Use forecasting, scenario planning, and supply chain analytics to evaluate trade-offs, identify risks, and improve planning accuracy and inventory productivity.

• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure operational effectiveness, inventory performance, service levels, and cost efficiency.

• Ensure planning and inventory management processes support profitability, customer satisfaction, and the company’s long-term growth objectives.

Improve Systems, Processes & Operational Efficiency

• Partner with IT and other business functions to implement and optimize enterprise resource planning (ERP) capabilities, planning systems, and related supply chain technologies.

• Improve the integrity, accessibility, and usefulness of planning data while expanding reporting automation and business intelligence capabilities.

• Identify and implement process improvements that reduce inefficiencies, strengthen controls, and improve the scalability of supply chain operations.

• Evaluate and apply automation, AI, and other emerging technologies to improve forecasting accuracy, planning effectiveness, and operational efficiency.

• Apply data analysis, continuous improvement methodologies, and performance reviews to identify root causes, measure results, and sustain operational improvements.

Must Have

• 8+ years of experience in supply chain, operations, or procurement, with a strong focus on project or program management in a consumer products, manufacturing, retail, or distribution environment.

• Demonstrated experience across demand planning, supply planning, and procurement.

• Proven track record leading complex, cross-functional initiatives, including process improvement, inventory optimization, and supply chain transformation, with measurable impact on service levels, inventory performance, cost, and time-to-market.

• Strong knowledge of inventory optimization methodologies, forecasting models, and supply chain analytics, including financial analysis of trade-offs among inventory, service levels, margins, and operating costs.

• Experience implementing and optimizing ERP systems and planning platforms such as NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Kinaxis, Blue Yonder, Anaplan, Toolio, or similar systems.

• Proficiency with data analysis and business intelligence tools such as Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or similar platforms, including developing KPIs, dashboards, and executive-level reporting.

• Experience establishing or managing project governance, risk management, and change management processes.

• Hands-on experience with project management tools such as Monday.com, MS Project, Asana, Workbench, Jira, or similar platforms.

Preferred

• Experience in a high-growth business environment.

• Experience launching or scaling performance apparel, footwear, workwear, or similar consumer brands.

• PMP, PMI-ACP, or equivalent project management certification.

• Hands-on experience with NetSuite and Toolio.

• Experience applying automation, AI, or advanced technologies to improve planning accuracy and operational efficiency.

• Experience with Master Data Management principles and data governance.

• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or similar continuous improvement methodologies.