Director of Planning at Urban Farmer LLC – Manteno, Illinois

Overview:

Urban Farmer is seeking a highly analytical, data-driven Director of Planning to lead the company’s planning function, with primary responsibility for demand planning, production planning, inventory management, and service performance. This role will be responsible for connecting the full planning cycle across forecast development, production execution, inventory control, and customer service outcomes. The Director of Planning will partner closely with sales, production, customer service, and leadership to ensure forecasts translate into executable production plans and that customer demand is supported with the right inventory levels at the right time. This role will also be responsible for improving planning accuracy, reducing waste and expiration risk, and strengthening cross-functional collaboration across the team. This leader must be comfortable working in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment, ideally within frozen food, and must be able to use data and KPI reporting to identify gaps, drive accountability, and improve overall planning performance.

Key Responsibilities:

Demand Planning

· Lead the monthly demand planning process by gathering and analyzing data from internal systems, customer portals, historical trends, and sales inputs.

· Partner with the sales organization to develop accurate forecasts and translate demand signals into actionable planning assumptions.

· Monitor forecast accuracy and identify root causes when forecast, production, and customer demand do not align.

· Adjust plans as needed based on business trends, service requirements, and changing customer needs.

Production Planning

· Oversee weekly and monthly production planning to align manufacturing output with forecasted demand.

· Work closely with production planning and plant leadership to ensure the production plan supports service goals and operational capabilities.

· Evaluate attainment against plan and identify gaps when forecasted demand is not achieved through production or customer pull-through.

· Support planning decisions that balance customer service, production efficiency, and inventory health.

Inventory Management

· Manage inventory planning across finished goods, raw materials, and packaging.

· Drive improvements in inventory control practices to reduce waste, improve visibility, and support business continuity.

· Focus on reducing expiration-related losses, including both raw material/packaging expiration and finished goods that require discounting due to excess inventory.

· Ensure appropriate inventory levels are maintained while minimizing overproduction and obsolescence risk.

KPI Management & Service Performance

· Own and monitor key planning and operational KPIs, including:

o Forecast accuracy

o Production attainment

o Service levels

o Inventory performance

o Expiration and waste reduction

· Use data to determine where breakdowns are occurring across the planning cycle and implement corrective actions.

· Provide leadership with clear reporting and insights on planning performance and business risks.

Cross-Functional Leadership

· Build stronger collaboration across the planning team and related functions by promoting cross-training, shared accountability, and team-based problem-solving.

· Address gaps in backup coverage and help create a more cross-functional environment where responsibilities can be supported across the team.

· Work closely with customer service, sales, and plant operations to ensure the planning process is connected from forecast through fulfillment.

· Serve as a key point of contact with remote sales teams and present planning information in a clear, professional way.

Systems & Tools

· Utilize Excel extensively for planning analysis and reporting.

· Work within Aptean / Business Central,

ERP systems, TrueCommerce, and customer portals to gather, export, and interpret planning data.

· Learn and leverage existing internal planning tools and spreadsheets, while identifying opportunities for improvement.

Qualifications:

· Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or related field, or equivalent experience

· 7+ years of progressive experience in planning, supply chain, or operations within manufacturing

· Prior leadership experience in a planning, demand, inventory, or operations-focused role

· Strong experience with:

o Demand planning

o Production planning

o Inventory management

o KPI reporting and performance analysis

· Advanced Excel skills

· Experience using ERP systems and customer-facing portals

· Strong communication skills with the ability to work cross-functionally and present to remote teams