Director of Supply Chain Planning at Branding Iron Holdings – Sauget, Illinois

About the Company

For over 60 years, Branding Iron Holdings (“BIH”) has been producing high quality beef and pork products while delivering customized solutions to the food service and retail trade industries. With an eye to the future, BIH has put a strong focus on building internal talent and on leveraging unique product lines and national distribution to drive continued growth. Guided by a strong set of core values (Respect, Integrity and Stewardship), reflecting a culture of servant leadership at every level, BIH’s team works hard to foster a culture that embraces and builds meaningful, long-term relationships with both employees and its customer base.

Position Summary:

The Director of Supply Chain Planning is responsible for leading end-to-end supply chain strategy and execution for a high-volume, batch-manufactured burger patty operation with significant product customization. This role ensures reliable, cost-effective sourcing, production planning, inventory management, and logistics while supporting customer-specific formulations, pack configurations, and service requirements. The position requires strong analytical capability, advanced Excel skills, and hands-on leadership across procurement, planning, manufacturing coordination, and distribution.

Responsibilities:

Supply Chain Strategy & Leadership

· Develop and execute supply chain strategies aligned with business objectives, customer requirements, and margin targets

· Lead and mentor supply chain, planning, and procurement teams to drive accountability and continuous improvement

· Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, R&D, Sales, Finance, and Food Safety to ensure alignment from demand through fulfillment

Production & Inventory Planning

· Lead production planning processes supporting batch manufacturing, frequent changeovers, and customized production runs

· Optimize raw material, WIP, and finished goods inventory while minimizing waste, shrink, and obsolescence

· Establish planning tools and KPIs to improve throughput, yield, and schedule adherence

· Lead the vetting and implementation of planning and network optimization tools to best maximize efficiency and reduce cost within network

· Continuously look for opportunities within scheduling to increase efficiency and reduce downtime while balancing working capital requirements.

· Drive optimization within product mix to reduce variability in resources needed to operate lines within day while enhancing our commercial value prop of flexibility

Demand Planning & S&OP

· Own demand forecasting and Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes for both standard and customer-specific products

· Translate forecast demand into executable production, procurement, and inventory plans in a batch manufacturing environment

· Balance service levels, capacity constraints, and inventory risk across multiple SKUs and formulation.

Logistics & Distribution

· Oversee inbound and outbound logistics, cold storage, and transportation strategies

· Ensure timely and cost-effective distribution to customers while maintaining food safety and quality standards

· Identify opportunities to optimize freight, warehouse utilization, and network design

Analytics, Reporting & Systems

· Utilize advanced Excel and analytical tools to model demand, capacity, inventory, and cost scenarios

· Develop dashboards and reporting to track KPIs such as service level, inventory turns, forecast accuracy, and cost per pound

· Support ERP and planning system enhancements and data integrity initiatives

Continuous Improvement & Compliance

· Drive continuous improvement initiatives across the supply chain using Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies

· Ensure compliance with food safety, regulatory, and customer audit requirements

· Identify and implement best practices to support scalability and operational excellence

Minimum Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business, Engineering, or related field (MBA preferred)

· 10+ years of progressive supply chain experience, with leadership responsibility

· Direct experience in food manufacturing, preferably protein or burger patty manufacturing

· Strong background in batch manufacturing and customized / make-to-order production environments

· Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, advanced formulas, scenario modeling, data analysis)

· Experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards, Dynamics, or similar)

· Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage complex supply chains

Key Competencies

· Strategic thinker with strong execution focus

· Data-driven decision maker with exceptional analytical skills

· Strong negotiation and supplier management capabilities

· Effective communicator across operations, commercial, and executive teams

· Ability to thrive in fast-paced, high-change manufacturing environments

What Success Looks Like

· Improved service levels and customer satisfaction

· Reduced supply chain costs and working capital

· Strong alignment between demand, production, and inventory

· Scalable supply chain processes that support growth and customization

Benefits Overview

Competitive base salary ($120,000-140,000 annually). Base salary is one component of a competitive compensation package for employees. Full benefits package, including medical/ vision/ dental/life insurance, 401(k) with company match, and paid time off. We take into consideration a variety of factors including, but not limited to, skills, abilities, experience, education, credentials, and internal equity when determining the base salary offered. Roles are eligible for additional rewards including an annual incentive program based on individual and company performance.

Branding Iron Holdings is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, age, gender identity or expression, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, disability, veteran status, religion, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by applicable equal employment opportunity laws.