Director of Planning

Director of Planning

At Johnson Outdoors, home to some of the world’s most innovative and best-known outdoor recreation brands, we create amazing outdoor experiences - for adventurers, by adventurers. 

Check out all of the Johnson Outdoor brands in Fishing, Watercraft, Camping, and Diving!

Based in beautiful and affordable Racine, Wisconsin, at our Headquarters on the shore of Lake Michigan, you’ll have incredible access to a variety of outdoor activities whether skiing and snowmobiling in winter, or kayaking, fishing, sailing, hiking or more in summer. Close to both Milwaukee and Chicago, the area boasts a wide variety of amenities including a vibrant arts and culture scene and a host of unique, creative dining options. 

About the Role:

Develops and leads global planning/S&OP processes and strategy to successfully optimize customer satisfaction, profitability, supply chain optimization, target inventory, and working capital operational business objectives. Provides strategic direction to balance supply and demand and align volume and mix with capacity and capability. Integrates financial and operating plans with strategic objectives to deliver improved operating and financial results.

What you will be doing: 

• Develops, leads, and ensures execution of strategies for planning/S&OP processes including demand planning, supply planning, production scheduling, distribution and material requirements, and targeted inventory. Provides strategic direction to balance demand and supply, align volume, and mix with capacity, and integrate financial and operating plans with strategic objectives.
• Directs and leads global demand planning functions to ensure demand forecasts accurately reflect future needs incorporating customer and product forecasts. Collaborates with sales teams to incorporate the demand plan across product categories and SKUs to facilitate an effective planning/S&OP process.
• Directs and leads global supply planning function to meet the demand for products efficiently while increasing profits and minimizing costs.
• Partners closely with sales and product development teams on planning/executing new product as well as managing other product life-cycle phases.
• Drives maximizing target inventory levels based on operating plans and ensures current inventory levels meet plans and working capital objectives.
• Drives and ensures improvements to production and sourcing plans to optimize the use of labor, production capacity, financial resources, and supply capacity while meeting customer expectations.
• Defines key metrics and track benefits/improvements to the business. Identifies opportunities to collaborate with sales and marketing about current and future customer demands to drive innovation in the customer experience.
• Develops and monitors metrics for operations and procurement teams to achieve customer order fulfillment objectives while maintaining inventory levels at operating plan and target.
• Identifies significant business risks and escalates to executives and other key stakeholders to drive effective decisions and resolutions to complex, difficult challenges.
• Drives global performance improvement based on industry best practices by implementing and adopting tools to streamline, simplify, standardize, and increase automation. Reviews the S&OP process to ensure alignment with best practices and our business needs.
• Drives results and strategy by providing expertise and acting as a subject matter expert to senior leadership and key stakeholders. Collaborates with various cross functional teams to define current processes, identify opportunities, implement improvements, and drive key impactful projects.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

What you need to succeed: 

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, business or equivalent.

• A minimum of 10 years’ experience which includes developing planning/S&OP strategies and leading/driving multi-country planning/S&OP processes and strategy, providing strategic direction to align supply, demand, volume, and capacity needs and maximizing financial results.

• Advanced experience in leading demand and supply planning, and managing overall performance based on KPI’s.
• Advanced leadership experience in inventory control, materials planning and demand planning.
• Ability to develop and lead performance improvement plans based on industry best practice while leveraging technology.
• Extensive experience in supply chain with an emphasis on planning and forecasting.
• Proven business management experience working across the organization with cross-functional teams and varying levels of leadership.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to effectively communicate about complex issues with colleagues, senior management, and business partners. Ability to make strategic recommendations based on data and best practices. Demonstrated stakeholder management experience and the ability to influence across the organization without having direct authority. Ability to work across multiple teams, align goals and drive overall success.
• Experience driving large, system-wide global projects through facilitation, influence, and collaboration.
• Proficiency in using the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
• Position must be available to travel approximately 25%-35% of the time as needed.

A few pointers about our culture:

• Entrepreneurial spirit and innovation are in our bones! We authentically innovate trusted equipment that gets people out in the great outdoors.
• We are laser-focused on our consumers, and passionate about providing superior solutions flexible to meet any event’s needs or mission requirements.
• We strive to create meaningful, healthy change in the world as individuals and as a family of brands.
• We value team members who are willing to wear many hats; who take personal initiative, anticipating what needs to be done, and figuring things out to make them happen; but who are also willing to ask help, to assist others and work together.

What you will receive:

• Share in the company’s success with competitive base salary with additional earning potential through participation in the management bonus program, eligibility for annual pay increases, and employee stock purchase plans.
• Find work/life balance with generous Paid Time Off and holiday benefits, a full benefits package, and broad range of employee support and fitness and wellness plans.
• Further your career with performance development and training opportunities, including our tuition assistance program.
• Have fun at work, enjoying a collaborative and casual work environment, participating in fun company events, and taking advantage of great employee discounts on all our outdoor recreational products.
• Plan for your future with our 401(k) with company match and deferred retirement contributions, Sons & Daughters Scholarship program, college savings program, life and LTD insurance, employee stock purchase plan, and more.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment at Johnson Outdoors (and all subsidiaries) without regard to race; creed; color; religion; national origin; sex; age; disability; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; genetic predisposition or carrier status; veteran, marital, or citizenship status; or any other status protected by law.  Johnson Outdoors is proud to be an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer.

If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact Human Resources at HRSpecialAccommodations@johnsonoutdoors.com to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

About Us:

JOHNSON OUTDOORS is a leading global innovator of outdoor recreation equipment and technologies that inspire more people to experience the awe of the great outdoors. The company designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands across four categories: Watercraft Recreation, Fishing, Diving and Camping.  Johnson Outdoors' iconic brands include: Old Town® canoes and kayaks; Ocean Kayak™; Carlisle® paddles; Minn Kota® fishing motors, batteries and anchors; Cannon® downriggers; Humminbird® marine electronics and charts; SCUBAPRO® dive equipment; Jetboil® outdoor cooking systems; and Eureka!®camping and hiking equipment. Founded in 1970 by Samuel C. Johnson, the Company has delivered double-digit compound annual growth over its history, evolving from a single brand into a nearly $743 million global enterprise with around 1,400 employees across 20 countries.