Director of Inventory Planning and Optimization

Barrington, NJ, USA|Onsite

Job Overview

Employment Type

Full-time

Compensation

Salary

Range $150,000.00 - $165,000.00

Work Schedule

Standard Hours

Benefits

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental Insurance

Employee assistance program

Flexible spending account

Health Insurance

Health savings account

Life insurance

Paid Time Off

Professional development assistance

Referral program

Tuition Reimbursement

Vision Insurance

Job Description

Edmund Optics is a recognized leader in the optics and photonics industry, dedicated to providing cutting-edge optical components and systems for a broad range of scientific, industrial, and medical applications. The company is known for its innovation, high-quality products, and commitment to customer satisfaction. Edmund Optics operates on a global scale, serving a diverse market with a wide array of optical solutions. As a dynamic and forward-thinking company, it continuously seeks to enhance its operational efficiencies and maintain a competitive edge through advanced analytics and strategic supply chain management.

The role of Director of Inventory Planning & Optimization at Edmund Optics is a pivotal leadership position responsible for shaping and executing the company’s global inventory strategy. This position is full-time and offers a competitive annual salary ranging from $150,000 to $165,000. The Director will lead the development of a robust inventory planning framework that balances service levels, cost efficiency, and working capital objectives across multiple sales plants worldwide.

In this role, the Director partners closely with various departments including Operations, Finance, and Executive Leadership to ensure that inventory management goals are aligned with the broader business objectives. The Director is expected to be highly analytical, comfortable working deeply with data and inventory planning tools to derive actionable insights and improve decision-making processes. This individual will oversee demand forecasting strategies, manage inventory planning systems such as ERP platforms, and monitor key performance metrics like fill rates and inventory turns to optimize inventory performance.

Moreover, the Director plays an active role in continuous improvement initiatives, focusing on enhancing forecasting accuracy, managing risk associated with excess or obsolete inventory, and adhering to internal controls and audit requirements. With the company’s analytics capabilities evolving, the Director will also be responsible for shaping the development of new tools, processes, and team competencies, ensuring that the inventory planning function is both strategic and operationally effective.

This position requires a leader who can provide strategic direction while maintaining a hands-on approach to problem-solving and team collaboration. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to impact the company’s supply chain efficiency directly and contribute to the overall operational success of Edmund Optics within the optics and photonics industry.

Job Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Analytics, Finance, Operations, or a related field
10+ years of experience in inventory management, supply chain planning, or operations
5+ years of leadership experience managing teams and cross-functional initiatives
proven experience in demand planning, forecasting, and inventory optimization in a complex, multi-location environment
ability to operate office equipment such as a copier
ability to sit or stand for long periods of time
ability to travel 10-20%
U.S. citizenship or permanent residency required
willingness to relocate to Barrington, NJ 08007 before starting work
ability to work in person
commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Job Qualifications

Strong analytical and quantitative skills with a solid understanding of statistical concepts and their application in forecasting and inventory optimization
hands-on experience with inventory planning and ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or NetSuite
expert in advanced analytics tools and reporting systems such as Excel modeling, Power BI, or Tableau
working knowledge of SQL or other advanced database programming preferred
experience working with Snowflake or similar cloud-based data platforms a plus
demonstrated success improving working capital, inventory turns, and service level KPIs
strong understanding of supply chain processes including S&OP, production planning, and demand/supply balancing
ability to engage directly with data and analysis, guiding and validating outputs while supporting team execution
excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills
comfortable operating in an analytics-evolving environment with willingness to build and mature processes
optics and optical industry knowledge a plus
comfortable in a multi-cultural/global environment
strong customer focus
U.S. citizenship or permanent residence required

Job Duties

Lead the development and execution of the global inventory strategy to support company objectives for service levels, cost efficiency, and working capital objectives
direct the evolution of demand forecasting strategies, processes, and systems to ensure accurate planning and alignment with sales and operational requirements
manage and optimize inventory planning tools, software platforms, and analytics systems used to forecast and manage inventory across the organization
establish and monitor key performance metrics, including service levels, fill rates, inventory turns, and shipping reliability, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction
develop and manage annual inventory forecasts for finished goods across all sales plants
collaborate with Finance and Supply Chain executives to establish and manage working capital targets, including total inventory value and days of inventory by Sales Plant
drive data-driven decision-making through advanced analytics, reporting, and modeling to identify risks, opportunities, and inefficiencies within the inventory network