Supply Chain Planning & Purchasing Manager

Why This Role Matters

We’re looking for a commercially minded, operationally rigorous Supply Chain Planning & Purchasing Manager to own our end-to-end S&OP cycle — translating demand signals into accurate forecasts, material and inventory plans, weekly purchasing across our supplier base, and clean outbound fulfillment across our 3PL partners.

The business currently processes roughly 2,500 outbound orders per week — each carrying 10 to 21 line items — across a catalogue of up to 80 active SKUs. That volume is growing. You won’t just keep this engine running; you’ll build the systems, processes, and supplier relationships needed to scale it reliably.

Operational Context

Catalogue & Suppliers

Up to 80 active SKUs

Up to 10 suppliers

Weekly ordering cadence

Order Volume

~2,500 orders / week

10–21 line items per order

Growing volume

Distribution

Up to 3 x 3PLs

Potential multi-node distribution

Scalable fulfillment model

What You’ll Do

S&OP & Demand Planning

• Own the weekly S&OP cycle — facilitating cross-functional review of demand forecasts, supply constraints, inventory positions, and order cover

• Develop and maintain rolling DTC demand forecasts by SKU and by supplier, incorporating sales pipeline, promotional calendars, and seasonality

• Establish inventory targets (safety stock, reorder points, min/max levels) across up to 80 SKUs, balancing service level against working capital

• Identify and escalate supply risks, stock-out exposure, and overstock scenarios before they impact fulfillment

Material Planning & Purchasing

• Generate and place weekly purchase orders across up to 10 suppliers, aligning order quantities with demand plans, MOQs, and lead times

• Own the DTC cold-chain packaging lifecycle — sourcing, development, and buying — balancing storage costs against volume pricing breaks

• Maintain accurate supplier master data: lead times, pricing, MOQs, payment terms, and contact hierarchy

• Track open POs through to receipt, proactively managing exceptions, short-shipments, and substitutions

• Manage inbound shipments from suppliers and support onboarding of new vendors

• Develop supplier scorecards and run regular performance reviews (OTIF, fill rate, quality compliance)

3PL & Distribution Coordination

• Serve as the primary operational contact for 3PL partners — managing inbound receipts, outbound order releases, and stock reconciliations

• Coordinate weekly order-release schedules across 3PL nodes to meet outbound commitments of ~2,500 orders per week

• Monitor fulfillment accuracy, pick rates, and carrier SLAs; escalate deviations and drive corrective action

• Partner with 3PLs on capacity planning for volume growth and peak trading periods

• Minimize inventory holding costs by maximizing turns

Systems & Data

• Own the integrity of supply chain data across the ERP / WMS / OMS ecosystem — item master, BOM, and stock records

• Own inventory transaction processing end-to-end, from raising POs to item receipt

• Build and maintain planning tools and dashboards (Excel, BI tools, or dedicated planning software) to support the S&OP process

• Define and track KPIs: forecast accuracy, inventory turns, OTIF, order fill rate, stock cover, and supplier lead-time adherence

• Identify system gaps and champion the process improvements and platform upgrades needed to scale

Requirements

What You Bring

Essential

• 3–6 years in supply chain planning, materials management, or purchasing in a product-based business

• DTC cold-chain distribution experience across inbound, storage, and outbound shipping

• Proven ownership of an S&OP or IBP process, including demand forecasting and inventory planning

• Hands-on experience placing and managing purchase orders across multiple suppliers on a recurring weekly cadence

• Experience managing or closely coordinating with 3PL fulfillment partners

• Strong Excel / Google Sheets modeling; comfortable with large data sets and pivot-based analysis

• Experience using an ERP as a core planning and purchasing tool (OMS module development a plus)

• Excellent organizational discipline and attention to detail; able to manage competing weekly deadlines without dropping threads

Desirable

• High-SKU, high-order-frequency experience (e-commerce, frozen food, or consumer goods)

• CIPS, APICS CPIM, or equivalent supply chain / procurement qualification

• Track record building or improving S&OP processes in a scaling business (Series A–C or high-growth SME)

• Familiarity with WMS portals and 3PL SLA frameworks

How You Work

• Process-driven, with a bias for building scalable routines rather than firefighting

• Highly numerate and comfortable making planning decisions from data

• A clear communicator who can distill complex supply situations into concise updates for commercial and leadership stakeholders

• Ownership mindset — accountable for outcomes across supplier, 3PL, and internal handoffs

• Adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity in a business where processes are still being built

• Collaborative across commercial, finance, and operations to align the S&OP plan with business priorities

What Success Looks Like (First 12 Months)

• A reliable weekly S&OP cycle the whole business plans and commits against

• Forecast accuracy, OTIF, and fill rate trending up — stock-outs and overstock trending down

• A purchasing cadence that keeps up to 80 SKUs in stock across up to 10 suppliers without tying up working capital

• 3PL fulfillment running cleanly at ~2,500 orders/week, and ready for the next volume step-change

• Improving inventory turns and minimized cold-chain waste

• Planning systems, data, and dashboards that scale with the business — not against it

Benefits

What We Offer

• Mission-driven work with real impact on human health

• Flexible PTO

• Hybrid work environment based in New Jersey, with regular on-site presence at our 3PL

• Competitive compensation + healthcare benefits

• 401(k) matching up to 4%

• Opportunity to grow with the company as we scale