Planning Manager (Demand, Supply & Production)

TempAid is a premier global innovator in temperature-controlled packaging solutions, specializing in cold chain products designed to preserve the integrity of temperature-sensitive items. We proudly operate manufacturing facilities in Noblesville, Indiana, and Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. TempAid is also distinguished as the only ISTA Standard 20 Certified Testing lab in Canada, underscoring our commitment to quality and excellence. Join us and become a part of our exciting growth journey!

We are creating a new Planning Manager role to act as the quarterback of our operations. This person converts the demand signal (forecasts, sales input, and live orders) into a synchronized demand, supply, and production plan across our entire network: two manufacturing sites, three assembly warehouses, and five to six distribution warehouses. They translate that demand into clear transfer, purchasing, manufacturing, and assembly requirements, and lead the Procurement functions that execute it.

The Role

This is a hands-on planning leadership position at the center of our supply chain. You own the planning engine in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and turn demand into an executable supply plan across a multi-echelon network:

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  2 manufacturing facility
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  3 assembly warehouses
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  5–6 distribution warehouses

You directly lead Procurement, and your plan drives execution across Manufacturing, Assembly, Logistics, and Warehousing. Keeping the demand signal clean and the supply and production plans current is what keeps the whole network synchronized from forecast to fulfillment.

Key Responsibilities

Demand Planning & Forecasting

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  Own the demand plan: consolidate sales forecasts, market trends, historical demand, and customer input into a single trusted forecast.
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  Run a disciplined planning cadence (weekly and on-demand) that keeps the plan current as demand and orders change.
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  Lead the S&OP / integrated business planning process, including consensus forecasting, with Sales, Operations, and Finance.
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  Translate the forecast and other demand inputs into actionable transfer, purchasing, manufacturing, and assembly requirements across all facilities.
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  Structure and load the forecast into Business Central in a usable form (demand forecast entries, forecast by location and period, and the master data behind them) so the planning engine can consume it and generate accurate supply, transfer, and production signals.

Supply & Production Planning

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  Own the master production schedule (MPS) and material requirements plan (MRP), balancing capacity, materials, and lead times across manufacturing and assembly.
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  Build production and assembly plans that align with demand, capacity constraints, and inventory targets.
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  Plan raw material and component requirements with Procurement to secure supply and minimize shortages and excess inventory.
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  Run scenario-based planning to evaluate trade-offs between service, cost, capacity, and inventory, and recommend decisions to leadership.

Network & Replenishment Planning

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  Plan multi-echelon replenishment across manufacturing sites, assembly warehouses, and distribution warehouses.
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  Determine and maintain inventory policy by location: reorder points, safety stock, lot sizing, and replenishment method (purchase, production, transfer, assembly).
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  Generate and manage transfer orders to position inventory where demand occurs and balance stock across the network.
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  Drive the right service levels while controlling overstock, stock-outs, and inventory turns.

Systems & Analytics (Business Central + Excel)

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  Operate Business Central as the planning system of record: Planning Worksheet (MRP/MPS), Stockkeeping Units, BOMs, item master, reorder policies, and order execution.
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  Build and maintain the analytical layer in Excel: forecast models, planning workbooks, exception reports, and KPI dashboards.
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  Surface and act on planning exceptions; keep master data clean so the engine produces trustworthy output.
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  Use AI tools (e.g., Claude) to accelerate analysis, scenario modeling, documentation, and communication.

Team Leadership

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  Develop and later lead the Planning and Procurement teams.
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  Set priorities and ensure the demand signal flows cleanly from planning through purchasing and order entry to fulfillment.
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  Establish clear handoffs, SLAs, and accountability across the planning-to-execution chain.

Collaboration & Reporting

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  Partner with Sales, Operations, Finance, Production, Quality, and Customer Service to align supply with demand.
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  Report to senior management with dashboards and performance summaries (forecast accuracy, schedule adherence, fill rate, inventory turns, OTIF).
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  Lead continuous-improvement initiatives in planning processes and inventory performance.
  

Qualifications

Required

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  Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, or Operations Management.
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  5+ years of experience in demand, supply, production, or inventory planning, including experience in a multi-site or multi-warehouse network.
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  Hands-on experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or a comparable ERP/MRP planning system (e.g., D365 F&O, SAP, NetSuite, Oracle).
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  Advanced Excel skills; comfortable building models, working with large data sets, and using lookups, pivots, and planning workbooks.
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  Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with high attention to data accuracy.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional alignment and influence without authority across Sales, Operations, and Finance.
• Hands-on S&OP / integrated business planning experience.
• Deep expertise in material, inventory, and production planning.
• Strong understanding of MRP and MPS principles.
• Experience with scenario-based planning and trade-off decision-making.

Strong Assets

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  Hands-on experience using Claude or similar AI tools in a work setting.
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  APICS / ASCM certification (CPIM or CSCP).
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  People-leadership experience.
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  Experience in consumer products or temperature-sensitive/regulated manufacturing.

Why This Role

This is a high-visibility seat at the center of a growing operation. You will stand up the planning function and have direct line of sight to the VP Operations, North America, with real ownership of how TempAid plans, sources, and fulfills across its entire network.