Director, IT Planning and Inventory

Life Unlimited. At Smith+Nephew, we design and manufacture technology that takes the limits off living!Smith+Nephew is seeking a strategic and execution-oriented Director to lead the digital transformation of global planning capabilities across our regulated medical device supply chain. This role will drive the strategy, planning, and execution of initiatives across Kinaxis Maestro/RapidResponse, AI-based planning technologies such as Demand.AI, Supply.AI, and agentic AI, and the broader integration of ERP, MRP, MES, and financial systems. This leader will build the roadmap, driving platform adoption, and delivering innovative, AI-powered capabilities to improve forecast accuracy, streamline business processes, reduce inventory, and enhance cross-functional alignment across Commercial, Finance, and Operations. In addition to technical leadership, the role will manage budgets, vendor relationships, SOWs, and global delivery teams in Agile formats.

Metrics of Success:

• Platform adoption - meet or exceed adoption rates across targeted functions and planning maturity milestones
• Roadmap Execution - Delivery of all committed roadmap milestones on time for Kinaxis and AI tools
• Key KPIs - Improvement in inventory forecast/bias, supply plan accuracy, and resulting inventory performance
• Sprint Execution - meet or exceed sprint goal completion rate
• Financial and vendor mgmt. - Delivery of projects within approved budget, with effective cost control and accurate forecasts. Adherences to SOW deliverables and SLAs.

What will you be doing?

Strategic Leadership & Execution:

• Develop the long-term strategy for digital planning capabilities, aligning business goals with technology enablement across SIOP, IBP, inventory, and advanced AI planning.
• Create and own detailed execution roadmaps, ensuring alignment with supply chain transformation goals, regulatory compliance, and enterprise AI initiatives.
• Execute the roadmap through agile delivery, ensuring prioritization and measurable business outcomes
• Lead Agile product delivery using JIRA, maintaining clear prioritization and transparent execution of backlog items tied to business value.
• Guide global cross-functional teams through Agile ceremonies and release planning.

Platform Ownership & Adoption:

• Serve as the enterprise IT owner for Kinaxis Maestro/RapidResponse, overseeing platform implementation, enhancements, governance, and integration.
• Ensure strong connectivity with SAP ECC/S4HANA, MRP, MES, Data Lake, and financial systems to support end-to-end visibility and responsiveness.
• Build and execute a comprehensive adoption strategy to increase user engagement and maximize ROI from Kinaxis and AI investments.
• Establish KPIs to measure the maturity of digital planning capabilities and drive progression from basic planning to autonomous decision support and AI-enabled workflows.

Team Development & Global Leadership

• Build and manage a global team of solution architects, business analysts, and scrum masters to build, deliver, enhance, and support the global Kinaxis architecture and platform.
• Define staffing plans, support career development, and foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and high performance.

Financial Management & Vendor Oversight

• Own the IT budget for Planning & Inventory systems, including financial planning, forecast accuracy, and capital project tracking.
• Manage third-party vendors and consulting partners: develop and negotiate statements of work (SOWs), manage SLAs, and ensure delivery quality and compliance.
• Drive vendor selection processes and strategic sourcing for emerging AI and planning capabilities.

Location: Memphis, TN, Pittsburgh, PA, Andover, MA, Oklahoma City, OK, Austin, TX, Fort Worth, TX, Remote/Field, Hull, UK, Watford, UK

What will you need to be successful?

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related field (Master's preferred).
• 7+ years of experience in IT or Planning roles, with at least 3 years in a Leadership capacity.
• Proven success implementing and managing Kinaxis Maestro/RapidResponse and integrating with ERP/MRP/MES systems.
• Experience building and executing strategies for AI-enabled planning platforms such as Demand.AI, Supply.AI, or similar.
• Strong understanding of SIOP, IBP, financial forecast integration, and inventory planning.
• Demonstrated success in driving adoption, change management, and capability maturity across enterprise functions.
• Proficiency in Agile methodologies and backlog management tools (e.g., JIRA).
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Any of the ITSM Frameworks
• Strong knowledge of medical device or regulated life science industry supply chains.
• Kinaxis certification or deep user experience with advanced planning modules.
• Familiarity with MES platforms and data feedback loops between shop floor and planning systems.
• Success managing global delivery teams and cross-functional initiatives within highly matrixed organizations.

Travel Requirements: <10% as needed

You Unlimited.

• Inclusion, Diversity and Equity - We are committed to welcoming, celebrating and thriving on Diversity! Learn more about Employee Inclusion Groups on our website (https://www.smith-nephew.com/)
• Your Future: 401K Matching Program, 401k Plus Program, Discounted Stock Options, Tuition Reimbursement
• Work/Life Balance: Flexible Personal/Vacation Time Off, Paid Holidays, Flex Holidays, Paid Community Service Day
• Your Wellbeing: We offer Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account (Employer Contribution of $500+ annually), Employee Assistance Program, Parental Leave, Fertility and Adoption Assistance Program
• Flexibility: Hybrid Work Model (For most professional roles)
• Training: Hands-On, Team-Customized, Mentorship
• Extra Perks: Discounts on fitness clubs, travel and more!

Smith+Nephew provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.