IT Business Partner Lead (Planning)

Job Description

As the IT Business Partner lead (Planning), you will collaborate with business leaders, including heads of the LSNA Planning COE and Brand Planning teams to shape their strategies through technology solution implementations and product adoptions, fostering trust and strong relationships. Serving as the primary liaison between demand and supply planning business leaders and IT teams, you will provide clear direction and accountability to drive business objectives.

Your role will involve advocating for and showcasing product portfolios, identifying opportunities for additional value delivery or integration between groups (such as planning, finance and operations). Developing a deep understanding of the organization's supply chain planning, demand planning, logistics, and operations organizations and cultivating strong relationships with relevant business leaders will be pivotal to your success.

Additionally, you will play an active role in shaping demand, defining product roadmaps, managing project delivery and vendors, and establishing and nurturing an IT-business engagement practice at Lindt North America. Your expertise in Planning tools such as SAP APO and IBP as well as their connection points to SAP TPM as well as technology experience in integration points into inventory management (IM) Materials Management (MM), Financial Accounting and controlling (FICO) and Warehouse Management (EWM) will be essential. The ideal candidate combines solid technical skills with proven experience as a leader and team worker.

This position is based in Stratham, NH, and requires approximately 25% travel, depending on project requirements and business needs.

Essential Functions

• Relationship Management: The Business Partner Lead (Planning)serves as a liaison between the Lindt and Sprüngli North American IT department and demand and supply chain planning leadership teams within the North American business units, building strong relationships and fostering collaboration. In doing so the IT Business Partner Lead (Planning)will understand the needs, challenges, and priorities of those business stakeholders and work towards delivering IT solutions that meet their requirements.

• Strategic Alignment: The Business Partner Lead (Planning) ensures that IT initiatives align with the overall business strategy of the organization. They actively engage with business leaders to understand their strategic objectives and provide input on how technology can enable and support those objectives.

• Service Delivery Management and Technical Roadmap Development: The Business Partner Lead (Planning) works closely with the research & new product development leadership teams within each business unit to ensure delivery of LSNA IT solutions is constantly improving. They lead monthly service delivery reviews with the Lindt North American research & new product development leadership teams as well as on a periodic basis as part of the Technology Plan Dialog, engage the Lindt North American research & new product development leadership teams to align the IT roadmap for procurement and finance within each brand with the Lindt North American Technology Roadmap

• Business Case Development: The IT Business Partner Lead (Planning) assists planning stakeholders in developing business cases for IT projects or initiatives. They help articulate the expected benefits, costs, and risks associated with proposed solutions and support the decision-making process for project prioritization and funding.

• Solution Scoping and Planning: Based on the identified needs, the IT Business Partner Lead (Planning) collaborates with the Lindt and Sprüngli North American IT Technical Delivery team to define and scope potential IT solutions. They participate in solution design discussions, provide business context, and contribute to the development of project plans and roadmaps.

• Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: Effective communication is a key responsibility of the IT Business Partner Lead (Planning). They communicate IT strategies, initiatives, and progress to business stakeholders in a clear and concise manner. They also ensure that business stakeholders are kept informed about IT service levels, system changes, and upcoming projects.

• Service Level Management: The Business Partner Lead (Planning) collaborates with business stakeholders to define and manage service level agreements (SLAs) for IT services. They monitor and report on service performance, address any concerns or issues, and work towards continuous improvement of IT service delivery.

• Change Management and Adoption: The IT Business Partner Lead (Planning) supports the change management process by engaging with business stakeholders during the implementation of IT projects. They facilitate communication, training, and user adoption activities to ensure a smooth transition and maximize the benefits of the implemented solutions.

• Vendor Management: In some cases, the IT Business Partner Lead (Planning) may be involved in managing relationships with IT vendors or external service providers. They collaborate with The Lindt North American Procurement Team to evaluate vendor capabilities, negotiate contracts, and ensure that vendor services align with business requirements.

• Continuous Improvement: The IT Business Partner Lead (Planning) actively seeks feedback from business stakeholders to identify areas for improvement in IT services and processes. They participate in post-implementation reviews, conduct satisfaction surveys, and drive initiatives to enhance the value delivered by IT to the organization.

• Technology Innovation: The IT Business Partner Manager (Planning) stays abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends related to research & new product development systems, acting as the primary technical point of contact in North America for Global research & new product development Technical Initiatives.

• Compliance and Security: The IT Business Partner Manager (Planning)collaborates with security and compliance teams to establish and maintain robust security protocols within the supply chain planning landscape. Ensure that IT solutions comply with industry regulations and internal policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or related field required; master's degree preferred.

• Minimum 10 years of IT experience, with 5+ years in leadership, ideally in supply chain planning function within the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) category.

• 5+ years of project management or technical leadership experience in implementing planning solutions with a focus on support of supply chain planning strategies.

• Strong grasp of demand and supply planning business functions and capable of aligning IT solutions with business goals, particularly in supporting omnichannel initiatives.

• Thorough understanding of SAP's planning systems architecture, integration principles, and security/compliance requirements, with expertise in SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP) module.

• Proficient in developing IT business cases, roadmaps, and budget planning, ensuring timely project delivery in support of omnichannel operations.

• Skilled in IT service delivery management, technical roadmap development, and adherence to ITIL best practices, focusing on enabling seamless customer experiences across channels.

• Proven ability to develop business cases for IT initiatives that support planning strategies and stay updated on emerging technologies to drive innovation, including expertise in SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization (SAP APO) module and SAP Supply Chain Management (SAP SCM) module.

Company Description

Lindt and Sprüngli (North America) Inc. is the Supply Chain and Business Shared Services Company supporting the Lindt & Sprüngli family of brands (Lindt USA, Ghirardelli Chocolates and Russell Stover Chocolates), headquartered in Kansas City, MO.

Employment by Lindt & Sprüngli (North America) Inc. is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, and satisfactory employment and background checks.

Lindt & Sprüngli (North America) Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation and gender identity, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other status protected by law. Principals only, please.