Senior Manager, Supply Planning and Purchasing

We are people powered — by makers, problem-solvers, and leaders who elevate everything they do. Guided by our core values and a relentless pursuit of better, we continue to set the bar for premium.Start your Benchmade career today!Our Core ValuesELEVATE EVERYTHING – We each bring a specific set of skills to the table, offering up our expertise and resources to enhance the work of others. We challenge each other to be the best in order to achieve enduring value in the eyes of our customers.BETTER IS BETTER – There is no finish line; we strive for continuous improvement in everything we do. We obsess over every detail to find ways to improve both our products and our process.UNAPOLOGETICALLY ACCOUNTABLE – We’re open and honest in how we speak and listen. We celebrate each other’s successes, and collectively rally to solve every challenge. We own it!COURAGEOUS INNOVATION – There are elegant ideas awaiting discovery in everything we do. We push everyone around us to pursue those ideas openly so we can continue to dominate the category.COMMUNITY DRIVEN - As a family business, we understand the importance of enriching the communities we call home. As a company, and as individuals, we work to make our expertise available to do the most good for those around us.Job SummaryThe Senior Manager, Planning & Purchasing is responsible for leading Benchmade’s integrated supply planning and purchasing functions, ensuring alignment between customer demand, material availability, manufacturing capacity, inventory investment, and supplier performance.This role provides strategic and operational leadership for the Supply Planning and Purchasing teams, driving the development and execution of inventory, production, and procurement strategies that support business objectives. The position oversees the creation of supply plans, purchasing execution, inventory optimization initiatives, supplier performance management, and the ongoing evolution of planning and procurement processes.As a key leader within the Supply Chain organization, the Senior Manager, Planning & Purchasing owns the integration of supply planning and purchasing activities into the monthly SIOP process, ensuring risks, constraints, and opportunities are identified and communicated to stakeholders. This role partners closely with Manufacturing, Strategic Sourcing, Product Development, Finance, Sales, and Operations teams to maintain product availability, improve working capital performance, and support company growth.The Senior Manager, Planning & Purchasing is responsible for developing team capabilities, driving continuous improvement initiatives, and ensuring scalable systems, processes, and organizational structures are in place to support a dynamic, high-mix manufacturing environment.Essential Job FunctionsLead and develop the Supply Planning Manager, Purchasing Manager, and their respective teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.Establish and execute integrated supply planning and purchasing strategies that balance customer service, inventory investment and capacity utilization.Own the supply and procurement components of the monthly SIOP process, providing visibility to supply constraints, inventory risks, capacity limitations, and mitigation plans.Ensure effective execution of MRP-driven planning and purchasing activities to support production schedules and customer demand requirements.Develop inventory management strategies that optimize coverage of demand variability, working capital, and service levels while minimizing excess and obsolete inventory.Provide leadership and oversight of production planning, material planning, and purchasing execution.Collaborate with Strategic Sourcing to align supplier capabilities, lead times, capacity commitments, supplier delivery performance and risk mitigation strategies with business requirements.Monitor and improve supplier delivery, quality, responsiveness, and overall performance through structured metrics and regular business reviews.Partner with Manufacturing and Process Engineering to ensure capacity assumptions are accurate, maintained, and reflected within planning systems.Lead cross-functional reviews of supply chain risks, developing contingency plans to mitigate disruptions related to materials, suppliers, capacity, or demand variability.Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance planning accuracy, procurement effectiveness, inventory management, and overall supply chain performance.Leverage data analytics and KPI reporting to identify trends, improve decision-making, and drive operational performance improvements.Support new product introductions, product transitions, and end-of-life planning activities through coordinated supply and procurement strategies.Conduct scenario planning and what-if analyses to evaluate the impact of demand shifts, supplier constraints, capacity changes, and strategic business initiatives.Partner with Finance to support inventory forecasting, budgeting, inventory reserve analysis, and working capital objectives.Champion adoption and optimization of ERP, planning, and reporting tools to improve visibility, scalability, and process effectiveness.Serve as the primary subject matter expert for supply planning and purchasing processes across the organization.Support broader Supply Chain and business initiatives as assigned by leadership.Other duties and projects as assigned by supervisor/leadership.QualificationsBachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field required; MBA preferred.12-15 years of progressive experience in supply planning, purchasing, materials management, procurement, or related supply chain functions.Minimum of 5 years of leadership experience managing planning, purchasing, or integrated supply chain teams.Experience in high-mix manufacturing environments required.Demonstrated experience leading SIOP processes and driving cross-functional alignment across operations, commercial, and finance organizations.Strong understanding of MRP systems, inventory planning methodologies, capacity planning, supplier management, and procurement processes.Direct experience with Syspro ERP preferred; APS planning system experience preferred.Proven ability to develop inventory strategies that improve service levels while optimizing working capital.Demonstrated success leading organizational change, process improvement, and continuous improvement initiatives.Strong analytical, financial, and business acumen with experience utilizing data to drive decision-making.Knowledge of Lean principles and experience coaching teams in continuous improvement methodologies.Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and complex projects in a fast-paced environment.APICS/ASCM CPIM, CSCP, or ISM certification preferred.Working ConditionsWorking Environment: Office PositionPhysical Demands: Lifting up to 25 lbsSitting and talking on the phone for long periods of time.Data entry for long periods of time.Travel Requirements: As needed, less than 5% of the time. #J-18808-Ljbffr Benchmade Knife Company