Sr. Manager, ITBP - Planning & Idea to Launch

Work Location: ​Chicago​

Due to the highly interactive and team-based nature of this role, in-person attendance for most of the workweek (i.e., 3 days or more) is essential for: effective communication including during in-person meetings, strong supervision, real-time problem-solving, and participation in cross-functional initiatives.

Want to make an impact?

Technology powers Ferrara’s transformation of iconic brands into a world-class global business. Following a successful S/4HANA go-live, our IT organization is leading the next phase of digital evolution—scaling platforms, advancing data and analytics, and partnering closely with the business to deliver measurable impact. This is a chance to join a highly innovative IT team with strong executive sponsorship and influence across the enterprise.

The Senior Manager, IT Business Partner – Planning & Idea to Launch is a senior, business-facing IT leader responsible for partnering with Planning and Idea to Launch leaders to shape, deliver, and optimize technology-enabled business capabilities. This role acts as a strategic advisor and delivery leader, translating business strategy and operational needs into integrated, scalable, and value-driven IT solutions.

The role owns the IT relationship, demand portfolio, and delivery outcomes for enterprise Planning (Demand, Supply, S&OP/IBP) and Idea to Launch (Intech / R&D, Product Lifecycle Management, Innovation Pipeline, Formulation & Specification, Packaging Development, Regulatory, and Commercialization) functions . Success is defined by strong business alignment, delivery of measurable value, process maturity, and adoption of standardized, cross-functional solutions.

This role exists to ensure Planning and Idea to Launch functions are enabled by fit-for-purpose, well-integrated, and future-ready technology solutions that support growth, efficiency, resilience, and accelerated speed-to-market. The Senior Manager, IT Business Partner aligns technology investments to business priorities, drives process transformation, and ensures reliable execution and support of critical platforms.

Ways you will make a difference

Business Partnership & Strategy

• Act as the primary IT partner for Planning and Idea to Launch leadership, building trusted relationships and deep functional understanding
• Shape the business technology strategy for Planning and Idea to Launch aligned to enterprise and supply chain priorities
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve planning accuracy, innovation pipeline visibility, speed-to-market, and operational efficiency
• Constructively challenge business requests that are misaligned to strategy or enterprise standards

Business Process Redesign & Transformation

• Lead business process redesign and optimization across demand planning, supply planning, S&OP/IBP, sourcing, contracting, and procure-to-pay
• Translate end-to-end business processes and data flows into integrated system and solution designs
• Drive adoption of new processes and systems, influencing new ways of working across cross-functional teams

Portfolio & Project Management

• Own the IT demand and project portfolio for Planning and Idea to Launch functions
• Provide visibility into scope, timelines, risks, dependencies, and budgets across initiatives
• Escalate and resolve competing priorities across functions and stakeholders
• Ensure delivery discipline across Agile and waterfall methodologies

Solution Delivery & Application Ownership

• Oversee the delivery, enhancement, and sustainment of planning and Idea to Launch technology platforms
• Maintain working knowledge of application architecture, integrations, and data dependencies
• Partner with IT delivery teams to manage upgrades, patches, and releases with minimal business disruption
• Ensure solutions can be extended, integrated, and optimized as business needs evolve

Financial & Risk Accountability

• Share accountability for Planning and Idea to Launch project and support budgets
• Ensure effective use of IT investments and vendor spend
• Embed security, controls, and compliance requirements into solutions and processes

Decision-Making Authority

• Determines priorities and sequencing of Planning and Idea to Launch IT initiatives
• Defines scope, delivery approach, and solution options
• Escalates and resolves competing functional points of view
• Authorized to adjust processes and delivery approaches to meet business objectives

Skills that will make you successful

• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen
• Deep curiosity and ability to diagnose root causes of complex problems
• Comfortable operating across multiple business partners with competing priorities
• Strong communicator who can translate between business and technology audiences
• Skilled at driving change, adoption, and cross-functional alignment

Experiences that will support your success

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business, Supply Chain, or equivalent experience
• 7+ years of progressive IT experience in business-facing roles
• Demonstrated experience supporting Planning and/or Procurement functions
• Strong background in process improvement, project delivery, and stakeholder management
• Proven ability to influence senior business and IT leaders

Preferred

• Experience with SAP S/4HANA, planning (IBP/APO or equivalent), and procurement platforms
• Experience in CPG, manufacturing, or process industries
• Knowledge of enterprise integration platforms and analytics solutions
• Certifications such as PMP, ITIL, Agile, APICS/CPIM

What We Offer

At Ferrara, we’re proud to support our employees by providing comprehensive benefits such as health insurance, dental insurance, a 401(k), and paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual bonus based on company performance. Learn more about our benefits at

Compensation

The salary range for this role is $125,875 - $176,225 annually.