Director, Supply & Demand Planning

About Albert Uster Imports

Albert Uster Imports, Inc. (“AUI”) is a privately held gourmet food company headquartered in the Washington, DC area (Gaithersburg, MD) with warehouse locations in Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Gurnee and Gaithersburg. AUI falls under the Vestar Capital Partners portfolio with affiliate organization, Roland Foods, LLC. Founded in 1968, the company offers over 1,400 products from around the world.

We serve leading hotels, restaurants, casinos, cruise lines, airlines, and manufacturers with innovative, high quality products and solutions to their most demanding culinary challenges. We operate a network of distribution centers across the U.S. and serve select international markets as well. AUI has a national direct selling organization of over 60 sales professionals and a staff of culinary experts (chefs and food scientists) adept at custom product solutions.

AUI Fine Foods is seeking a strategic and analytical Director, Supply & Demand Planning to lead our supply & demand planning, inventory management, and global logistics functions. This role ensures consistent product availability across a diverse, multi-category food portfolio while maintaining efficient inventory levels across multiple U.S. distribution centers. The Director will oversee a team comprising Buyers, an Inventory Manager and a Global Logistics Manager, aligning purchasing, inventory, and logistics operations under a single cohesive strategy.

The ideal candidate will have a food industry background (preferably food distribution or multi-category), with strong experience in demand planning, multi-location distribution and supplier management. This leader must be data-driven, highly analytical, and a strong problem solver who can translate complex supply chain dynamics into actionable insights and clear communication for executive leadership. As a response to the pandemic, Albert Uster Imports office employees have transitioned to a hybrid working schedule, requiring employees to report in-person Monday through Wednesday, with the option to telework on Thursday and Friday each week.

Due to the collaborative, cross-functional nature of the organization, employees at the Gaithersburg office are required to work in-person for the above mentioned days, outside of any People & Culture-approved disability accommodation request.

• Lead and continuously improve the company’s supply and demand planning process to ensure product availability across all categories and U.S. distribution centers
• Partner with Sales, Logistics, and Finance to translate forecasts into purchasing and replenishment strategies
• Analyze demand patterns, seasonality, pricing and lead times to adjust plans and prevent out-of-stock or excess inventory proactively
• Develop reporting tools and dashboards to monitor forecast accuracy, inventory turns, and service levels

• Oversee all purchasing activities, including domestic and import procurement, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and alignment with business needs
• Manage and develop a team of Buyers responsible for replenishment and product transfers between multiple distribution centers
• Partner with the Innovation team to build supplier relationships to ensure reliability, quality, and consistency across a diverse food product portfolio

• Direct and support the Inventory Manager to maintain optimal stock levels and minimize waste or obsolescence
• Establish and track KPIs around inventory health, fill rates, and forecast performance
  
  Drive cross-functional coordination to improve visibility, planning accuracy, and service performance

• Directly manage the Global Logistics Manager, who oversees international container shipments, import compliance, and customs clearance
• Provide strategic guidance and oversight of inbound freight, import documentation, and delivery timelines
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of global logistics processes to support decision-making and problem resolution
• Ensure alignment between logistics, purchasing, and inventory to maintain product flow…