Optics Planning Excellence Lead

The Optics Planning Excellence Lead serves as the subject matter expert for planning excellence within the Optics organization, driving strategic initiatives focused on process improvement, automation, standardization, and digital transformation. The role partners with Planning Management and cross-functional stakeholders to improve planning performance, increase operational efficiency, and build sustainable planning capabilities. Through the development of scalable processes, tools, analytics, and best practices, this role enables data-driven decision-making and supports the long-term growth and success of the organization.

Planning Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Serve as the Optics Planning subject matter expert for planning excellence and continuous improvement.
• Develop, maintain and execute the Optics Planning Excellence roadmap in alignment with business objectives and Planning Management priorities.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives that improve planning effectiveness, operational performance, and organizational capability.
• Drive standardization of planning processes, governance models, reporting methodologies and best practices across all planning organizations.
• Identify, prioritize, and implement opportunities to simplify processes, eliminate inefficiencies, and improve end-to-end planning execution.
• Develop and maintain planning standards, operating procedures, work instructions, training materials and knowledge management resources.
• Benchmark internal and external best practices to continuously elevate planning maturity and performance.

Automation & Digitalization

• Lead the development and implementation of automation and digitalization initiatives to improve planner productivity, data quality, and decision-making effectiveness.
• Design and deploy dashboards, reporting solutions, workflow automation tools and self-service analytics capabilities.
• Partner with Business Engineering and IT to define requirements and implement technology-enabled planning solutions.
• Dive the adoption and utilization of advanced analytics platforms, including Spotfire, Tableau, PowerBI, SQL and Power Automate.
• Act as a key stakeholder for planning-related system enhancements, ensuring solution align with business requirements and operational needs.
• Evaluating emerging technologies and automation opportunities to advance planning capabilities and reduce manual efforts.

Data Analytics & Performance Management

• Analyze planning performance and business data to identify risks, opportunities, and improvement actions.
• Develop, maintain and enhance KPI, scorecards, dashboards and performance management frameworks.
• Translate complex data and business challenges into actionable insights and recommendations for leadership decision making.
• Develop analytical models, forecasting tools, capacity stimulations and scenario analysis to support strategies and operational planning decision.
• Utilize industrial engineering and operational excellence principles to optimize planning processes, resource utilization, and factory performance.

Collaboration & Change Management

• Partner with Planning, Manufacturing, Logistics, Business Engineering, Production Engineering, IT, and other stakeholders to drive cross-functional improvement initiatives.
• Lead change management activities to ensure the successful adoption of new processes, systems, tools and way of working.
• Facilities workshops, training sessions and stakeholder engagements to drive organizational learning and process maturity.
• Develop and maintain planning knowledge-sharing platforms, including SharePoint sites and planning repositories.
• Coach and support planners in adopting best practices, standardized processes, and continuous improvement methodologies.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in Planning, Supply Chain, Manufacturing Operations, Industrial Engineering, Process Excellence, or a related field.
• Proven experience leading process improvement, automation, digitalization, or transformation initiatives.
• Strong project management, analytical, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with business intelligence, automation, and data visualization tools such as Excel, Spotfire, Tableau, Power BI, Power Automate, and SQL.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and collaboration skills with the ability to influence…