Manager, Supply Chain Programs

International Dairy Queen•Bloomington, MN

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Lead end-to-end supply chain execution for limited-time offers (LTOs), product tests, and related promotional items from concept through discontinuation. Serve as the Supply Chain lead across internal functions and approved suppliers, translating forecasts provided by Analytics & Insights into executable material and production plans. Ensure supplier readiness, timely production, risk mitigation, and accurate cross-functional communication across multiple concurrent programs. Success requires excellent project management, organization, communication, facilitation, attention to detail, and accuracy. The role leads cross-functional LTO and product-test workstreams, develops integrated plans and production timelines, coordinates supplier capacity and readiness, and manages risks and obsolescence through final production and discontinuation. It also maintains accurate supplier, product, pricing, forecast, production, material, and milestone data, and uses lessons learned and technology to improve processes.

Requirements

B.A. or B.S. degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, Economics, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
Four to six years of progressive experience in supply chain, purchasing, supplier management, project management, foodservice operations, or time-sensitive product launches.
Working knowledge of sourcing, supplier production planning, materials, scheduling, forecast translation, obsolescence mitigation, and supplier negotiations.
Strong analytical skills and advanced Excel proficiency.
Excellent project management, organization, communication, and facilitation skills, with high attention to detail and accuracy.
Ability to lead cross-functional work, manage competing priorities, make timely decisions, escalate risk, build productive relationships, and deliver win-win solutions.
Must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Power BI, Smartsheet, ArrowStream, or comparable tools.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary USCI contact for cross-functional LTO meetings.
Lead concurrent LTO and product-test supply chain workstreams from concept through discontinuation, establishing milestones, decision points, owners, dependencies, and escalation paths.
Build integrated project plans and facilitate pipeline, planning, readiness, and launch meetings; document decisions, actions, due dates, and risks.
Provide status updates and drive supplier setup, production readiness, communication, and timely issue resolution.
Translate approved forecasts and product requirements into finished-good, ingredient, packaging, raw material, and production requirements.
Negotiate supplier capacity, lead times, minimums, material availability, production windows, and ability to meet requested quantities and dates.
Develop production plans and preliminary commitments for long-lead needs; document assumptions and exposure, monitor readiness, and escalate constraints or required adjustments.
Serve as the primary Supply Chain contact for assigned LTO suppliers from feasibility through final production and discontinuation.
Manage supplier LTO capability, capacity, schedules, materials, packaging, quality requirements, contingency options, and completion against requested dates.
Partner with Purchasing Manager on long-lead materials, tooling, packaging, and finished goods; negotiate pricing, cancellation exposure, returns, and mitigation options, escalating service, quality, or delivery concerns.
Align LTO and core production priorities with Purchasing Managers so supplier capacity and production plans support LTO execution without compromising core supply.
Develop production timelines covering material orders, manufacturing, quality release, and finished-good completion; track progress and resolve timing gaps.
Manage records of decisions, changes, commitments, and corrective actions.
Identify supply, capacity, quality, lead-time, commodity, single-source, and obsolete-inventory risks; develop contingency and mitigation plans.
Estimate and mitigate exposure and manage production changes, cancellation, repurposing, returns, disposal, final production, and remaining supplier-held materials.
Lead documentation, invoice review, approvals, tracking, and communication with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
Ensure accurate supplier, product, pricing, forecast, production, material, and milestone data using consistent tools, routines, and documentation standards.
Use data, technology, and lessons learned to improve planning, visibility, accountability, quality resolution, and risk management; support special projects and supplier events as assigned.
Travel for supplier visits and business events, generally 5–10%.