Director of Planning and Inventory

The Director, Planning & Inventory owns Yerba Madre’s end‑to‑end Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process, translating demand signals into executable supply, capacity, and inventory plans that balance service, cost, and working capital. This role is accountable for supply‑side planning excellence across a growing North American co‑manufacturing network and ensures Yerba Madre can reliably support growth, innovation, and market demand.

The Director partners closely with the Demand Planning team to align on a single, integrated operating plan. As the supply‑side owner of IBP, this role ensures demand inputs are effectively reviewed, translated, and operationalized through disciplined planning, scenario analysis, and cross‑functional governance.

This leader builds and scales a resilient, data‑driven planning capability using NetSuite and Anaplan, leads a high‑performing team, and acts as a key partner to Sales, Finance, Contract Manufacturing, Sourcing, Logistics, Quality, and Innovation.

***This role requires working 3 days on-site in our vibrant Oakland, CA office

How you’ll help:

• Own Yerba Madre’s Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process, establishing clear cadences, decision forums, and escalation paths to drive alignment and timely tradeoff decisions.
• Partner closely with the Demand Planning team to translate demand forecasts into aligned supply, capacity, and inventory plans.
• Lead supply, capacity, materials, and inventory planning across all North American co‑manufacturers.
• Deliver accurate, timely monthly production and supply plans aligned to service‑level targets and inventory objectives measured in Weeks on Hand (WOH).
• Own the inventory strategy, including safety stock, allocation, DRP, and network optimization, balancing service, risk, and working capital.
• Partner with Finance to align supply plans with AOP and forecast updates, including inventory, capacity, and cost implications.
• Lead mid‑range and long‑range planning to support growth, innovation launches, and capacity and network decisions.
• Monitor inventory health, excess and obsolescence exposure, and supply continuity risks; provide clear root‑cause analysis and actionable insights.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Procurement, Operations, Quality, Logistics, Sales, Finance, and Innovation to ensure cohesive end‑to‑end execution.
• Build, lead, and develop a high‑performing team, strengthening capabilities in analytics, scenario planning, DRP, and IBP readiness.
• Own inventory accuracy and reconciliation across systems and physical stock, partnering with other Supply Chain functions and Finance to resolve variances, improve controls, and ensure inventory integrity.
• Lead supply chain planning, coordination, and readiness for network transitions and structural changes, including co‑manufacturer onboarding, exits, and footprint changes, from planning through stabilization.
• Partner with Innovation, Commercial, and other Supply Chain functions to support commercialization and innovation launches, ensuring supply, inventory, and capacity plans enable on‑time, in‑full execution.
• Drive continuous improvement across planning systems, data quality, analytics, reporting, and cross‑functional workflows.

what you’ll provide:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• 8–12+ years of experience in supply, capacity, materials, or inventory planning, ideally within CPG or food & beverage.
• Demonstrated experience leading IBP / S&OP processes in close collaboration with demand planning and commercial teams.
• Proven people‑leadership experience, including team development and cross‑functional influence.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with deep experience in scenario analysis and inventory optimization.
• Proficiency with ERP and advanced planning platforms; strong working knowledge of NetSuite and Anaplan preferred.
• Ability to synthesize data, communicate complex tradeoffs, and influence decisions across functions and leadership levels.
• Track record of driving process improvements, scaling planning capabilities, and improving planning outcomes in dynamic environments.

 

Additional Preferred Qualifications:

• APICS / ASCM CPIM or CSCP certification.
• Experience working within co‑manufacturing networks.
• Experience planning for perishable or short‑shelf‑life products.
• Master’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, or Business.
• Experience implementing, optimizing, or maturing ERP, IBP, or advanced planning systems.

 

How you’ll be successful in this role:

Enterprise Planning Judgment

• Demonstrates strong judgment in balancing service, inventory, cost, and risk in a fast‑growing environment.
• Makes sound tradeoff decisions under ambiguity, knowing when to drive rigor versus pragmatism.
• Optimizes outcomes for the enterprise, not just the planning function.

Systems Thinking & Strategic Perspective

• Thinks end‑to‑end across demand, supply, inventory, finance, and execution.
• Anticipates downstream impacts of planning decisions and adjusts proactively.
• Connects near‑term execution to longer‑term growth, capacity, and network strategy.

Analytical Rigor & Decision Support

• Synthesizes complex data into clear insights that enable aligned, timely decisions.
• Applies scenario analysis to evaluate options and clarify tradeoffs.
• Translates analysis into concise, executive‑ready recommendations.

Influence, Collaboration & Stakeholder Leadership

• Builds trusted, effective partnerships across Demand Planning, Commercial, Finance, and Operations.
• Constructs healthy challenge, aligns stakeholders with competing priorities, and drives decisions without formal authority.
• Communicates clearly, credibly, and calmly across levels.

People Leadership & Ownership Mindset

• Leads with accountability, ownership, and follow‑through on outcomes—not just plans.
• Develops team capability, judgment, and confidence over time.
• Maintains a results‑oriented mindset focused on service, execution, and business impact.

 

TRAVEL & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Regularly required to sit, stand, walk, and use hands/arms for computer-based work.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs occasionally.
• Periodic travel to North American co-manufacturing sites, suppliers, or distribution centers.
• Occasional travel for leadership meetings or planning-related summits.
• Estimated travel: approximately 10–20%, depending on business needs.

 

What we offer:

 

 

Yerba Madre—formerly Guayakí Yerba Mate—is the nearly 30-year pioneer of regenerative yerba mate [yer-bah ma-tay] and the category leader in ready-to-drink mate beverages across North America. The name Yerba Madre, meaning “Mother Herb,” is a tribute to Mother Earth and the ancestral wisdom of the Indigenous communities who have cultivated yerba mate for generations —a reflection of the values the brand has championed since day one. 

Headquartered in Sebastopol and Los Angeles, California, Yerba Madre sources organic, shade-grown yerba mate in direct partnership with 255 family farmers and Indigenous communities across Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Using its Market Driven Regeneration™ model, every purchase helps reforest the Atlantic Forest, support fair trade premiums, and build long-term economic resilience for grower communities. 

In 2025, the brand became the world’s first yerba mate to achieve Regenerative Organic Certified™ Gold® status——setting a new global standard for ecological integrity, cultural respect, and environmental restoration. 

As an original founding member of the B Corp community and a founding member of the Purpose Pledge, Yerba Madre is committed to ethical business practices across ten key pillars, including climate positivity, living wages, circularity, and inclusion. Yerba Madre is available in over 45,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Canada. To learn more, visit www.YerbaMadre.com. 

 

Yerba Madre is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, genetic information, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the CA Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.