<p>Work Location: Chicago</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Want to make an impact?</p> <p>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.</p> <p>The Senior Manager, IT Business Partner - Planning & Procurement is a senior, business-facing IT leader responsible for partnering with Planning and Procurement 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.</p> <p>The role owns the IT relationship, demand portfolio, and delivery outcomes for enterprise Planning (Demand, Supply, S&OP/IBP) and Procurement (Strategic Sourcing, Direct & Indirect Procurement, Supplier Management, P2P) functions. Success is defined by strong business alignment, delivery of measurable value, process maturity, and adoption of standardized, cross-functional solutions.</p> <p>Ways you will make a difference</p> <p>Business Partnership & Strategy</p> <ul> <li>Act as the primary IT partner for Planning and Procurement leadership, building trusted relationships and deep functional understanding </li><li>Shape the business technology strategy for Planning and Procurement aligned to enterprise and supply chain priorities </li><li>Proactively identify opportunities to improve planning accuracy, supplier performance, cost management, and operational efficiency </li><li>Constructively challenge business requests that are misaligned to strategy or enterprise standards </li></ul> <p>Business Process Redesign & Transformation</p> <ul> <li>Lead business process redesign and optimization across demand planning, supply planning, S&OP/IBP, sourcing, contracting, and procure-to-pay </li><li>Translate end-to-end business processes and data flows into integrated system and solution designs </li><li>Drive adoption of new processes and systems, influencing new ways of working across cross-functional teams </li></ul> <p>Portfolio & Project Management</p> <ul> <li>Own the IT demand and project portfolio for Planning and Procurement functions </li><li>Provide visibility into scope, timelines, risks, dependencies, and budgets across initiatives </li><li>Escalate and resolve competing priorities across functions and stakeholders </li><li>Ensure delivery discipline across Agile and waterfall methodologies </li></ul> <p>Solution Delivery & Application Ownership</p> <ul> <li>Oversee the delivery, enhancement, and sustainment of planning and procurement technology platforms </li><li>Maintain working knowledge of application architecture, integrations, and data dependencies </li><li>Partner with IT delivery teams to manage upgrades, patches, and releases with minimal business disruption </li><li>Ensure solutions can be extended, integrated, and optimized as business needs evolve </li></ul> <p>Financial & Risk Accountability</p> <ul> <li>Share accountability for Planning and Procurement project and support budgets </li><li>Ensure effective use of IT investments and vendor spend </li><li>Embed security, controls, and compliance requirements into solutions and processes </li></ul> <p>Decision-Making Authority</p> <ul> <li>Determines priorities and sequencing of Planning and Procurement IT initiatives </li><li>Defines scope, delivery approach, and solution options </li><li>Escalates and resolves competing functional points of view </li><li>Authorized to adjust processes and delivery approaches to meet business objectives </li></ul> <p>Skills that will make you successful</p> <ul> <li>Strategic thinker with strong business acumen </li><li>Deep curiosity and ability to diagnose root causes of complex problems </li><li>Comfortable operating across multiple business partners with competing priorities </li><li>Strong communicator who can translate between business and technology audiences </li><li>Skilled at driving change, adoption, and cross-functional alignment </li></ul> <p>Experiences that will support your success</p> <p>Required</p> <ul> <li>Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Business, Supply Chain, or equivalent experience </li><li>7+ years of progressive IT experience in business-facing roles </li><li>Demonstrated experience supporting Planning and/or Procurement functions </li><li>Strong background in process improvement, project delivery, and stakeholder management </li><li>Proven ability to influence senior business and IT leaders </li></ul> <p>Preferred</p> <ul> <li>Experience with SAP S/4HANA, planning (IBP/APO or equivalent), and procurement platforms </li><li>Experience in CPG, manufacturing, or process industries </li><li>Knowledge of enterprise integration platforms and analytics solutions </li><li>Certifications such as PMP, ITIL, Agile, APICS/CPIM </li></ul> <p>What We Offer</p> <p>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 https://flimp.live/Ferrara-Candy-2025-OE-QR</p> <p>Compensation</p> <p>The salary range for this role is $114,450 - $160,230 annually.</p> <p>EQUAL OPPORTUNITY</p> <p>We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, employment decisions and opportunities at Ferrara will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil union status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, military or veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic information, pregnancy (childbirth or related medical condition), or on any other basis prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.</p> <p>Nearest Major Market: Chicago</p>