Director, Planning Value Stream

Overview

As a Director within the Global Value Stream team at HelloFresh, you will spearhead the creation, standardization, and ongoing enhancement of planning processes and capabilities spanning the company's worldwide supply chain. Your initial concentration will be on Demand Planning, Supply Planning, and Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), with potential shifts in scope as the team grows and business priorities evolve. This role requires deep expertise across the planning lifecycle, strategic insight into how planning processes and systems interplay across markets, and the ability to gain consensus among senior operational, commercial, and technology leaders.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and own the future global process framework and a multi-year capability roadmap for Demand Planning, Supply Planning, and S&OP, ensuring a harmonized, scalable forecast-to-supply pipeline that supports long-term international growth.
• Build alignment amongst senior operational leaders worldwide, fostering consensus and governance frameworks for adopting global planning standards on a large scale.
• Collaborate with senior Product and Engineering leaders to guide planning technology strategy and prioritize investments reflecting a Global-First design approach.
• Establish and overseer operating models for managing planning exceptions and deviations, defining boundaries between global standards enforcement and market-specific adaptations.
• Act as process architect for Lighthouse Projects in the planning value stream, defining design and acceptance criteria, supporting pilots, and validating before broad market rollouts.
• Set methodologies and standards for cross-market maturity assessments, leading diagnostics and transforming capability gaps into structured improvement initiatives with measurable impact.
• Define frameworks to measure plan quality and S&OP performance (forecast accuracy, plan adherence, effectiveness), working with Finance and Analytics to set benchmarks and quantify benefits from planning standardization.
• Lead cross-functional coordination among regional Planning, Operations, Commercial, Product, and Technology teams to maintain alignment with global value stream objectives.
• Design and implement the global S&OP operating model, including cadence, decision rights, escalation paths, and integration among demand, supply, network, production, and labor planning in a monthly cycle.
• Contribute to company strategy and department OKRs, supporting multi-year planning and investment decisions within the function.
• Mentor Associate Directors and support the development of senior planning professionals across the department.

Candidate Profile

• 12 to 15 years progressive experience in supply chain planning, especially demand, supply planning, and/or S&OP leadership in multi-site or multinational contexts.
• Comprehensive expertise across demand planning, supply planning, and S&OP with capability to engage on methodologies and integrate the complete planning pipeline.
• Proven success designing and implementing S&OP processes in high-velocity supply chains such as FMCG or food sectors.
• Experience leading or substantially influencing implementation of Advanced Planning Systems, including requirements gathering, vendor assessment, and business leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to drive cross-functional alignment across regions and senior stakeholders without formal authority.
• Strong analytical skills balancing strategic vision with quantitative rigor.
• Familiarity with lean, Six Sigma, or similar continuous improvement methodologies applied to planning.
• Track record of mentoring and growing senior planning talent.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic thinker adept at creating long-term capability visions and translating them into actionable execution plans.
• Technically credible in the planning domain, capable of collaborating with specialists, challenging assumptions, and clarifying strategic direction.
• Natural influencer able to build trust and alignment across functions, regions, and organizational levels.
• Decisive amid ambiguity; knows when to enforce standards, allow flexibility, or escalate issues.
• Excellent communicator, fluent in both executive narrative and operational detail.
• Driven by building scalable, sustainable systems and enhancing team capabilities.
• Highly organized with strong discipline to lead complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives through to completion.

Benefits

• Employee discount on HelloFresh meal kits delivered directly.
• Eligibility for company pension scheme.
• Discounted access to Urban Sports Club, John Reed gym, yoga classes, and wellness apps such as Headspace and Spill.
• Flexible working hours, WFH and work abroad options, plus a budget for home office setup.
• Childcare support benefits (excluding interns/working students).
• Monthly Deutschlandticket allowance for sustainable travel.
• Access to internal learning and development programs with a dedicated budget (not applicable to interns).
• Enjoy modern office facilities in Berlin-Kreuzberg along with social events including team outings, Friday gatherings, and company runs.