Work Location: Chicago
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.
Want to make an impact?
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.
The Senior Manager, IT Business Partner - Planning & Idea to Launch is a senior, business-facing IT leader responsible for partnering with Planning and Idea to Launch 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.
The role owns the IT relationship, demand portfolio, and delivery outcomes for enterprise Planning (Demand, Supply, S&OP/IBP) and Idea to Launch (Intech / R&D, Product Lifecycle Management, Innovation Pipeline, Formulation & Specification, Packaging Development, Regulatory, and Commercialization) functions. Success is defined by strong business alignment, delivery of measurable value, process maturity, and adoption of standardized, cross-functional solutions.
This role exists to ensure Planning and Idea to Launch functions are enabled by fit-for-purpose, well-integrated, and future-ready technology solutions that support growth, efficiency, resilience, and accelerated speed-to-market. The Senior Manager, IT Business Partner aligns technology investments to business priorities, drives process transformation, and ensures reliable execution and support of critical platforms.
Ways you will make a difference
Business Partnership & Strategy
- Act as the primary IT partner for Planning and Idea to Launch leadership, building trusted relationships and deep functional understanding
- Shape the business technology strategy for Planning and Idea to Launch aligned to enterprise and supply chain priorities
- Proactively identify opportunities to improve planning accuracy, innovation pipeline visibility, speed-to-market, and operational efficiency
- Constructively challenge business requests that are misaligned to strategy or enterprise standards
Business Process Redesign & Transformation
- Lead business process redesign and optimization across demand planning, supply planning, S&OP/IBP, sourcing, contracting, and procure-to-pay
- Translate end-to-end business processes and data flows into integrated system and solution designs
- Drive adoption of new processes and systems, influencing new ways of working across cross-functional teams
Portfolio & Project Management
- Own the IT demand and project portfolio for Planning and Idea to Launch functions
- Provide visibility into scope, timelines, risks, dependencies, and budgets across initiatives
- Escalate and resolve competing priorities across functions and stakeholders
- Ensure delivery discipline across Agile and waterfall methodologies
Solution Delivery & Application Ownership
- Oversee the delivery, enhancement, and sustainment of planning and Idea to Launch technology platforms
- Maintain working knowledge of application architecture, integrations, and data dependencies
- Partner with IT delivery teams to manage upgrades, patches, and releases with minimal business disruption
- Ensure solutions can be extended, integrated, and optimized as business needs evolve
Financial & Risk Accountability
- Share accountability for Planning and Idea to Launch project and support budgets
- Ensure effective use of IT investments and vendor spend
- Embed security, controls, and compliance requirements into solutions and processes
Decision-Making Authority
- Determines priorities and sequencing of Planning and Idea to Launch IT initiatives
- Defines scope, delivery approach, and solution options
- Escalates and resolves competing functional points of view
- Authorized to adjust processes and delivery approaches to meet business objectives
Skills that will make you successful
- Strategic thinker with strong business acumen
- Deep curiosity and ability to diagnose root causes of complex problems
- Comfortable operating across multiple business partners with competing priorities
- Strong communicator who can translate between business and technology audiences
- Skilled at driving change, adoption, and cross-functional alignment
Experiences that will support your success
Required
- Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Business, Supply Chain, or equivalent experience
- 7+ years of progressive IT experience in business-facing roles
- Demonstrated experience supporting Planning and/or Procurement functions
- Strong background in process improvement, project delivery, and stakeholder management
- Proven ability to influence senior business and IT leaders
Preferred
- Experience with SAP S/4HANA, planning (IBP/APO or equivalent), and procurement platforms
- Experience in CPG, manufacturing, or process industries
- Knowledge of enterprise integration platforms and analytics solutions
- Certifications such as PMP, ITIL, Agile, APICS/CPIM
What We Offer
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
Compensation
The salary range for this role is $125,875 - $176,225 annually.