Executive Director, Global Supply Planning and Framework

HARMAN International; Garching bei München; Hybrid; EUR 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts on HARMAN and SAMS

HARMAN University programs

Job summary

HARMAN International is seeking a Global Supply Planning and Frameworks Director in a hybrid role based in Germany. You will translate customer requirements into supplier needs, manage a sizable team, and drive end-to-end supply planning excellence across the global automotive network.

Direct collaboration with cross-functional executives will shape strategy and execution. You will champion digital transformation, optimize inventory strategies, and ensure alignment with long-term resilience

Qualifications

• Minimum 8+ years of experience in Automotive Supply Chain leadership or consulting.
• Proven track record of leading global supply planning initiatives.
• Strong executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience driving digital transformation and process standardization across regions.
• Ability to navigate cross-functional teams in a multinational environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Global Supply Planning organization with end-to-end accountability across regions.
• Define and execute global supply planning strategy, standards, and KPI frameworks.
• Govern and deploy supply planning policies and performance management.
• Drive continuous improvement, automation, and organizational capability development.
• Collaborate with engineering, procurement, Finance, and commercial teams to align demand and supply.
• Oversee capacity management, shortage mitigation, and allocation governance across the network.
• Lead executive-level escalation for supply risks and business continuity planning.
• Foster talent development and leadership pipelines within the team.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Supply chain transformation

Global team leadership

Executive stakeholder leadership

Data-driven decision making

Automotive supply chain

Cross-functional collaboration

SCM technology

Tools

SCM technology

Job description

A Career at HARMAN

As a technology leader that is rapidly on the move, HARMAN is filled with people who are focused on making life better. Innovation, inclusivity and teamwork are a part of our DNA. When you add that to the challenges we take on and solve together, you’ll discover that at HARMAN you can grow, make a difference and be proud of the work you do every day.

Introduction: A Career at HARMAN Automotive

We’re a global, multi-disciplinary team that’s putting the innovative power of technology to work and transforming tomorrow. At HARMAN Automotive, we give you the keys to fast-track your career.

• Engineer audio systems and integrated technology platforms that augment the driving experience

• Combine ingenuity, in-depth research, and a spirit of collaboration with design and engineering excellence

• Advance in-vehicle infotainment, safety, efficiency, and enjoyment

What You’ll Be Part Of

As Global Supply Planning and Frameworks Director, you will be fully responsible for translating customer requirements into the requirements of all suppliers worldwide. This means an annual volume of around 3.8 billion dollars. You will be largely responsible for reducing material inventories of around $700 million through optimal ordering strategy, implementation and enforcement together with the automotive plants worldwide purchasing. For this purpose, you will have 40 employees in 3 teams at your disposal for the long-term planning of requirements, optimization, communication and enforcement of our logistical supplier requirements and allocation and shortage management. In addition, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and execute supply plans that ensure the availability of materials and products to meet customer demands. You report directly to the head of SCM HARMAN Automotive.

How You’ll Make An Impact

• Lead the Global Supply Planning organization with end-to-end accountability for global supply planning strategy, governance, execution excellence, and organizational capability development across all HARMAN Automotive regions.

• Define and execute the global Supply Planning vision, strategy, and roadmap, ensuring alignment with Automotive business objectives, customer requirements, operational excellence targets, and long-term supply chain resilience goals.

• Serve as the executive owner for global supply planning processes, standards, policies, and performance management frameworks, ensuring consistent deployment across regions, plants, and business units.

• Provide leadership and governance for the global supply planning organization, including managers and individual contributors, fostering a high-performance culture focused on accountability, continuous improvement, innovation, and talent development.

• Act as the primary Supply Planning representative within the Automotive leadership community, influencing strategic business decisions and ensuring alignment across Supply Chain, Operations, Procurement, Engineering, Finance, Commercial, and Executive Leadership teams.

• Establish and continuously optimize global supply planning capabilities, methodologies, and digital transformation initiatives to improve supply assurance, inventory optimization, cash flow performance, logistics efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

• Own the global capacity and material constraint management framework, driving proactive identification, mitigation, and resolution of supply disruptions across the end-to-end supply chain network.

• Lead executive-level escalation management for critical supply risks, major capacity constraints, and business continuity challenges, ensuring rapid decision-making and effective cross-functional execution.

• Drive strategic supplier collaboration and engagement programs to secure long-term capacity commitments, improve supplier performance, strengthen supply chain resilience, and support HARMAN’s growth objectives.

• Establish supply chain requirements and performance expectations for the supply base while supporting strategic sourcing decisions, supplier negotiations, and executive supplier reviews.

• Govern global allocation management, shortage management, and support supply risk mitigation processes, ensuring optimized customer fulfillment performance and early risk identification across short-, mid-, and long-term planning horizons.

• Drive organizational excellence through the definition, measurement, and continuous improvement of global Supply Planning KPIs, ensuring transparency, accountability, and performance-based decision making.

• Lead cross-functional transformation initiatives and continuous improvement programs focused on process standardization, automation, scalability, and operational excellence across the global supply chain organization.

• Own the development and continuous enhancement of SIOE and production planning standards in collaboration with Plant SCM leadership, ensuring globally aligned planning methodologies.

• Oversee supplier supply performance governance, identifying systemic risks, implementing corrective actions, and driving sustainable performance improvements throughout the supply network.

• Lead strategic management of supply change scenarios, including Product Transition Notifications (PTN), Last Time Buy (LTB), End-of-Life (EOL) events, and other major supply-impacting business decisions.

• Sponsor crisis management and business continuity activities during major supply disruptions, ensuring effective mitigation strategies, executive reporting, and recovery planning.

• Build and maintain a world-class Supply Planning organization by defining competency frameworks, succession plans, talent development strategies, and leadership pipelines to ensure long-term organizational capability.

• Serve as the SCM leadership representative for North America while supporting global governance and regional execution alignment across all HARMAN Automotive locations

What Makes You A Strong Fit

• Strategic supply chain leadership — Proven ability to define and execute global supply planning strategies that align customer requirements, business objectives, operational performance, and long-term supply chain resilience.

• Supply Chain transformation expertise — Demonstrated success leading complex transformation and continuous improvement programs, translating strategy into scalable processes, standardized ways of working, and measurable business outcomes.

• Deep supply chain knowledge — Strong understanding of supply planning, inventory optimization, supplier performance, capacity management, shortage and allocation management, and emerging supply chain best practices.

• Automotive supply chain experience — 8+ years of experience in Automotive Supply Chain consulting across multiple companies, with the ability to navigate complex global networks, customer requirements, and industry dynamics.

• Data-driven decision making — Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, using data, KPIs, and business insights to identify risks, optimize inventory and supply performance, and enable effective executive decision making.

• Executive stakeholder leadership — Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and align Supply Chain, Operations, Procurement, Engineering, Finance, Commercial, and customer-facing teams.

• Change leadership and influence — Ability to build alignment across diverse stakeholders, influence without direct authority, and drive adoption of new processes, technologies, and operating models.

• Global team leadership — Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing, multicultural teams, building organizational capability, accountability, succession pipelines, and a culture of continuous improvement.

• Supply chain technology and digital transformation — Proficiency with SCM technology and digital solutions, with experience leveraging technology, automation, and analytics to improve planning effectiveness, scalability, and operational excellence.

Bonus Points if You Have

• Experience with SIOE / production planning standards — Familiarity with global planning standards and methodologies that can accelerate alignment and consistent execution across plants and regions.

• Advanced supply planning analytics and AI/automation — Experience applying advanced analytics, AI, or automation to improve demand and supply planning, risk identification, inventory optimization, or decision making.

• Supply continuity and crisis management — Experience leading major supply disruptions, business continuity initiatives, or executive-level shortage and capacity escalations in complex global supply networks.

• Supplier capacity and strategic collaboration — Experience securing long-term supplier capacity commitments, strengthening supplier resilience, or leading strategic supplier performance improvement programs.

• Product lifecycle and supply change management — Experience managing supply-impacting product transitions, including PTN, LTB, EOL, new product launches, or other major portfolio changes.

Things To Know

• This role is based in Garching, Germany and follows a hybrid schedule, with regular in-office collaboration alongside engineering, product, and customer program teams.

• This role requires occasional domestic and international travel to customer sites, manufacturing locations, or product launch meetings.

• Professional working proficiency in English required to support day-to-day communication with OEM customers and regional engineering teams.

What You Can Expect

• A hybrid work environment that balances flexibility with in-person collaboration, with most office-based roles onsite three days a week.

• Access to employee discounts on HARMAN and Samsung products (including JBL, Harman / Kardon, AKG, and others)

• Learning and development opportunities through our award-winning HARMAN University programs