Director, Supply Chain Planning & Optimization

Company Overview:

Headquartered in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, Artivion, Inc. is a medical device company focused on developing simple, elegant solutions that address cardiac and vascular surgeons' most difficult challenges in treating patients with aortic diseases. Artivion has over 1,400 employees worldwide with sales representation in over 100 countries. The Company has manufacturing facilities located in Atlanta, Georgia, Austin, Texas and Hechingen, Germany. Additionally, it has sales and distribution offices in various countries throughout Europe, Asia, and South America. For additional information about Artivion, visit our website, www.artivion.com.

Position Overview:

The Director, Supply Chain Planning and Optimization is responsible for designing, deploying, and sustaining the Supply Chain operating system across the enterprise. This role ensures that supply chain strategy translates into disciplined execution through standard work, performance management, and structured problem solving. The role partners with site and functional leaders to improve how results are delivered, not to replace ownership of results. This role ensures the supply chain operates as a system, not a collection of functions.

Responsibilities:

Supply Chain System Ownership

• Own the design, deployment, and evolution of the enterprise Supply Chain operating system aligned to SCOR and company strategy.
• Translate strategy into standard operating rhythms, decision forums, metrics, and governance.
• Ensure consistency in how planning and execution are connected across sites.
• Maintain clarity on decision rights, escalation paths, and accountability.

Planning Leadership and Governance

• Lead and develop site-level planning leaders across the network.
• Ensure production and supply planning standards are applied consistently while allowing for site-specific realities.
• Serve as the escalation point for systemic planning and execution issues.
• Partner with Operations, Procurement, Quality, and IT to align planning assumptions and execution logic.

Performance Management

• Establish and sustain tiered performance management routines across Supply Chain.
• Ensure KPIs are clearly owned, reviewed with discipline, and acted upon.
• Drive consistency in how gaps are identified, escalated, and resolved.
• Prevent metric overload by focusing leaders on what matters most.

Problem Solving and Continuous Improvement

• Own the standard problem-solving methodology across Supply Chain.
• Ensure root cause analysis is applied rigorously to recurring and systemic issues.
• Facilitate cross-functional resolution of complex, multi-site supply chain problems.
• Convert lessons learned into improved standards and routines.

Launch and Change Enablement

• Support major product launches, system implementations, and network changes by:




• Establishing early-warning indicators
• Creating rapid learning loops
• Adjusting standards as real-world data emerges




• Ensure changes strengthen the operating system rather than fragment it.

Capability and Leadership Development

• Build problem-solving and systems-thinking capability across Supply Chain leaders.
• Coach leaders on standard work, performance reviews, and escalation discipline.
• Develop internal capability and reduce reliance on external consultants over time.
• Identify and develop future planning and optimization leaders.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, or related field.
• 10 to 15 years of progressive supply chain experience across planning and execution.
• Demonstrated experience designing or leading operating systems, not just processes.
• Strong understanding of planning, manufacturing, and supply chain tradeoffs.
• Proven ability to lead leaders and influence without direct authority.
• Clear communicator with strong judgment and escalation discipline.
• Comfortable operating across ambiguity while building durable structure.