Supply Planner - Global Product Lines

Supply Planner - Global Product Lines

TP-Link Systems is currently seeking Supply Planner with Consumer Electronics experience for our Irvine, CA. location.

Headquartered in the United States, TP-Link Systems Inc. is a global provider of reliable networking devices and smart home products, consistently ranked as the world's top provider of Wi-Fi devices. The company is committed to delivering innovative products that enhance people's lives through faster, more reliable connectivity. With a commitment to excellence, TP-Link serves customers in over 170 countries and continues to grow its global footprint.

We believe technology changes the world for the better! At TP-Link Systems Inc, we are committed to crafting dependable, high-performance products to connect users worldwide with the wonders of technology.

Embracing professionalism, innovation, excellence, and simplicity, we aim to assist our clients in achieving remarkable global performance and enable consumers to enjoy a seamless, effortless lifestyle.

Role Summary

Role Overview

This role owns demand validation and supply execution for assigned global product lines. The Supply Planner is responsible for ensuring business demand is realistic, executable, and aligned with manufacturing capacity and inventory strategy.

The role serves as the key link between Sales, Product Management, and Asia-based manufacturing and PMC teams, translating demand into clear production plans and addressing risks when supply constraints come up.

This is not a procurement or PO-focused role. Success here requires strong planning judgment, comfort working directly with factory teams, and the ability to challenge assumptions when demand and supply don't line up.

Key Responsibilities:

Demand Validation & Business Alignment

• Validate sales and business demand through rigorous data analysis, incorporating historical performance, forecast accuracy, market dynamics, product lifecycle considerations, and commercial strategy.
• Challenge and refine demand assumptions by triangulating forecast data, sell-in / sell-out performance, channel inventory, and market signals.
• Partner closely with Sales and Product teams to ensure demand plans are realistic, executable, and aligned with business objectives and priorities.
• Contribute to NPI (New Product Introduction) and GTM (Go-to-Market) planning and execution

Supply Planning Interface & MDS Enablement

• Translate validated business demand into clear, structured, and executable Master Demand Schedules (MDS), and formally hand off MDS inputs to PMC for production planning and execution.
• Work in close partnership with PMC to ensure MDS assumptions, priorities, and timing are fully understood, aligned, and feasible within capacity, lead time, and material constraints.
• Participate in joint demand-supply reviews with PMC to reconcile demand signals with supply capabilities, resolve gaps, and align on committed supply plans.

Production Follow-up & Delivery Assurance

• Actively track production progress and delivery status to ensure demand commitments are met.
• Serve as the execution owner when supply exceptions threaten on-time delivery, proactively escalate and drive resolution across Manufacturing, Operations, Logistics, and Procurement.

Priority Management & Exception Handling

• Assess demand urgency and business criticality to prioritize limited supply resources across competing requests.
• Coordinate expedited production or logistics solutions when necessary to protect critical shipments and business outcomes.
• Make trade-off decisions and align stakeholders on prioritization under constrained conditions.

Forecast Accuracy & Performance Analysis

• Conduct ongoing analysis of forecast accuracy, demand variance, and sales vs. forecast performance.
• Perform root-cause analysis on forecast deviations and execution gaps; translate insights into corrective actions and planning improvements.
• Support continuous improvement of demand planning and supply execution processes.

Finished Goods Inventory Planning & Health Management

• Own local finished goods inventory planning, ensuring inventory levels meet validated demand and service level targets while avoiding excess and obsolete stock.
• Allocate limited supply to business teams in line with approved demand forecasts and agreed allocation ratios, considering supply availability and business priorities
• Monitor inventory health metrics including coverage, turns, aging, and risk exposure.
• When excess or obsolete inventory arises, actively push cross-functional resolution plans, including reallocation, promotion support, or supply adjustments.
• Ensure inventory plans are aligned with demand changes, supply constraints, and evolving business priorities.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Proven experience in factory-facing supply planning, production coordination, or demand-to-supply execution
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity, making trade-off decisions, and owning delivery outcomes
• Strong analytical capability combined with business judgment and execution mindset
• Able to communicate and operate effectively across business, operations, and manufacturing teams
• Experience supporting multi-site, cross-border manufacturing environments preferred