Role search
Get an Interim S&OP Lead who can own integrated business planning cadence execution. Also called Interim Sales and Operations Planning Lead
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You choose from a short list of people who have done this before.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters: Your S&OP meeting produces a forecast but no agreed operating decision.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
- No upfront fee
- 2 to 3 vetted consultants per assignment
- Matched to your industry
- You choose
- Interim plus permanent search
- Interim S&OP Lead
- Interim Sales and Operations Planning Lead
The judgment call
What this hire really comes down to
This role centers on your ability to force discipline into a fractured planning environment. You must act as the primary architect of a rigorous, repeatable executive cadence that forces commercial and operational stakeholders to reconcile their divergent outlooks. We prioritize leaders who can identify exactly why current consensus meetings fail to produce actionable data. You will spend your time building governance frameworks that force decision-makers to commit to a single operating plan. We do not look for consultants who facilitate nice meetings. We look for individuals who force hard trade-offs between inventory investment and service level commitments during monthly cycles.
Your success is measured by the speed at which you replace opaque forecast spreadsheets with transparent, system-backed projections. You must have the political maturity to challenge departmental bias in real time. We require a leader who can document the entire process logic so your departure does not leave a vacuum. You will take full responsibility for the accuracy and credibility of the executive output.
What should the brief settle before we search?
Your S&OP meeting produces a forecast but no agreed operating decision. Ask the lead how demand changes are reconciled with capacity, procurement commitments and financial expectations before the executive meeting. The process needs an owner for unresolved tradeoffs, not another dashboard. Check whether the candidate has run the cycle through actual disagreements about service and stock. Software familiarity helps, but it does not replace influence with sales and plant leaders. Decide which decisions the meeting makes and which require a separate approval.
What we check
What we check before you see anyone
- We verify your direct experience building or managing an end-to-end IBP process that linked annual financial budgets to monthly supply chain execution plans.
- We demand specific examples of your hands-on work configuring or troubleshooting SAP IBP, Kinaxis, or o9 platforms to solve data integrity issues.
- We confirm you have previously managed the emotional and analytical tension inherent in reconciling sales-driven demand forecasts against manufacturing capacity constraints.
- We audit your history of delivering measurable forecast accuracy improvement in environments suffering from high product volatility or complex regional distribution requirements.
Sourcing
Where we find them
Our search concentrates on practitioners currently working in high-growth manufacturing firms or complex distribution networks. These professionals are usually buried in the middle of a massive system transformation or leading a turnaround of a failing supply chain department. We identify them through direct outreach to senior planners who have reached a ceiling in their current firm. They possess the exact technical scars required to hit the ground running on day one.
We target individuals who are naturally drawn to the interim life because it allows them to solve discrete technical and structural problems without the distraction of permanent corporate politics. These candidates are motivated by the challenge of standing up a system or fixing a broken cadence and then moving to the next complex project. They seek assignments that require deep immersion in operational data.
These leaders understand that their value lies in the immediate application of proven methodology. They do not need time to learn how to interact with an executive committee because they have spent years reporting to them. We filter for people who are physically available to start immediately and who demonstrate a clear history of completing the transition work they start.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- Many candidates arrive with a generic playbook that ignores the specific system architecture currently in place, leading to friction with existing IT teams.
- Some leaders focus entirely on the mathematical model of a forecast, failing to realize that the core problem is usually a lack of clear ownership among the commercial stakeholders.
- Others attempt to overhaul everything simultaneously without fixing the current operational KPI reporting, creating chaos rather than building trust with the existing team members who need stability.
The search
How the Interim S&OP Lead search runs
- We start by defining the specific scope and system requirements that define your project. We document the current reporting hierarchy and the specific technical constraints of your planning platform. This allows us to target candidates who have already solved the exact problem you face today. We ensure that every candidate we present has relevant experience with your specific software and process gaps.
- We conduct rigorous vetting of each potential candidate to confirm their availability and interest in the scope. We test their technical knowledge of system logic and their ability to handle the internal conflicts inherent in the role. You receive a curated list of professionals who have passed our screening and possess the necessary experience to step into the role and start producing results without delay.
- Finally, you interview the selected candidates to assess their specific fit for your unique organizational culture and leadership style. You select who you want to engage for the assignment. We provide the background and reference information you need to make an informed decision. You retain total control of the engagement process from start to finish.
Questions
How quickly can you deliver a shortlist?
We typically identify and vet relevant candidates within days of understanding your scope. Timing depends on the specific technical requirements of your planning environment.
How do you handle candidate counteroffers?
We confirm a candidate's commitment to the assignment before we present them to you. This reduces the risk of counteroffers derailing the search process.
What should we discuss before requesting Interim S&OP Lead candidates?
Ask the lead how demand changes are reconciled with capacity, procurement commitments and financial expectations before the executive meeting. The process needs an owner for unresolved tradeoffs, not another dashboard.
Can the interim lead relocate for this role?
Yes, we source from a national pool of executives. We discuss travel and residency expectations during the initial vetting phase.
What happens if the fit is not right?
We prioritize aligning candidates to your specific organizational needs before you meet them. If a candidate does not fit, we analyze the gap and refine the search.
What is the cost to start the search?
There is no upfront fee to conduct the search or review candidates. You pay only if you choose to engage someone we introduce, under terms agreed in writing.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How are recruiting fees agreed?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.
How soon can we see options?
Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.
What if the scope grows?
Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.
Can we extend an engagement?
Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.
Can the appointment become permanent?
A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.
How is a confidential search handled?
Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.
Tell us the seat
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Share the title, the situation and the timing. A person reads it.
Interim S&OP Lead by industry and related roles
Need the team under this role?
All industries
- Manufacturing & Industrial
- Distribution, Logistics & Supply Chain
- Consumer, Retail & E-commerce
- Energy, Utilities & Infrastructure
- Government Contractors
More Supply Chain & Procurement roles
The Six-Step Search
What do you get at each step of the search?
We agree what the person must own before contacting anyone. You see how the search is scoped and which backgrounds we pursue. We speak with candidates about the work before presenting them. The Six-Step Search gives you useful written notes and support through interviews, rather than a pile of applications.
- 01
Scope call
We talk through the seat, the business and what has to change.
You get: A one-page role brief you approve before we search.
- 02
Market map
We work out where people who have done this job actually sit.
You get: A short note on the pool and how we plan to reach it.
- 03
Direct outreach
We approach people who are not looking at job boards.
You get: Progress updates so you are never chasing us.
- 04
Screening
We interview every candidate on the work, not the resume.
You get: Written notes on fit, availability and terms for each person.
- 05
Shortlist and interviews
You meet a short list. We handle the scheduling.
You get: Several vetted options and a debrief after each interview.
- 06
Offer and start
You choose. We help settle terms and the start date.
You get: Confirmed terms, a start date and check-ins after day one.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Send us the seat. We will take it from there.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.