Role search
Get a S&OP consultant who can own enterprise integrated business planning logic. Also called Sales and Operations Planning consultant
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 starts with the work behind this request: An S&OP consultant operates above the manager level to align financial reality with operational capability. While an interim lead manages the daily rhythm of a specific business unit, the consultant acts as a strategic architect who installs the governing logic for the entire enterprise.
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
- S&OP consultant
- Sales and Operations Planning consultant
The judgment call
What this hire really comes down to
An S&OP consultant operates above the manager level to align financial reality with operational capability. While an interim lead manages the daily rhythm of a specific business unit, the consultant acts as a strategic architect who installs the governing logic for the entire enterprise.
Your new consultant must enforce a structure that prevents department heads from operating in silos. They move past the basic facilitation of meetings to identify the root causes of forecast bias. You hire them to document the process logic, clean the underlying system data, and create a transparent output that leadership can trust for capital allocation.
What we check
What we check before you see anyone
- We audit the specific technical history each candidate has with platforms such as SAP IBP, Kinaxis, or o9. It is not enough to have used these tools for reporting. We require proof of direct involvement in configuring, troubleshooting, or architecting the data flows that drive planning accuracy within these specific environments.
- We verify that the candidate has successfully linked bottom-up operational plans with top-down financial budgets. We look for individuals who have personally built or significantly overhauled an IBP process, ensuring that the monthly cycle produces a single, coherent plan rather than competing versions of the truth from different business segments.
- We confirm the candidate has managed the direct conflict between sales-driven demand forecasts and actual manufacturing capacity. We check their experience in coaching teams to quantify the financial impact of inventory trade-offs and service level gaps, ensuring they can explain these trade-offs to a board or executive committee without hesitation.
- We review their specific track record of achieving measurable forecast accuracy improvements. We look for candidates who have worked in high-volatility environments where data complexity often masks inefficiency. We filter out those who rely on generic methodologies, demanding instead examples of how they specific their approach to the unique distribution or manufacturing constraints of their past clients.
Sourcing
Where we find them
We source these experts from organizations currently undergoing large-scale system migrations or those that have recently matured from a fragmented planning model to an integrated enterprise structure. These practitioners exist in the specialized space where heavy manufacturing or high-volume distribution demands absolute precision.
These individuals choose consulting because they prefer the high-impact phase of a project over long-term maintenance. They are attracted to your firm because they want to focus on standing up an IBP capability or fixing a broken cadence rather than managing the office politics associated with permanent roles.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- The primary error is hiring someone who acts as a facilitator rather than an architect. A common failure is bringing in a consultant who manages the existing consensus meeting without questioning the underlying system logic, resulting in more meetings but zero change in forecast accuracy or operational performance.
- Many buyers choose a candidate based on industry experience rather than technical competency in the specific planning software being used. Without hands-on mastery of tools like SAP IBP or Kinaxis, the consultant remains dependent on your internal IT team, which inevitably creates bottlenecks and delays the configuration of effective planning workflows.
- Another mistake is failing to set expectations for documentation. If the consultant does not force a rigorous, repeatable cadence that is documented as a standard operating procedure, your organization will slide back into its previous fractured state the moment the consultant finishes the contract.
The search
How the S&OP consultant search runs
- First, we map the candidates who have direct experience in your specific planning system environment. We focus on the distinction between a power user and an architect. We discard any resumes that highlight generic project management experience in favor of those who have specifically owned the data integrity and logic flows within a high-level IBP framework.
- Second, we conduct an technical screen to ensure they understand the difference between forecast error and forecast bias. We present complex supply chain constraints to see if the candidate focuses on system configuration or if they instinctively pivot to the human elements of cross-functional alignment. We ensure they can explain how to hold departmental leaders accountable for their specific inputs to the overall plan.
- Third, we vet their ability to operate within your specific executive cadence. We confirm their history of report-outs to leadership and their comfort level with presenting hard trade-offs. We identify those who are ready to provide an immediate audit of your current planning gaps and a concrete, time-bound plan to replace spreadsheets with a sound, system-backed process.
Questions
How does an S&OP consultant differ from an interim S&OP lead?
The consultant is an architect hired to design, build, and stabilize a new process or fix a systemic failure. The interim lead is an operator hired to execute an existing process or manage a department during a transition period.
Do I need a consultant if my current team uses SAP IBP?
You need one if the system is not producing accurate, actionable outputs. A consultant identifies whether the failure is in the software configuration or the human governance of the process.
What is the primary output I should expect?
You should expect a documented governance framework, a clean data model, and a standard meeting rhythm. These elements ensure that leadership can make inventory and service decisions with consistent data.
How do you handle the payment for these services?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
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.
S&OP consultant 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.