IT System Architect - Global Planning system

The System Architect – Demand & Supply Planning is responsible for designing, governing, and continuously improving the technology landscape supporting Demand Planning, Supply Planning, and Integrated Business Planning (IBP) processes across the organization.

Working closely with Supply Chain, IT, Finance, and external technology partners, the role ensures that planning solutions are aligned with business objectives, integrated with JD Edwards (JDE) and other enterprise applications, and capable of supporting scalable, efficient, and data-driven planning processes.

The System Architect translates business requirements into sustainable technical solutions, defines architecture standards, and drives continuous improvement of planning systems while ensuring reliability, performance, and long-term maintainability.

Responsibilities

1. Solution Architecture (20%)

• Design and maintain the architecture for Demand & Supply Planning systems.
• Define scalable and sustainable system designs aligned with business strategy.
• Ensure architecture complies with enterprise IT standards and security requirements.
• Recommend technology improvements that simplify and modernize planning capabilities.

2. Business Requirements & Solution Design (25%)

• Partner with Supply Chain, Planning, Finance, and IT stakeholders to understand business needs.
• Translate functional requirements into technical solution designs.
• Evaluate solution alternatives and recommend the most appropriate architecture.
• Support business transformation initiatives through technology enablement.

3. Enterprise Integration (20%)

• Design and oversee integrations between planning applications and enterprise systems including:
  • JD Edwards (JDE)
  • Data warehouse / analytics platforms
  • Master Data Management
• Ensure data consistency, reliability, and end-to-end process integration.
• Support API and middleware strategies where appropriate.

4. System Performance & Continuous Improvement (15%)

• Monitor system performance and recommend improvements.
• Optimize data models, interfaces, and processing efficiency.
• Support release planning, upgrades, and application lifecycle management.
• Promote best practices for solution governance and architecture.

5. Technical Leadership & Governance (10%)

• Produce and maintain architecture documentation.
• Define technical standards and design principles.
• Provide technical guidance to project teams and vendors.
• Participate in solution reviews and architectural governance.

6. Operational Support (10%)

• Support issue resolution for complex system incidents.
• Partner with application support teams to resolve root causes.
• Ensure business continuity for planning applications.
• Assist with user adoption and change management initiatives.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related discipline.

Experience

• Minimum 8 years of experience in System Architecture, Solution Design, Business Systems, or Supply Chain IT.
• Experience supporting Demand Planning, Supply Planning, S&OP, or Integrated Business Planning processes.
• Experience integrating planning applications with ERP systems, preferably JD Edwards (JDE).
• Experience working in multinational or global organizations.

Skills

• Strong SQL and database knowledge – Oracle preferred.
• Experience designing enterprise application integrations.
• Knowledge of APIs, middleware, ETL, and integration architecture.
• Understanding of data modelling and master data management.
• Experience with JD Edwards ERP is an advantage.
• Familiarity with cloud-based planning platforms is an advantage.
• Experience with Agile delivery methodologies.
• Understanding of Demand Planning and Supply Planning business processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• TOGAF certification or equivalent Enterprise Architecture certification.
• Experience with planning platforms such as Blue Yonder, Kinaxis, o9 Solutions, Oracle Supply Chain Planning, or similar.
• Knowledge of forecasting methodologies and planning analytics.
• Experience supporting digital transformation initiatives.
• Fluent English is required.
• French is a strong advantage; Spanish or Portuguese would be beneficial.

Core Competencies

• Enterprise Architecture
• Supply Chain Planning
• Solution Design
• Systems Integration
• Stakeholder Management
• Analytical Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Continuous Improvement
• Technical Leadership
• Communication and Collaboration

Key Challenges

• Designing scalable planning solutions that support changing business requirements.
• Maintaining seamless integration between planning applications and JD Edwards ERP.
• Balancing standardization with regional business needs.
• Ensuring high data quality across interconnected planning systems.
• Supporting business transformation while maintaining operational stability.
• Evaluating emerging technologies to continuously improve planning capabilities.

What You'll Bring

• A customer-focused mindset with a passion for improving business processes.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent communication and facilitation abilities.
• The ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• A proactive approach to solving business challenges and driving continuous improvement.
• The flexibility to work in an international, collaborative, and fast-paced environment.

BIC World is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strongly commit to hiring people with different backgrounds and experiences to help us build better products, make better decisions, and better serve our customers. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability status, or similar characteristics. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need.

BIC World is not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms for this employment opportunity. Regardless of past practice, all resumes submitted by search firms to any team member at BIC via email, or directly to a BIC team member in any form without a valid written search agreement in place for that position will be deemed the sole property of BIC, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by BIC as a result of the referral or through other means.