Allocation Manager Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

About the Role

As Manager SKU Transfer, NA Transformation, you are accountable for steering, prioritizing, and optimizing the portfolio of product reallocation and network change projects across the region, contributing to building a flexible, agile and resilient supply network. You act as the link between network strategy and shopfloor execution by integrating portfolio ownership, process leadership, readiness governance, and cross functional alignment.

You maintain a clear and consolidated overview of all reallocation initiatives, including their interdependencies with NPIs and other functional activities. You ensure a structured and effective intake and evaluation process so that new requests are assessed on value, risk, complexity, required effort, and timeline options.

You are responsible for driving the right prioritization, sequencing, and resource allocation by aligning portfolio decisions with regional and global supply strategies, site capacity realities, and the key drivers for reallocation such as capacity flexibility, cost optimization, business continuity readiness, regulatory needs, and market shifts.

You hold accountability for regional readiness and resource load management, ensuring that plants and functions are prepared for upcoming trials, validations, and ramp up or ramp down periods. You provide leadership with transparent, decision-ready scenarios highlighting implications, risks, and recommended mitigation actions to avoid overload or conflicting priorities.

As the Regional Transfer Business Process Owner, you oversee the end-to-end transfer process, including governance, templates, standards, system ownership, performance tracking, and continuous improvement. You work closely with Tactical Planning, FSQR, CI & TS, Process Excellence, and Local Supply Planning to ensure readiness, compliance, and predictable execution across all sites.

A key part of this role is building and leading the Site Supply Chain (SC) SPOC community by ensuring each plant has a capable, trained, and well-connected local owner who drives the transfer and integration agenda at site level.

This role is a key enabler of a flexible, resilient, and future ready supply network.

Job Responsibilities Include

Network Portfolio Management

• Own and maintain a clear, structured, and consolidated overview of product re-allocation projects in the region, including their interdependencies with NPI and other cross-functional initiatives.
• Ensure effectiveness of the intake and evaluation process for product re-allocation requests and network changes, including evaluation criteria on value, risk, complexity, required efforts, timeline scenarios.
• Drive prioritization, sequencing, and resource allocation, by aligning portfolio decisions with strategic supply planning objectives, plant capacity constraints and the different drivers for re-allocation requests: capacity flexibility, cost optimization, business continuity planning, regulatory changes, market shifts, ..
• Hold accountability for regional resource load governance, plants and functions are prepared for upcoming loads related to trials, validations, and ramp-up or ramp-down periods.
• Provide leadership with decision-ready scenarios, including implications, risks and recommendations to avoid overload, delays, or conflicting priorities.
• Lead the regional escalation for blockers impacting re-allocation delivery and customer service and propose actions to continue the execution.
• Enable and steer Business Continuity Planning (BCP), ensuring risk reduction and impact visibility is structurally embedded in network decisions.

Transfer Process Ownership

• Own the end-to-end transfer (product-re-allocation) process, including templates, standards, system solutions, stage gate criteria, and governance bodies.
• Lead continuous improvement of the process to enhance predictability, reduce cycle time, and increase transparency across stakeholders.
• Ensure strong alignment and collaboration with:
  • Site Supply Planning (capacity, resource balancing)
  • FSQR (validation requirements, regulatory constraints)
  • CI & TS (material development)
  • Process Excellence (equipment readiness, trials, line capability)
  • Tactical Planning (network strategy alignment)

Site Supply Chain SPOC Community Leadership

• You establish, lead, and grow the regional Site SC Transfer SPOC community, ensuring every plant has a capable owner of the local transfer agenda.
• Your responsibilities include:
  • Defining the local SPOC role including responsibilities and expectations.
  • Providing structured onboarding, guidance, and capability building.
  • Running a regular community forum to share best practices, blockers, lessons learned, and upcoming priorities.
  • Acting as the primary support resource, ensuring SPOCs remain aligned, equipped, and connected.

Performance Tracking and Reporting

• Own the performance and results of all transfer initiatives, escalating risks where needed and enabling cross-functional mitigation.
• Monitor and enforce process adherence across sites.
• Guarantee the quality of planning inputs by providing standards, guidance, and coaching to teams on:
  • clear requirements
  • acceptance criteria
  • risk management
  • transfer readiness controls

About You 

• 15 years of experience in a Supply Chain / Operations managements function
• Bachelor's or master's degree in business administration, economics or similar
• Preferably APIC CPIM certified
• Strong communication & presentation skills
• Ability to lead and manage change in a complex environment
• Strong stakeholder management / influence at senior level
• Proficient in English Strong understanding of the end-to-end supply chain process.
• Experience in supply chain (continuous) improvement process
• Good analytical skills
• Process Oriented
• Strong Team player; humble, passionate and people smart
• Promote diversity and inclusion: 100% participation of all SC colleagues
• Fast thinking, quick & adaptable
• Travel requirements: Up to 20 % of the time

What you can expect from Barry Callebaut  

• Salary Range of $130,000-$155,000, depending on factors such as experience and location, plus annual bonus and our comprehensive benefits package
• MyFlex PTO (unlimited!) and Paid Holidays
• Environment that welcomes workplace flexibility and hybrid environment
• An atmosphere where diversity is embraced, and inclusivity is second nature. We call it #OneBC!
• Just ask our champions with the Americas Women's Forum and the Racial Equality Forum!
• Ability to grow personally and professionally within an organization that values development and internal career growth

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and encourage all qualified candidates to apply.  Be part of our mission in making sustainability the norm through Forever Chocolate with priorities centered around prospering farmers, zero child labor, carbon and forest positive, and creating 100% sustainable ingredients in all our products.