Design Technology Manager Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Novolex is a leading manufacturer of food, beverage, and specialty packaging that supports multiple industries including foodservice, restaurant delivery and carryout, food processing, grocery and retail, and industrial sectors. Novolex manufacturing and sourcing expertise spans a diverse range of substrates including resin, paper, molded fiber, aluminum and more. We provide customers a broad array of stock and customized solutions with 120 product categories, 250 brands and over 39,000 SKUs.

The Novolex sustainability vision is built upon three pillars: our products, our operations and our people. Each is critically important to our growth and future as a business. These pillars form the foundation of our company-wide commitment to sustainability, helping us achieve our ambitious goals through our wide-ranging initiatives.

The Manager, Demand & Inventory Systems enables scalable, unbiased demand planning and inventory outcomes by owning how demand and inventory logic are configured, automated, and operated within enterprise planning platforms. This role ensures forecasting and inventory behavior reflects agreed planning intent—not adhoc workarounds or planner heroics.

The role is accountable for translating strategy and policy into durable system behavior that planners can trust.

• Own configuration of demand planning and inventory planning logic, including:
  • Forecast models, parameters, and segmentation
  • Inventory policy translation, safety stock logic, and replenishment behavior
• Ensure system behavior supports consistent, explainable planning outcomes.

• Own demand and inventoryrelated changes endtoend:
  • Design → configuration → testing → rollout → stabilization
• Partner with Adoption & Testing roles to ensure changes are validated and production
• Ensure domainspecific test scripts and task flows are maintained by configuration analysts.

• Partner with Demand Planning and Inventory business teams to translate planning intent into system logic.
• Ensure alignment with:
  • SIOP governance
  • Analytics signals
  • Platform standards

• Improve forecasting workflows, automation, and exception handling.
• Ensure system behavior is predictable, explainable, and widely trusted.
• Reduce planner dependence on manual overrides and shadow processes.

• Creating or approving forecast numbers.
• Running demand or inventory planning cycles.
• Defining demand or inventory policy (owned by Process Excellence).

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Experience owning or configuring demand planning and inventory planning systems.
• Experience operating in SIOP or integrated planning environments preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to translate business intent into system configuration.

• Demand planning systems configuration
• Inventory planning logic and policy translation
• Systems lifecycle management
• Crossfunctional collaboration
• Planning systems governance and stability
• Clear communication of system behavior

• Forecast and inventory behavior changes perform as expected in the system.
• Inventory signals are stable, explainable, and trusted by planners.
• Reduced rework caused by misunderstood or unstable system behavior.
• Faster cycle time from planning intent → configuration → validation.
• Decreased dependence on manual interventions and overrides.

A reasonable estimate of the current range is $120,000 - $140,000 + bonus + benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. At Novolex, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.

The benefits for this role include 401(k) plan with company match, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending and health savings accounts, paid vacation, and sick days, paid parental leave, paid holidays and wellness program.

With safety as our top priority and a commitment to employee well-being an important focus, we offer comprehensive and competitive benefits that include medical, dental and vision insurance as well as a variety of other well-being resources focused on mental, physical and financial health. Specific benefits and well-being programs may vary depending on where you work.

At Novolex, giving back to the local communities that support us is important. Our Focused Giving Program prioritizes support for organizations whose missions promote sustainability initiatives or address food and hunger needs. We also encourage facility level support of activities in the communities where our employees live and work.

We offer constant opportunities for advancement. From skills development to advanced education programs, training and development programs and courses are available through MyLearning. Programs include company and industry training curricula, support for formal education through the Tuition Reimbursement Program (Non-Union), and a Learning Management System that supports and enhances employee skills at all levels of the organization.

Novolex is committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all employment practices, including but not limited to selection, hiring, promotion, transfer, and compensation to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, handicap or disability, genetics, citizenship status, service member or veteran status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. Any individual who, because of his or her disability, needs an accommodation in connection with an aspect of the Company's application process should contact myHRservices@novolex.com.

Formerly Pactiv Evergreen