BIRKENSTOCK — one of the world’s most iconic and heritage-rich footwear brands with roots dating back to 1774 — is seeking a motivated and precision-driven Supply Chain Planner (m/f/d) to join their team in Cologne, Germany. This full-time role is central to ensuring the seamless and timely procurement, coordination, and delivery of customer orders across BIRKENSTOCK’s various product groups and production sites. The successful candidate will plan and monitor supply chain activities, act as the critical link between sales, production, purchasing, and product implementation, and continuously optimise supply chain processes to maintain BIRKENSTOCK’s world-renowned delivery reliability. Experience in supply chain management, material planning, or production planning — alongside proficiency in SAP, MS Office, and Power BI — is required for this exciting opportunity with one of Germany’s most respected global brands.
About BIRKENSTOCK — Global Heritage Footwear Brand
Heritage: Founded in 1774 — over 250 years of craftsmanship, quality, and global brand leadership in footwear
Scale: Approximately 7,100 employees worldwide — Germany’s largest employer in the footwear industry
Manufacturing: Over 95% of products manufactured in Germany — more than 90% of materials sourced from Europe
HQ: Linz am Rhein, Germany — with locations across Germany, Europe, North America, Middle East, and Asia
Supply Chain: Coordinated production across multiple German manufacturing sites with global distribution reach
What BIRKENSTOCK Offers — Supply Chain Planner Cologne
Growth: Ample creative freedom within a successful, rapidly growing, and globally recognised consumer brand
Culture: Authentic, open, and innovative corporate culture that values initiative and cross-functional collaboration
Development: Excellent professional development opportunities within a dynamic multinational organisation
Environment: Dynamic, fast-paced work environment that combines heritage craftsmanship with modern supply chain practices
Impact: A pivotal role contributing directly to BIRKENSTOCK’s global delivery reliability and operational profitability
Career Opportunity — Supply Chain at BIRKENSTOCK Cologne
Iconic Employer: Join one of the world’s most recognisable footwear brands in a pivotal supply chain planning role
Germany Manufacturing: Work closely with BIRKENSTOCK’s German production sites in a truly integrated supply chain role
Cross-Functional: Act as the bridge between sales, production, purchasing, and product implementation teams daily
Career Growth: Strong pathway to Senior Supply Planner, Supply Chain Manager, or Head of Planning within BIRKENSTOCK
Position Overview
This Supply Chain Planner role at BIRKENSTOCK in Cologne is a high-impact, detail-oriented, and cross-functional position at the heart of the company’s global supply chain operations. The successful candidate will be responsible for the accurate and timely processing of orders to BIRKENSTOCK’s production plants, planning and coordinating supply chain activities, monitoring the supply plan, identifying deviations, and initiating measures to avoid bottlenecks and supply disruptions. Acting as the critical link between sales, production, purchasing, and product implementation, the role demands strong analytical and organisational capabilities, the ability to balance customer orders with production capacities, and a continuous improvement mindset that contributes to BIRKENSTOCK’s delivery reliability and long-term profitability. Proficiency in SAP (MM, PP, BW modules), MS Office, and Power BI, alongside fluent English and a degree in Economics or Supply Chain Management, are required for this exciting opportunity in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia.
Why This Role Matters: As a Supply Chain Planner at BIRKENSTOCK in Cologne, you are the operational backbone connecting the world’s most iconic footwear brand’s sales commitments to its manufacturing reality — ensuring every customer order is planned, coordinated, and delivered with the precision and reliability that BIRKENSTOCK’s global reputation demands. Your work directly supports the production of more than 95% Germany-manufactured products that reach consumers in over 100 countries worldwide, making this one of the most meaningful supply chain roles available in Germany’s footwear industry.
Key Responsibilities
Order Processing & Production Site Coordination
- Accurately and timely process orders to BIRKENSTOCK’s production plants across all relevant manufacturing sites in Germany
- Ensure customers across all product groups are consistently supplied according to agreed delivery schedules and timelines
- Communicate supply plans clearly and effectively to all relevant internal parties — production, sales, purchasing, and product teams
- Coordinate closely with production sites to align manufacturing capacity with incoming customer order volumes and priorities
Supply Chain Planning, Monitoring & Optimisation
- Plan, coordinate, and monitor all supply chain activities to ensure smooth, reliable, and efficient order fulfilment processes
- Continuously evaluate supply chain needs against current conditions — identifying opportunities for process optimisation
- Contribute actively to the ongoing optimisation of BIRKENSTOCK’s supply chain processes, delivery reliability, and profitability
- Use Power BI, SAP, and MS Office tools to track, analyse, and report on supply chain performance and planning metrics
Cross-Functional Interface Management
- Act as the essential bridge between sales, production, purchasing, and product implementation across all relevant product groups
- Identify deviations between planning and implementation and initiate appropriate corrective measures to avoid supply bottlenecks
- Engage proactively with internal stakeholders — seeing cross-functional exchange as an opportunity to contribute ideas and improve
- Communicate clearly and constructively across departments to resolve supply issues quickly and maintain customer satisfaction
Capacity Balancing & Bottleneck Prevention
- Balance customer orders and purchase orders effectively to ensure smooth and efficient production processing across all sites
- Determine necessary production capacities proactively — forecasting requirements and highlighting risks before they cause disruption
- Monitor inventory and order pipelines to identify potential bottlenecks early and initiate timely corrective planning actions
- Apply a solution-oriented work style and strong initiative to resolve supply challenges quickly and independently
Qualifications & Requirements
Educational Requirements
- Completed degree in Economics, Business Administration, or a comparable qualification with a focus on supply chain management
- Equivalent professional qualifications combined with relevant supply chain, logistics, or planning experience will also be considered
Experience Requirements
- Initial professional experience in supply chain management, material planning, or production planning roles
- Proficient use of MS Office — particularly Excel — for supply chain data management, analysis, and planning activities
- Power BI experience is a valued advantage for reporting, dashboarding, and supply chain performance visualisation
- Basic knowledge of SAP modules — ideally MM (Materials Management), PP (Production Planning), and BW (Business Warehouse)
Essential Skills & Attributes
- Fluent English skills both written and spoken — essential for working in a global, cross-functional supply chain environment
- Fluent German language skills are a significant advantage given BIRKENSTOCK’s Germany-based manufacturing operations
- Hands-on mentality, quick comprehension, and strong organisational skills in a fast-paced planning environment
- Solution-oriented, independent work style with strong initiative, negotiation skills, and a genuine drive for process improvement
- Excellent cross-functional communication skills — comfortable engaging with diverse stakeholders across sales, production, and purchasing
About BIRKENSTOCK — Cologne, Germany
BIRKENSTOCK is one of the world’s most universally beloved and enduring consumer brands — with historical roots stretching back to 1774 and a global reputation built on quality, craftsmanship, and authenticity. As Germany’s largest employer in the footwear industry, BIRKENSTOCK employs approximately 7,100 people worldwide and manufactures over 95% of its products on German soil — sourcing more than 90% of materials and components from within Europe. The BIRKENSTOCK Group is headquartered in Linz am Rhein with locations across Germany and sales offices in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia. The company offers its employees a dynamic, creative, and genuinely authentic work culture — combined with excellent professional development opportunities within one of the world’s most recognised and rapidly expanding global footwear brands. This Supply Chain Planner role in Cologne represents a genuinely exciting career opportunity to contribute meaningfully to BIRKENSTOCK’s global operational excellence.
Career Excellence: Join BIRKENSTOCK in Cologne — plan and coordinate supply chains for one of the world’s most iconic footwear brands, apply SAP and Power BI skills in a dynamic global environment, and build a strong supply chain career with Germany’s most admired footwear employer.
Who Should Apply?
- Supply Chain Graduates: With Economics or Supply Chain Management degrees and initial planning or logistics experience in Germany
- SAP Supply Planners: With MM, PP, or BW module experience seeking a global brand supply chain role in Cologne NRW
- Material / Production Planners: With cross-functional coordination experience in manufacturing-intensive German companies
- Power BI Logistics Analysts: Looking for a planning role that combines data visualisation with supply chain management at BIRKENSTOCK
- English-Fluent Supply Professionals: With international mindsets ready to contribute to a globally operating, Germany-headquartered brand
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