Logistics Material Handling Area Leader

Magna International•Liberty, MO

About The Position

The Logistics Material Handling Area Leader is responsible for material flow, Kanban systems, and material-handling operations within the plant. The role works closely with Production, Engineering, and Quality to ensure material availability and support plant requirements. It also oversees mobile equipment and AMR mission execution, maintains WMS and Kanban functionality in ERP, and drives material-flow analysis and continuous improvement. The position leads Material Handlers, Cycle Counters, and Logistics Clerks. It includes team development, staffing participation, training, communication, safety investigations, inventory coordination, and implementation of work instructions and 5S activities. The role follows LMV Automotive Systems and Magna operating principles and may perform Hostler Driver duties as needed. The scheduled shift is B Shift, Tuesday through Friday, 5:00 PM to 5:00 AM. The work takes place in a general factory environment and involves continuous walking, standing, and sitting, as well as repetitive lifting of up to 55 pounds.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and/or six years of experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Thorough knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Inventory Management, Kanban, JIT, and logistics for manufacturing high-volume tangible goods.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs.
Strong Value Stream Mapping skills.
Strong analytical skills and ability to manage detailed data.
Business acumen and sound judgment in daily responsibilities.
Ability to think creatively and implement or lead process-improvement activities.
RFID knowledge in implementation and operation.
Ability to address ambiguity, prioritize, multitask, and work independently.
Ability to lead pull implementations at different levels of the supply chain, including external and internal suppliers.
Ability to perform continuous walking, standing, and sitting, and repetitive lifting up to 55 pounds.

Nice To Haves

APICS certification desired.
High experience with FIFO, PFEP, and other Lean or continuous-improvement concepts and practices is highly desired; candidates with previous kaizen experience are preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and revise Value Stream Maps to identify material-flow improvement opportunities.
Define and recalculate Kanban sizes between supermarkets and the shop floor as required.
Monitor Kanban performance and proactively resolve problems and mitigate risks affecting Kanban levels and assembly cells.
Coordinate with Production, Engineering, and Quality to plan and execute Kanban requirements.
Coordinate and implement material-handling techniques that ensure material availability while meeting defined Kanban levels.
Perform cycle counts as required.
Execute shop-floor communication systems.
Maintain WMS and Kanban functionality updates in ERP.
Oversee plant mobile equipment, including forklifts, tuggers, and AMRs.
Resolve technical issues, supervise AMR missions, and validate mission completion during the shift.
Present technical AMR mission results and recommend AMR route and delivery optimizations.
Approve changes to Kanban levels.
Conduct material-handling and flow analysis; manage material flow, plant layouts, new equipment layouts, and warehousing requirements.
Conduct pre-shift meetings covering indicators, open issues, concerns, and quality alerts.
Develop team members through coaching and mentoring.
Maintain effective communication with all departments.
Participate in manpower planning and recruiting.
Promote accountability through the progressive discipline policy.
Ensure team-member training as outlined in the training matrix.
Conduct accident and incident investigations.
Control Kanban cycles and coordinate and organize annual inventory counts for the assigned area or division as required.
Coordinate engineering-change activities on the shop floor that affect material flow.
Ensure daily 5S activities and communication for special projects or situations.
Ensure current work instructions are available for all job positions.
Perform Hostler Driver duties as needed.
Follow and support LMV Automotive Systems and Magna operating principles.