Manager, Inventory Optimization

Graco•Rogers, MN

4d•$98,300 - $172,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Graco manufactures and markets premium equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray a wide variety of fluid and powder materials. The Manager of Inventory Optimization is responsible for enabling Graco’s annual inventory goal by minimizing the inventory required to deliver desired service levels due to the execution of a global inventory optimization strategy, effective data analysis, and proactive efforts to collaboratively address the causes of excess and insufficient inventory across functions. The individual in the position will define and monitor key performance indicators and leverage the Materials COE team to partner with site and centralized Materials, Manufacturing, Sourcing, Logistics and Customer Service, and business teams address root cause issues that are driving excess and insufficient inventory across Graco.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Operations, Data Science, Mathematics, or Statistics
7+ years of experience working in the manufacturing industry with at least 5 years in manufacturing materials management
Excellent leadership skills; 4+ years of team leadership experience preferred.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent negotiation and collaboration skills
Strong analytical skills
Proficiency in Oracle ERP
Ability to work effectively in a global, cross-functional team environment.
Proven track record of driving process improvements and achieving results
Knowledge of industry best practices and emerging trends in materials management
APICS certification

Nice To Haves

MBA or Master's degree preferred
GAINS proficiency preferred
Global materials leadership
Manufacturing leadership

Responsibilities

Develop and drive the vision and execution of the Materials Inventory optimization strategy and governance, including using scientific methods, processes, algorithms and systems to analyze data to enable efficient monitoring and improvement of manufacturing and materials performance
Collect, analyze, and interpret inventory data to identify trends, patterns and areas for improvement
Enable problem solving and decision-making through predictive analytics
Develop and implement automation strategies to create efficiency and improved data and analytics quality
Establish, maintain and monitor key leading and lagging metrics and provide appropriate reporting to leadership
Partner with the IT team to align data architecture, security and data storage
Lead a team of analysts to monitor inventory and other core metrics (e.g., service levels, delivery schedule adherence and attainment)
Identify opportunities to improve and make prioritized (i.e., financially important and customer critical) recommendations for action, including execution and financial roadmap
Lead collaborative, cross-functional improvement initiatives to address the input variables leading to poor performance
Effectively manage and influence trade-offs between functions to minimize sub-optimization of overall system performance
Lead initiatives to meet Graco's global annual inventory goals
Lead a team of planners who actively participate in New Product Introduction to balance inventory risk with reward
Monitor NPI forecast bias and ensure it is incorporated into cross-functional negotiations on supplier location, MOQs, forecasting to control S&O exposure during new product launches
Partner with Sourcing and Manufacturing to revisit planning data attributes set up during product launches once forecast attainment is understood to capture improvement opportunities
Monitor product end-of-life to ensure superseded product availability until production volumes are achieved while minimizing stranded inventory and S&O
Address complex S&O situations in partnership with Finance and the business
Lead, mentor, manage and hire an Inventory Optimization team ensuring alignment with organizational goals and promoting a culture of excellence.
Partner across the Materials Management Center of Excellence as well as with site-based Materials teams to provide leadership in identifying and addressing opportunities
Drive team performance by setting clear goals, providing ongoing feedback, and facilitating professional growth opportunities.
Establish, manage, and be accountable for the annual Inventory, Data, and Analytics budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources and alignment with organizational strategic objectives