Manager, Material Planning

Slate Auto•Warsaw, IN

About The Position

Slate is looking for an energetic, organized, and experienced Material Planning Manager to lead our automotive material planning team. This role is responsible for ensuring the uninterrupted flow of materials to support production schedules, while optimizing inventory levels and minimizing supply chain risks. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in automotive or high-volume manufacturing, excellent leadership skills, and a deep understanding of supply chain planning systems and lean principles. As a Material Planning Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing a team of Material / Inventory Analysts who are focused on the planning, purchasing, and inventory of service parts and accessories to ensure availability to Slate's end customers, Service Partners, and delivery hub locations. You will work cross functionally with the Sales Inventory and Operations Planning (SI&OP) team, Slate's warehouse / 3PL, Purchasing, and our suppliers. You will be responsible for inventory planning of Service Parts and Accessories to optimize stocking levels of all parts in your portfolio. You will manage purchase orders with our suppliers to bring inventory into our warehouse / 3PL and will work with our suppliers to expedite and de-expedite purchase orders as necessary. You will be responsible for setting safety stocks for your portfolio of products to make sure Slate is able to meet exceptional demand in a timely manner.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Material Management, Material Analytics, Operations, or equivalent is preferred. While a degree is preferred, we value hands-on experience and a proven track record of success as a suitable substitute and encourage candidates to apply who can demonstrate relevant and commensurate professional experience.
8+ years of experience in Supply Chain, Logistics, or Business Management, preferably working in Material Management.
3+ years of previous manager experience in a Supply Chain, Logistics, or Business Management role is required.
Strong analytical skills, with sufficient understanding of basic and advanced material management processes and practices.
Strong knowledge of MRP/ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Plex, FUUZ, Etc.) and inventory control practices.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and/or other data analysis tools, such as SmartSheets, Tableau, PowerBI, or other scripting tools.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, with an understanding of how to present complex data in easily understood ways to multiple levels with the business.
Strong problem-solving capabilities, with attention to detail.
Comfortable in start-up environments. You can roll up your sleeves to do the work and build, or recommend the tools needed to be successful as the company grows.
A proactive, “one company” teammate with a continuous improvement approach, equally comfortable with warehousing practices, material management, business planning, and financial implications.
Capability to work cross-functionally with external partners and internal teams, building strong relationships that produce positive results.

Nice To Haves

Experience with lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies.
Familiarity with automotive production systems, supplier logistics, and just-in-time (JIT) delivery models.
Experience supporting product launches and engineering change management.
High proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, data analysis).

Responsibilities

Manage a team of Material / Inventory Analysts responsible for maintaining inventory of Service Parts and Accessories required for our customers.
Develop and drive continuous improvement in Material Planning and Inventory Management processes to reduce inventory while maintaining high fulfillment rates.
Collaborate with the Sales Inventory and Operations Planning (SI&OP) team to understand the requirements of your portfolio of parts.
Place and track purchase orders (through our ERP System) to the suppliers of the Service Parts and Accessories in your portfolio of parts.
Work collaboratively with suppliers on reviewing and improving lead times, minimum order quantities, rounding values, and other related purchase data to optimize inventory stored at Slate’s warehouse / 3PL.
Monitor parts inventory levels and work collaboratively with suppliers on expediting and de-expediting orders based on actual orders received.
Devise and implement parts level strategies and procedures to drive efficient inventory control, leading to optimized inventory levels.
Own the tactical (day-to-day) supplier relationships while fostering long-term partnerships.