Manager of Distribution

Russell Stover•Kansas City, MO

About The Position

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy! A day in the life… As the Manager of Distribution, you will lead Russell Stover's centralized planning team to optimize deployment plans from the RSC factory network, improve inbound truck utilization and synchronize inventory management in our 3PL Distribution Centers with the objectives of optimizing Inventory accuracy, maximizing fill rate, and optimizing in-network shipments. You will also drive results through strong collaboration with cross-functional leadership within sales, plant operations, procurement, customer service and RSC’s 3rd party distribution partner. You will be a proactive, action-oriented business leader with the ability to solve complex problems and drive change within the organization. With oversight of inventory management, you will also ensure execution of inventory and deployment functions and maximize customer service levels at the lowest Total Delivered Cost. In addition, you will challenge, motivate, and empower individuals to grow professionally. This role reports to the Senior Director of Supply Chain Planning

Requirements

Minimum 4 years of combined experience in Manufacturing Planning, Customer Services & Logistics, Supply Planning Demand Forecasting, Information Technology, Statistical Modeling, and/or Financial Planning
Demonstrated proficiency with supply / demand planning concepts and systems
MS Office skills with Excel and proficient in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
Manufacturing or Demand Planning Systems (APO/PPDS or IBP), SAP or similar ERP system
Experience managing direct reports or leading teams
Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain or Engineering
Experience in CPG (fast-moving consumer goods), supply chain, forecasting, and/or logistics
Strong Collaboration and Negotiating skills with both oral and written communication abilities
Problem-solving mindset, analytical and ability to use data to drive decisions/processes
Strong interpersonal skills
Ability to work and influence across departments and across levels within an organization
Ability to manage multiple tasks and stressful situations effectively, adapt to changing priorities, and respond with urgency to requests while remaining focused on strategic imperatives.
Strong systems acumen with ability to adapt and apply.

Responsibilities

Leads talent management, professional development, and retention strategy for direct reports
Work closely with shipping managers in plants and 3rd party distribution centers
Coaches team for high performance to deliver expected financial goals and KPI achievements including, but not limited to; Inventory Accuracy, inbound utilization, and Minimizing Out of Network Shipping
Develops robust processes and works to give employees the opportunity to master the processes and the tools of Inventory Management
Create annual/quarterly Operational Budgets which entail: Inbound Pallets, Outbound Pallets, and Storage Capacity requirements
Deliver weekly and monthly reporting to provide visibility to Leadership regarding deployment and warehouse activities
On an as-directed basis, balance network capacity for assigned & non-assigned LSNA brands.
Develop KPIs to identify and support continuous improvement projects
Provide guidance & oversight of demand planning relating to DC forecast accuracy
Identifies supply chain and business interdependencies in his/her work and coordinates as needed with other groups to drive customer fill rates at lowest possible cost
Provides resourcing to support planning systems upgrades / process improvements
Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure product quality and maintain compliance with food safety standards.
Complete and follow FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure consumer safety, and support the plant’s food safety and quality objectives.
Promptly report and take appropriate action on any observed or potential food safety hazards, process deviations, or non-conformities by notifying the designated plant supervisor, in accordance with your role and responsibilities.
Actively contributes to the continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role.