Network Planning Manager

The businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany•Temecula, CA

About The Position

This is a supply chain professional to lead the Network Planning Replenishment team, based in the United States. The team is responsible for managing the intercompany movements of finished goods stocks between some key warehouses for our Science and Lab Solutions Core business. The team is the center of excellence for replenishment of this portfolio and supports the global teams in Asia and Latin America and acts as a counterpart and stakeholder for the team in Europe. As leader of the team, your role is to lead a team of 10 people who are managing the replenishment of around 300,000 SKUs, most of which are stocked and available on a next day basis. The replenishment processes are highly automated, so your team needs to identify and handle exceptions while steering the system to deliver optimal service to customers. The role requires liaison with the distribution and manufacturing sites and maintaining a flow of information to the customer facing staff where stock is not immediately available. You will also be the contact to the commercial leadership in the event of issues in the supply chain for the portfolio that your team is replenishing. Preferred work locations are Temecula, CA, Milwaukee, WI and St. Louis, MO.

Requirements

B.A. in Business, Supply Chain discipline, or 8 years of equivalent work experience
Minimum 5+ years of Supervisory experience
Minimum 5+ years’ experience with production planning/purchasing utilizing ERP system

Nice To Haves

In-depth knowledge and experience in network planning or other related supply chain functions, principles, and concepts
Proven experience in strategic supply chain management, ideally with experience in multi-warehouse environment
Working knowledge of ERP System Master Data (Bills of Material and Routings)
SAP ERP knowledge, APO experience preferred
Working experience MS Office Suite, with focus on Excel and Access
Strong ability to complete both task and objective-oriented assignments with problems that are diverse in scope
Effective professional interpersonal skills within all levels of a diverse organization
Effective analytical, conceptual, and communication skills (both oral and written)
Excellent time management and organizational skills
Agility in adapting to changing circumstances, requirements, and deadlines
Advanced data analytical tools knowledge (Knime, Palantir, Power BI) strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Oversee the team and drive accountability to KPIs and develop leading metrics to support company objectives, mainly around service and inventory
Be an escalation point and a partner to commercial leadership teams to ensure proper customer communication to drive enhanced experience
Support the development of the team by creating strategic projects to continue to enhance the processes that are available and create more streamlined visibility to product availability
Work closely with various stakeholders to develop policies and processes