Production and Inventory Control Manager

Superior Essex•Fort Wayne, IN

About The Position

The Production and Inventory Control Manager is responsible for production planning and inventory control across Essex Solutions North America. This role ensures efficient material flow for raw materials, work‑in‑process, and finished goods, maintains inventory accuracy, and supports financial and customer‑service objectives. The manager drives cross‑functional coordination with Production, Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, Quality and Logistics to optimize operations and meet business targets.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain, or related field
Minimum 7 years in production planning, inventory control, or manufacturing operations, including at least 2 years in a leadership role.
Demonstrated leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
Strong knowledge of MRP/ERP systems and production workflows
Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
Familiarity with lean principles, problem solving, and continuous improvement tools.
Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, changing environment.
Willingness to travel up to 20%.

Nice To Haves

APICS/CPIM/CSCP preferred.
ERP implementation experience is desired.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain the master production schedule for all North American plants based on demand forecasts, customer orders, and capacity constraints.
Monitor schedule adherence and proactively adjust plans to resolve constraints or disruptions.
Oversee inventory processes to ensure accuracy, minimize variances, and meet financial and service targets.
Set and monitor inventory targets, safety stock, and replenishment policies.
Collaborate with Procurement to ensure material availability while reducing excess and obsolete stock.
Design and maintain systems to track WIP, finished goods, and consignment inventory.
Analyze inventory usage and production data to recommend improvements in inventory performance and production efficiency.
Measure and report inventory levels and turns.
Recruit, train, and supervise schedulers and lead the planning and inventory control efforts.
Ensure consistent use of MRP, DRP, and scheduling systems across all sites.
Partner with Materials, Sales, Finance, and Plant leadership to balance production and inventory priorities.
Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and improve material flow.
Support lean manufacturing initiatives, including standard work, visual management, and root cause problem solving.
Lead or participate in cross‑functional improvement projects and support sales forecasting, purchasing requirements, and new product introductions.
Foster accountability, operational discipline, and a continuous improvement mindset