Senior Supply Chain Specialist

Maker's Pride Talent Acquisition Team•Des Plaines, IL

6d•$52,034 - $78,052•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Supply Chain Specialist plays a critical role in driving efficient plant operations by leading a range of advanced supply chain and production planning activities. This role is responsible for coordinating the delivery of food products and packaging materials, managing inventory performance and aging, overseeing finished goods shipments, and developing production schedules aligned to operational capacity. Focuses on capacity planning, materials requirement planning, and the management of inventory and logistics, while proactively coordinating with customers and vendors to support strong service delivery and operational performance. The Senior Specialist operates with increased autonomy, managing more complex customer portfolios, broader product mixes, and higher-volume accounts, while serving as a key contributor to operational optimization and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelors Degree preferred or equivalent in education, certifications and experience.
4+ years of supply chain experience.
Experience with direct contact to customer required.
Proficient with MS Office Suite and SAP
Material handling and warehouse operations, including receiving and flow of materials
Strong organizational and time management skills
Shipping, receiving, inventory control, purchasing and materials management principles are required.
Strong leadership ability.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, analytical ability, leadership strength and ability to work effectively with all levels of the organization.
Candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are legally authorized to work in the location to which they apply.

Nice To Haves

Progressive experience in food and/or packaging industry preferred.

Responsibilities

Develops and adjusts production schedules in alignment with customer forecasts, plant capacity, and operational needs, partnering with the Supply Chain Scheduler to finalize plans in the system.
Manages materials planning and purchasing activities, including placing orders, maintaining purchase orders, and resolving supply exceptions to support production continuity.
Focus on meeting customer service targets per the contract % or CFR
Oversees inventory across its lifecycle, including receipt, aging/hold management, usage, and disposition, ensuring accuracy and alignment with production requirements.
Supports ERP system setup and maintenance, including part numbers, bills of materials, routing instructions, and product-specific requirements to ensure data integrity.
Identifies and supports opportunities to improve inventory levels and purchase order efficiency, contributing to working capital and cost management goals.
Coordinates outbound shipments of finished goods and residual materials, working directly or through the Outbound Specialist to ensure timely delivery.
Maintains accurate supply chain data, including system updates, reporting, and record management to support operations and customer requirements.
Proactively manages material changes, including customer transitions and inventory ramp-down activities, helping minimize excess and disruption.
Works closely with directed-buy suppliers to address material shortages, delivery delays, and quality concerns, escalating issues as needed and supporting resolution.
Supports operational billing activities, including invoicing for production and additional services where applicable.
Provides regular updates to customers on materials status, inventory, and supply chain performance.
Responsible for end to end materials management: Inventory set up per the optimization playbook, PO placement/revision to the DOH targets, inventory aging, inventory usage or disposition and follows through to completion