Supplier Excellence & Readiness Assessment Specialist, Manufacturing
About The Position
The Supplier Excellence & Readiness Assessment Specialist, Manufacturing is responsible for evaluating supplier manufacturing operations to determine whether they are stable, scalable, and capable of reliably supporting current and future production requirements. This is a unique opportunity to help establish and shape NFI's Supplier Excellence & Readiness Assessment program through the evaluation of supplier manufacturing operations, production systems, and execution readiness across NFI's global supply base. This role focuses on how suppliers actually execute on the shop floor, assessing production systems, scheduling practices, operational controls, capacity management, and overall manufacturing effectiveness. You will help identify operational risks and improvement opportunities before they impact supplier performance, delivery commitments, or future growth.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience in manufacturing, operations leadership, industrial engineering, production planning, or operational excellence
- Strong knowledge of manufacturing systems, production scheduling, capacity planning, and factory operations
- Experience evaluating high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environments
- Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement expertise
- Understanding of material flow, work-in-process (WIP) management, operational KPIs, and constraint management
- Experience supporting operational turnarounds, supplier recovery efforts, or manufacturing transformations is preferred
- Strong observation, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to quickly identify operational risks within complex manufacturing environments
- Excellent communication and report-writing skills
- Ability to travel up to 50%
Responsibilities
- Conduct on-site supplier assessments focused on manufacturing execution and operational performance
- Evaluate production planning, scheduling, level loading, and capacity utilization processes
- Assess plant layouts, workflow efficiency, material movement, and work-in-process controls
- Identify bottlenecks, production constraints, throughput limitations, and operational risks
- Review operational KPIs, visual management systems, and daily management practices
- Evaluate manufacturing process discipline, standard work adherence, and workforce training effectiveness
- Assess scalability of supplier operations during growth, demand fluctuations, and new product introduction
- Evaluate equipment readiness, maintenance practices, tooling availability, and reliance on overtime
- Identify systemic risks impacting quality, delivery, cost, and production stability
- Provide evidence-based recommendations to improve manufacturing performance and operational readiness.
- Support corrective action development and validation activities
- Contribute to overall supplier readiness evaluations and risk assessments
Benefits
- Competitive Wages and comprehensive benefit package with Immediate benefit eligibility
- Paid holidays and vacation
- 401K with generous company match
- On-the-job training in a continuous learning environment (we invested $15.9 million in 2024)
- Advancement opportunities within our family of companies
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
