Supply Chain Manager

UNITED ROTARY BRUSH CORPORATION • Mankato, MN

25d • $85,000 - $120,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Kinperium-Hiniker LLC (Hiniker) is a Minnesota based manufacturer with roots in the agricultural equipment industry since 1970 and in snow removal equipment since 1995. We are currently seeking a Supply Chain Manager at our facility in Mankato, MN. The Supply Chain Manager will be responsible for working with the production and engineering team to develop a Kanban-based production system in the plant to maximize production runs. This role will "own" the acquiring of parts and distributing them for processing through production in a prompt and timely manner. This position requires working closely with cross-functional teams—operations, finance, legal, engineering, and leadership—to ensure that Hiniker’s supply chain supports short and long-term business goals. This position is onsite and located in Mankato, MN.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in related field required. Emphasis with Operations, Supply Chain, or Business Management is preferred.
• Minimum of 10+ years strategic sourcing, procurement or supply chain management experience, required.
• Experience with ERP or procurement systems is required.
• Strategic thinker with a data driven mindset.
• Analytical and project management skills.
• Excellent contract, negotiation, and supplier performance management skills.
• Confident negotiator who balances cost, quality, and risk.
• Demonstrated knowledge of business management, supply chain, strategic sourcing, and warehouse management experience.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing a small team and enabling them to grow in their role.
• Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Collaborative partner who builds trust across teams.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving clarity.
• Experience implementing and/or operating in a Kanban production environment.
• Excellent Microsoft EXCEL skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with production scheduling would be an asset.
• Industry certifications (CPSM, CSCP, PMP, etc.) is preferred.
• Background in manufacturing industry is preferred.
• Excellent MRP skills, ideally using EPICOR

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement planning, sourcing, and distribution strategies that align with the company’s goals and objectives.
• Provide input into the design of a new Kanban system for the production floor.
• Analyze market trends, cost drivers, and supply risks to inform the leadership team about sourcing issues.
• Analyze company spending, identify consolidation and/or cost-saving opportunities and efficiency gains.
• Perform workflow analysis with the production and engineering team to ensure that the correct parts are on the plant floor in a timely manner.
• Identify material opportunities for innovation, cost savings, and process improvement including which parts should be produced in house.
• Manage and mentor the purchasing and planning team on best practices to achieve Hiniker’s goals.
• Identify, evaluate, and onboard new suppliers; and maintain strong relationships with current and key suppliers.
• Lead supplier evaluations, scorecards, and performance reviews.
• Negotiate contracts, pricing, service levels, and agreements.
• Oversight to ensure any legal requirements.
• Mitigate contractual risks.
• Work with Hiniker to maintain a cost management mindset, continually identifying cost reduction opportunities from MRO and supplies to raw materials, equipment, etc.
• Communicate forecasts and market information to key suppliers to assist them in meeting our production needs.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to understand requirements and ensure sourcing and fulfillment strategies meet operational needs particularly given the seasonality of the snow and agriculture business lines.
• Support new product introductions or service expansions with sourcing expertise whether they be third party or in-house.
• Work with legal and compliance teams to manage contract terms and mitigate risk.
• Regular communications with leadership and operations teams regarding usage versus forecast, incoming planned material receipts, and potential supply chain bottlenecks.
• Collaborate with operations team to maximize production efficiency through effective management of the supply chain.
• Work with leadership and sales to understand the competitive landscape of our products and identify sourcing opportunities to improve our competitiveness.
• Develop and maintain the production schedule to maximize capacity and minimize operational costs.
• Lead RFP/RFQ processes from design through award.
• Drive continuous improvement in sourcing processes, tools, and analytics.
• Own and be accountable for all supply chain ERP data creation and upkeep.
• Monitor KPIs such as schedule attainment, inventory dollars, cost savings, supplier performance, quality of suppliers and on-time delivery to the production floor.
• Manage inventory levels and maximize inventory turns and optimal service levels by managing vendors to ensure JIT supply chain reliability.
• Work with the leadership team and finance team to ensure all purchase orders and commitments are authorized.
• Ensure no lease or long-term supply agreements are signed by anyone other than executive management or designee.
• Assist finance team in establishing and maintaining proper standard costs for purchased items.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager