Supply Chain Manager - Production Planning

James Hardie•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Supply Chain Department Manager - Sheet Machine Production Planning leads production planning, inventory deployment, service execution, and supply chain optimization across James Hardie's North American manufacturing network. The role translates demand and network requirements into executable plant production plans while balancing customer service, manufacturing efficiency, inventory investment, and transportation cost. As a leader within Supply Chain Planning Operations, the manager establishes planning standards, develops production planning talent, and serves as an escalation point between manufacturing sites and centralized Supply Chain teams. The position coordinates responses to operational constraints and disruptions, drives service performance, and ensures planning decisions support enterprise priorities. The role partners closely with Manufacturing, Customer Service, Transportation, Demand Planning, Capacity Planning, Sourcing, and Information Technology. It uses SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization (APO), analytics, and automation to improve planning decisions and execution. The position also leads and develops planners, promotes continuous improvement, and strengthens planning systems, processes, and reporting. The posted pay scale is $115,000 to $135,000, with placement depending on factors including experience, skills, geography, and internal equity. The position qualifies for benefits and bonus-plan participation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or a related field preferred.
5–7 years of progressive experience in production planning, supply chain planning, manufacturing operations, inventory management, or a related discipline preferred.
Experience leading and developing planning or supply chain teams across a multi-site environment preferred.
Demonstrated experience managing service, inventory, production, and capacity trade-offs in a manufacturing network.
Experience leading cross-functional issue resolution and continuous-improvement initiatives.
Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex operating data into practical decisions.
Working knowledge of production planning, inventory deployment, service management, and manufacturing constraints.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and business intelligence or analytics tools such as Power BI.
Ability to communicate complex planning issues, trade-offs, and recommendations to operational and senior leadership audiences.
People leadership skills, including building team capability, setting expectations, and coaching planners through complex operational decisions.
Ability to translate demand, inventory, and production requirements into practical plans that support service and manufacturing performance.
Ability to assess constraints, evaluate trade-offs, and drive resolution of complex supply chain issues.
Ability to balance customer service, inventory, production efficiency, and transportation cost to support enterprise outcomes.
Cross-functional collaboration, continuous-improvement, communication, influence, systems, and analytical capabilities.

Nice To Haves

Experience with SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization (APO) or comparable advanced planning systems preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or a related field preferred.
5–7 years of progressive experience in a relevant discipline preferred.
Experience leading and developing planning or supply chain teams across a multi-site environment preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead production planning and inventory deployment across multiple North American manufacturing sites to maintain customer service and maximize production efficiency.
Balance production requirements, inventory availability, customer demand, and transportation considerations to optimize network execution.
Monitor service risks, inventory shortages, production constraints, and order priorities; drive timely escalation and resolution.
Coordinate response plans for equipment failures, quality issues, material shortages, downtime, and other production disruptions.
Support production trials, product launches, and network changes while protecting service and operational continuity.
Lead, coach, and develop a team of production planners supporting multiple manufacturing sites.
Establish consistent planning standards, service expectations, escalation protocols, and execution disciplines.
Guide planners through service, inventory, capacity, and production trade-offs; hold the team accountable for proactive order management, planning accuracy, issue escalation, and execution quality.
Partner with Manufacturing, Customer Service, Transportation, Demand Planning, Capacity Planning, Sourcing, and Information Technology to align priorities and execution plans.
Lead cross-functional discussions on service performance, plant constraints, inventory risks, and production readiness.
Serve as a primary escalation point between plant operations and corporate Supply Chain teams to resolve issues and align decisions.
Communicate planning risks, operating constraints, and recommended actions to functional and senior leaders.
Use data, dashboards, and analytics to identify service risks, operational constraints, and improvement opportunities.
Analyze production, inventory, transportation, and service trends to support business decisions and network optimization.
Lead continuous-improvement initiatives that strengthen planning efficiency, reduce inventory, and improve service performance.
Develop and standardize tools, processes, and reporting to improve visibility, scalability, and execution discipline.
Use SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization (APO) to support production planning, inventory deployment, and decision-making.
Lead improvements to planning-system functionality, automation, and analytical capabilities.
Ensure planning master data, system parameters, and planning outputs support effective execution and reliable decision-making.
Partner with Information Technology and business stakeholders to identify and implement system and process enhancements.