Supply Chain Specialist

International Automotive Components•Alma, MI

18h

About The Position

The Supply Chain Specialist is responsible for developing, communicating, and maintaining an effective production schedule that meets customer demand while optimizing plant capacity, labor, and inventory levels. This role works closely with Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, and Leadership to ensure schedule achievement, capacity alignment, and continuous improvement in a manufacturing environment .

Requirements

Minimum of 2 years’ experience in a Supply Chain, Scheduling, or Production Planning role (leadership experience preferred)
Strong verbal and written communication skills in English, with the ability to communicate effectively at all organizational levels
Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships and influence performance without direct reporting authority
Strong analytical and decision-making capabilities
Proven ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
Forward-thinking planner with strong organizational and time-management skills
Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional, multi-team environment
Solid understanding of manufacturing processes, production planning, and capacity management concepts
Experience with shop-floor efficiency calculations and performance metrics
Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles (e.g., SMED, TPM, Kanban)
ERP system experience required; QAD MFG/PRO strongly preferred

Nice To Haves

Experience scheduling in an automotive manufacturing environment strongly preferred
College degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or a related field preferred, but not required
Kanban system experience a plus
APICS certification (CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent) a plus

Responsibilities

Review customer demand and develop detailed part-number level production schedules by work center for the plant
Communicate production schedules clearly to operations and monitor performance against plan
Forecast direct labor requirements based on customer demand, routings, and labor standards within the ERP system
Establish and monitor finished goods (FG) and work-in-process (WIP) safety stock levels based on the plant’s demonstrated ability to achieve schedule
Own and maintain the plant “achievement to schedule” metric, ensuring leadership alignment on targets and execution plans to achieve a minimum of 85%
Analyze customer forecasts versus quoted and available capacities; proactively identify and communicate capacity overages and risks to the Supply Chain Manager
Support the engineering change process as required, including schedule adjustments and coordination with cross-functional teams
Collaborate with the Supply Chain Management (SCM) team to achieve departmental targets, goals, and continuous improvement objectives
Participate in cross-functional meetings to support production planning, problem-solving, and operational excellence
Perform other related duties as assigned