Supply Chain Manager

Job Summary

The Manager, Supply Chain, is responsible for leading all supply chain planning and execution activities within a die-cast manufacturing environment. This role oversees demand planning, S&OP, production and capacity planning, inventory management, and cross-functional coordination to ensure customer demand is met while optimizing cost, capacity utilization, and working capital. The role plays a critical part in balancing forecast variability, equipment and tools constraints, Materials availability, and manufacturing capacity to support operational excellence and business growth.

 

Key Responsibilities

Demand Planning & Forecasting

Develop accurate short-, mid-, and long-term demand forecasts using historical shipment data, customer schedules, market trends, and program lifecycle insights.Partner closely with Sales, Program Management, and Finance to validate forecast assumptions, customer releases, and volume commitments.Work proactively with Sales to achieve & maintain maximum customer backlog coverage of the forward-looking sales plan/budget.Monitor forecast accuracy and bias; implement corrective actions to improve forecast reliability.Analyze customer behavior, program ramps/declines, and market volatility to proactively identify risks and opportunities.Support new program and part launches with volume forecasts, tooling readiness, and capacity planning.Provide Sales team with relevant lead-time information to be used as a basis for new order commitments and scheduling.Own and drive resolution of problems related to supply-demand misalignment.

 

Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP)

Lead the weekly SIOP process to align demand, production capacity, inventory, labor, and financial targets.Present demand plans, capacity constraints, inventory exposure, and mitigation options to leadership.Ensure alignment across Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, Engineering, and Finance on production and capacity plans.Communicate changes in customer demand, schedule volatility, or supply constraints to all stakeholders.

 

Production, Capacity & Materials Planning

Translate demand forecasts into detailed production schedules, material requirements, and labor plans.Coordinate with Manufacturing and Engineering to align die availability, machine capacity, maintenance schedules, and tooling changeovers.Work closely with Procurement to ensure aluminum/zinc alloy availability, tooling components, and critical indirect materials.Optimize production schedules to balance throughput, scrap reduction, OEE, labor efficiency, and cost.Identify capacity risks related to machines, tooling, labor, or utilities and develop mitigation plans (overtime, alternate machines, outsourcing, or schedule adjustments).

 

Inventory & Materials Management

Maintain optimal raw material, WIP, and finished goods inventory levels to meet customer service requirements while minimizing excess, obsolescence, and scrap.Establish and manage safety stock policies considering alloy lead times, customer schedules, and production variability.Monitor slow-moving, obsolete, or at-risk inventory and drive disposition or recovery actions.

 

Performance Reporting & Analytics

Prepare weekly and monthly reports on forecast accuracy, schedule adherence, service levels, inventory turns, and capacity utilization.Use data and KPIs to identify performance gaps, cost drivers, and continuous improvement opportunities.Support operational reviews with fact-based analysis and clear recommendations.

 

Systems & Process Excellence

Own and maintain planning systems (ERP/MRP/APS), ensuring accurate BOMs, routings, lead times, and master data.  Champion fully leveraging the Syteline ERP system to drive process efficiency and ensuring accurate, single source of truth for core business data.Standardize supply chain planning processes, work instructions, and documentation across the facility.Partner with IT and Operations on system enhancements, automation, and data accuracy initiatives.

 

Leadership & Team Development

Lead and develop buyers, planners, production control, warehouse, and shipping teams.Establish clear goals, performance metrics, and accountability for the supply chain organization.Provide training on forecasting, production planning, MRP logic, and supply chain best practices.Build a high-performance supply chain team focused on safety, quality, delivery, and cost.

Required Experience and Qualifications

Required Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Operations, Engineering, or related field.7+ years of experience in supply chain or operations planning within a manufacturing environment; die casting or metal manufacturing experience strongly preferred.5+ years of people management experience in a manufacturing environment.Demonstrated experience leading SIOP in a capacity-constrained, make-to-order or make-to-schedule environment.Strong knowledge of MRP/ERP systems, production scheduling, and materials planning is required.  Relationship Database knowledge is a mustExcellent analytical, problem solving, leadership, and cross-functional communication skills.Proactive in identifying issues and finding sustainable solutions.Bias in acting and driving necessary cultural/behavioral changesChallenge Status Quo

 

Preferred Experience

CPIM certificationExperience with aluminum or zinc die casting processesFamiliar with Aerospace and Defense manufacturing environments, including working with outsourced and subcontracted suppliers in build‑to‑print settingsInfor Syteline ERP systemLean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies