Materials Manager

Date: Nov 22, 2024

Location: Skokie, IL, US

Company: Tenneco

Tenneco is one of the world’s leading designer, manufacturers and marketers of automotive products for original equipment and aftermarket customers, with approximately 78.000 team members working at more than 300 sites worldwide. Through our four business groups, Motorparts, Ride Performance, Clean Air and Powertrain, Tenneco is driving advancements in global mobility by delivering technology solutions for diversified global markets, including light vehicle, commercial truck, off-highway, industrial, motorsport and the aftermarket.

Position Summary:

Responsible for the overall materials function and leading the efforts of Production Control, Shipping, Receiving, Warehouse Management and Inventory Control; to ensure an orderly and cost effective system is developed and maintained which will enable production and sales goals to be met while minimizing freight dollars and inventory days on hand. Main objectives are to (1) Ensure on-time delivery of customer orders; (2) Optimize personnel, equipment, freight and inventories; (3) Acquire materials on-time; (4) Anticipate and resolve problems with short-term containment and permanent corrective action.

 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities: (Other duties may be assigned)

  • Select, motivate, train and ensure development of a competent departmental and material handling staff.
  • Monitor and ensure departmental personnel conform to company policies and procedures while maintaining a safe and cost efficient environment at all time.
  • Be familiar with and ethically operate in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and governmental procedures relative to purchasing and financial reporting activities.
  • Establish, monitor and control department budget that will effectively contribute to the overall manufacturing objectives and plant / business unit and company goals. 
  • Employ techniques / methods for effective problem solving and continuous improvement.
  • Implement purchasing, production scheduling, logistics and inventory control processes which ensures the availability of materials for an uninterrupted flow of production in accordance with “Just-In-Time” delivery schedules, while maintaining minimum inventories.
  • Assist with the development of inventory and freight budgets for the purpose of establishing acceptable inventory levels and freight spend upon which performance can be measured and operating controls achieved. 
  • Manage the most economical inbound / outbound transportation routes, looking for opportunities to combine shipments, milk runs, and warehouse consolidation and distribution.
  • Assist with coordination of engineering changes, product balance outs and new product launches with suppliers and customers, to insure orderly and timely transition in the flow of materials and production requirements while managing material with minimal to no obsolescence.
  • Utilize Supplier Standards Manual and align with Purchasing Department to improve the capability of suppliers while maintaining the flow of raw materials necessary to produce the finished product.
  • Assists Plant Engineering and Plant Quality as required in resolving the disposition of substandard or rejected materials.
  • Responsible for the warehouse and material replenishment to production and establishing optimum stores locations, methods for handling (conveyance), proximity, and visual management.
  • Determine and maintain appropriate material handling equipment and staffing levels required to load, unload, move and store materials.

 

Qualifications - Required Skills:

  • Demonstrated knowledge of ERP Systems / Order Fulfillment
  • Demonstrated competency in the MS Office Suite of products
  • Demonstrated key metric success in a Material Operations in a plant environment
  • Automotive Manufacturing experience / JIT Assembly / Processing (stamping, steel forming)
  • Above average communication skills – oral, written and presentation
  • Superior organization, coordination, planning and delegation skills
  • Superior process, analytical and problem solving skills – apply / execute formal techniques (e.g. Kepner Tregoe, 8D)
  • Superior leadership skills – influence all facets of the organization, mentoring, coaching and teaching
  • Ability to manage multiple competing priorities and requests, make quick & sound decisions and respond with a sense of urgency

 

Qualifications - Desirable Educational / Work Experience:

  • Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) or equivalent in Supply Chain Management, Engineering or Finance
  • 8 to 10 years of applicable materials management experience; 5 to 7 years of formal management / leadership experience
  • APICS (American Production and Inventory Control Society) CPIM certification
  • Automotive or JIT broadcast environment experience
  • Applied lean manufacturing techniques including value stream mapping, leveling demand, Kanban calculations and techniques
  • Experience with supply chain visibility tools
  • Applied logistics routing solutions including milk runs, consolidation, and running ratios
  • MBA
  • Materials / Supply Chain Transformation experience
  • Trained in Six Sigma methodology
  • Experience with ERP SAP System

Travel:

  • Ability to travel as required

We are committed to the safety and health of our employees. We adhere to social distancing recommendations and other protocols, ensuring a safe work environment for all.


Nearest Major Market: Chicago