Supply Chain Planning Manager

Career Area:

Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other.  We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Role Definition
Develops, implements and supports processes and practices for ensuring a plan for every part and appropriate and timely stock levels of materials, components and equipment needed to manufacture and deliver products for a focused facility.

Responsibilities

•    Coordinating with sales, manufacturing and suppliers on short and long-term production forecasts and expected deliverables.

•    Managing relationships with internal customers, coordinating and integrating planning processes.

•    Developing and continuously improving the accuracy of logistical needs, including warehouse capacity, equipment needs and resource needs.

•    Setting up, maintaining, and monitoring logistical processes and dependencies.

Degree Requirement
Degree or equivalent experience desired

Skill Descriptors
Planning: Tactical, Strategic: Knowledge of effective planning techniques and ability to contribute to operational (short term), tactical (1-2 years) and strategic (3-5 years) planning in support of the overall business plan.
 Level Extensive Experience: 

•    Develops, refines, and communicates tactical plans for own responsibilities.

•    Provides the right level of detail as input for strategic plan development.

•    Demonstrates the value and necessity of linking tactical plans to overall strategic plan.

•    Ensures attention to the detail and dependencies of existing departmental-level plans.

•    Plans for allocation of resources in line with unit goals, technical and business objectives.

•    Ensures the planning process is integrated with the overall business plan.

Analytical Thinking: Knowledge of techniques and tools that promote effective analysis; ability to determine the root cause of organizational problems and create alternative solutions that resolve these problems.
 Level Extensive Experience: 

•    Seeks discrepancies and inconsistencies in available information; explains variances.

•    Organizes and prioritizes the sequence of steps to be taken to remedy the situation.

•    Identifies many possible causes for a problem based on prior experience and current research.

•    Quantifies the costs, benefits, risks and chances for success before recommending a course of action.

•    Approaches a complex problem by breaking it down into its component parts.

•    Chooses among a diverse set of analytical tools according to the nature of the situation.

Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.
 Level Extensive Experience: 

•    Reviews others' writing or presentations and provides feedback and coaching.

•    Adapts documents and presentations for the intended audience.

•    Demonstrates both empathy and assertiveness when communicating a need or defending a position.

•    Communicates well downward, upward, and outward.

•    Employs appropriate methods of persuasion when soliciting agreement.

•    Maintains focus on the topic at hand.
Distribution Requirements Planning (DRP): Knowledge of the process, issues and considerations for systematically managing distribution of inventory for multiple plants or warehouses; ability to apply related knowledge and experience in real practice.
 Level Extensive Experience: 

•    Works with all aspects of one or more distribution centers.

•    Evaluates alternative distribution designs and considerations for demand and source locations.

•    Trains others on tools and means to effectively share distribution information with other systems to support the whole supply chain management.

•    Participates in the design or integration of a warehouse and logistics network.

•    Ensures all distribution activities are met with sales or production needs, and in compliance with processes.

•    Guides others on conducting distribution network analysis and network modeling.

Inventory Management - MFG: Knowledge of processes and methods of inventory management; ability to effectively manage local or distributed inventories of raw materials, work-in-progress and finished goods.
 Level Extensive Experience: 

•    Ensures that the inventory is at an appropriate level and meets both internal and external requirements.

•    Devises standard inventory management benchmarks to improve the processes.

•    Provides guidance on inventory management for a specific product group or location.

•    Applies systems and processes to identify and coordinate inventory requirements; resolves conflicts.

•    Coordinates daily work of inventory management for different locations within a facility or a supply network.

•    Reviews reports used for inventory management to find out related problems.

Lean Manufacturing: Knowledge of the philosophy, principles and implementation approaches of lean manufacturing; ability to integrate and implement lean manufacturing philosophy into existing production and management processes.
 Level Basic Understanding: 

•    Cites examples of benefits and risks associated with implementing lean principles.

•    Describes basic tools for observing existing processes and identifying waste.

•    Cites industry or company examples of successful and unsuccessful lean implementations.

•    Identifies key lean principles and highlights of the lean manufacturing process.

Logistics Management: Knowledge of logistics and management; ability to follow proper processes and run operations for effective and efficient movement of materials and finished products.
 Level Working Knowledge: 

•    Assists in the development of process flows to track lead time by activity.

•    Uses tools, with guidance, to forecast delivery times, determine costs and assess performance.

•    Maintains records of all shipments and invoices using an established system.

•    Participates in integrating logistics processes and developing effective networks.

•    Works with logistics in a domestic environment.

Supply Chain Management - MFG: Knowledge of functions, principles and techniques used in supply chain management; ability to develop and use, strategies, practices and tools for controlling the logistical processes.
 Level Extensive Experience: 

•    Manages supply chain finance activities and measurements of effectiveness.

•    Advises others on capacity issues at various points in the supply chain.

•    Monitors the complete supply chain management process.

•    Consults on supply chain network design projects or processes.

•    Quantifies and evaluates benefits and risks of various supply chain strategies and approaches.

•    Participates in joint planning, process design/redesign with clients and partners.

This Job Description is intended as a general guide to the job duties for this position and is intended for the purpose of establishing the specific salary grade.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as an exhaustive summary of all responsibilities, duties and effort required of employees assigned to this job.  At the discretion of management, this description may be changed at any time to address the evolving needs of the organization.  It is expressly not intended to be a comprehensive list of "essential job functions" as that term is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Posting Dates:

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply

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