Senior Specialist, Production Planning - Nordson

Collaboration drives Nordson’s success as a market leader in Industrial Precision Solutions and Advanced Technology. Our employees thrive in an environment where we help each other reach our personal best and enable our company to continuously improve and grow, and our customers to succeed. You will find Nordson employees sharing our success by giving back in the communities around the world where we live and work.

Senior Specialist, Production Planning

Overview

The Senior Specialist, Production Planning is a strategic leader responsible for optimizing production processes, ensuring efficient resource allocation, and meeting customer demands while driving operational excellence. This role requires a combination of technical expertise, analytical skills, and strong leadership to develop and implement effective production plans that align with the company's strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Execution:

• Develop and implement comprehensive production plans that align with the company's strategic objectives, considering market trends, economic factors, and industry benchmarks.
• Conduct thorough capacity assessments to identify potential bottlenecks and optimize resource allocation, ensuring efficient utilization of equipment, labor, and materials.
• Proactively identify and mitigate risks that could impact production schedules, such as supply chain disruptions, equipment failures, or unforeseen demand fluctuations.

Demand Forecasting and Inventory Management:

• Demand forecasting: Develop accurate demand forecasts for various materials based on historical data, market trends, and production schedules. Analyze sales data, market trends, and customer demand patterns to identify potential demand fluctuations. Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to gather input and refine demand forecasts.
• Inventory management: Establish and maintain optimal Kanban inventory levels for different materials within production cells to balance supply and demand, minimize stockouts, and reduce excess inventory costs. Monitor Kanban inventory levels, track stock movements, and identify potential issues or discrepancies. Coordinate with purchasing to ensure materials are available as needed to support production schedules. Identify potential supply chain disruptions and develop contingency plans to mitigate their impact.

ERP System Management:

• Utilize SAP to manage material planning processes, track inventory levels, and generate reports. Ensure accurate data entry and maintenance within SAP. Identify opportunities for process improvement and system enhancements.

Data Analysis:

• Analyze material planning data to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement. Prepare reports and presentations to communicate findings and recommendations to management.

Continuous Improvement and Innovation:

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, such as lean manufacturing, to eliminate waste, improve efficiency, and reduce costs throughout the production process.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and explore opportunities to leverage automation, robotics, and data analytics to enhance production capabilities and drive innovation.
• Conduct benchmarking studies to identify best practices and industry standards, enabling the implementation of improvements and competitive advantages.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in material planning or supply chain management.
• Strong understanding of supply chain principles, inventory management techniques, and demand forecasting methods.
• Proficiency in ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle).
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.  

Nordson Corporation provides equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees. No person is to be discriminated against in any aspect of the employment relationship due to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, citizenship status, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of our pre-employment drug screening and background/criminal check, consistent with applicable laws.Third party recruiters and agencies should not contact employees of Nordson or its subsidiaries directly. Any resumes sent to a hiring manager or submitted to Nordson employees are considered unsolicited and property of Nordson. Nordson will not pay a placement fee unless the agency or recruiter has a signed contract with Nordson’s Human Resources department in advance of submitting a candidate for consideration. Verbal and written approvals will not be considered a valid contract for service.