Supply Chain Planner - Bilingual English/Japanese (Level 2 or Senior) - Nihon Kohden

The Supply Chain Planner is responsible for serving as a key member of the Supply Chain Management team by processing and managing information involving fulfillment of orders, inventory management, and demand forecasting to contribute to revenue generation and improve the profitability of the company.

Essential Functions and Main Duties

• Support the whole process to execute and manage production and shipment if needed
• Provide a commitment of delivery date to Sales and PMO team for all types of projects
• Identify backorder items and follow up with the situation until the item gets replenished by working with other planners and Procurement team
• Provide the status update on backorder items to all stakeholders (sales, marketing, PMO, planners, service, etc.) to set an expectation of delivery proactively or in a timely manner
• Analyze inventory levels to maintain optimal inventory daily basis based on assignment
• Analyze all demand factors such as sales pipeline, backlog, sales strategy and promotion, and historical trends and lead the demand planning process with all stakeholders (sales, marketing, PMO, planners, service, etc.) to forecast future demand
• Execute Sales and Operations Planning to decide final demand planning with the leadership of sales, marketing, and PMO
• Lead planning review meeting in the Supply Chain Management team to finalize supply planning
• Place purchase requests to the Procurement team, and submit PO projection to the production planning department in the headquarter based on the supply planning
• Place purchase orders for Internal assemble items, Dropshipment items or Service items such as software and license based on the supply planning
• Lead regularly scheduled meeting with sales operations and production planning department to review the status of production and shipment
• Develop key metrics of inventory level and forecasting accuracy, and analyze gaps between plans and actual results to drive continuous improvement in all planning process
• Provide analytical reports or presentations on key metrics as needed
• Partner with Finance to reduce inventory devaluation costs and improve other all inventory aspects
• Partner with Marketing to create inventory planning for new-release products and end-of-life products
• Manage MRP parameters and order/procurement block on material master at each stage of the product lifecycle
• Proactively provide escalation to the manager for all critical supply or delivery issues
• Identify any problems or bottlenecks, propose effective solutions, and implement process improvement
• Prioritizes tasks, takes responsibility for results, and uses escalation paths if needed.
• Create standard operating procedures as needed
• Responsible for helping to develop, mentor, and training level 1 & 2.
• Adhere to all company policies, procedures, and business ethics codes.
• Duties may be modified or assigned at any time based on business need.

Qualifications

Education / Certification / Experience Required

• Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain management, or related discipline; relevant education and experience accepted in lieu of degree
• 3-6+ years of experience in Supply Chain, Production or Order Management required
• Lean Six Sigma certification preferred
• APICS certification preferred
• Prior experience working with Microsoft Excel, Salesforce, and ERP Software (SAP) preferred
• Level and compensation depend on location, experience, education and skills

Competencies Required

• Strong business acumen, understands business implications of decisions, displays orientation to profitability, and demonstrates knowledge of market and competition
• Cost consciousness: works within approved budget; develops and implements cost saving measures; contributes to profits and revenue, and conserves organizational resources
• Ability to communicate effectively
• Japanese language skills preferred
• Ability to quickly identify problems and recommend solutions
• Solid analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills
• Effective interpersonal skills
• Strong negotiation skills
• Must be able to communicate verbally and in writing, and to receive and understand verbal and written instructions in English
• Able to work effectively both independently and in a collaborative team environment

Compensation

The anticipated range for this position is $72,000 to $112,000. We are looking to fill one position and will consider candidates for either the Level 2 or Senior role and actual placement within the range is dependent on multiple factors, including but not limited to skills, education, experience and location.

Perks and Benefits

Visit our Career page to learn more about Perks & Benefits and working at Nihon Kohden America

Working Conditions

Schedule: The regular hours for this full-time position are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday, unless otherwise stated by the department manager. Holiday, weekend, and evening work hours may be required. Regular hours may vary due to the needs of the organization or department and are subject to change at any time at the Company's discretion.

Physical: Generally, may require some reaching, bending, stooping, squatting, crawling, kneeling, pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying up to 25 pounds, finger dexterity, repetitive motions, standing, walking, sitting, hearing, visual acuity, and color vision. More specific details may be provided as needed or requested.

Travel: Minimal

Access to Customer Sites: Not Required

Nihon Kohden America's official EEO policy statement follows. In keeping with this policy, Nihon Kohden America will continue to recruit, hire, train, and promote into all job levels the most qualified persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, or because he or she is a protected veteran. Similarly, Nihon Kohden America will continue to administer all other personnel matters (such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, company-sponsored training, education, tuition assistance, and social and recreational programs) in accordance with Company policy. Nihon Kohden America bases employment decisions on objective standards as much as possible in the furtherance of equal employment opportunity.

If you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law, or you require a religious accommodation, and you wish to discuss potential accommodations related to applying for employment at Nihon Kohden, please contact Human Resources.