Operations and Supply Chain Manager

Whirl-Pak is looking for a Manager of Operations & Supply Chain at our brand-new HQ in Pleasant Prairie, WI. This is a newly defined role as part of the Senior Leadership Team with the opportunity to make a direct impact on the sustainable growth and operational execution of the business. Reporting to the General Manager, this individual will work cross-functionally across the organization, including with both the business unit and corporate leadership teams. With full ownership of the ops team, this role will have two direct reports (Buyer and Logistics Supervisor) in addition to 7-10 indirect reports across production and warehouse.

The mission of this role is to enable Whirl-Pak’s 3-year plan execution through operational excellence, with an emphasis on performance, strategy, and team leadership. The Operations and Supply Chain Manager will drive and support cross-functional strategic projects and teams across the Whirl-Pak business. This role will leverage both internal and external resources for execution.

• Supply Chain Strategy & Management
  • SIOP, Forecasting, & Inventory Reduction
  • Leveraging Microsoft Dynamics ERP and data tools to streamline/automate Supply Chain and procurement processes.
  • Own, develop, and implement Supply Chain strategy initiatives including diversification/risk management, contract negotiation, vendor relations, and cost-reduction initiatives.
  • Deployment of capital projects in-house and with supply partners.
  • Evaluation and qualification of new suppliers in support of cost-out initiatives, new product development, and other initiatives.
  • Ownership of vendor, supplier, and contract manufacturing relationships.
  • Unwinding of manufacturing and warehousing operations in China, including assistance with financial analysis, execution, and legal navigation.
  • Keep abreast of all US product compliance laws to ensure that our Sampling procedures reflect the legal requirements contained within the law (i.e., C.P.S.I.A., Lacey Act, etc.).
  • Travel - Represent Sampling at supplier meetings as required.

• Production
  • Oversee production processes to ensure efficiency and quality; this includes scheduling, planning, and coordinating manufacturing activities.
  • Implementation and maintenance of 5S and lean manufacturing practices.
  • Continuous improvement of standardized work documents and process implementation.
  • Manage staffing, labor planning, and overtime across the production cell.

• Warehousing Management
  • Defining and implementing robust processes throughout the warehouse; receiving, bulk inventory management and counts, picking, packing, and shipping.
  • Talent management and labor planning.

• General Leadership
  • Effectively evaluate and develop organizational structure and talent across the broader operations team. Identify unmet needs, underperformance, and other barriers to progress and take action as required.
  • Ensure effective training, communication, and career path mobility for the operations team.
  • Monitor and maintain costs including materials, labor, and overhead to maximize profitability attainment.
  • Generate regular reports on operational performance and provide analysis/recommendations for improvement; deliver on top-level operational KPIs for the business, along with leading goal deployment indicators.
  • Lead robust daily management meetings that link key functional areas so that we can win the day, the week, the month, the quarter, and ultimately the year.
  • Cultivating Customer Centricity - Instill a customer-focused mindset within the team by addressing challenges in the customer experience. Elevate the operation’s expertise to prioritize customer satisfaction, emphasizing excellence in both product and service quality.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

Our ideal candidate will have a demonstrated track record of each of the key responsibilities listed above with an emphasis placed on Supply Chain and production environment management.

• Target minimum of 10 years of combined operations & Supply Chain experience. Track record of experience in successfully executing and managing third-party manufacturing operations, logistics, and Supply Chain functions. International Supply Chain experience is a plus.
• Target minimum of 5 years of experience managing direct reports with proven leadership skills in managing and inspiring a team while maintaining effective processes and practices; a mature straight shooter who adds value among the business leadership and is respected by peers and direct reports.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain / Logistics Management, Finance/Business, or related technical field.
• Strong program and/or project management background.
• Leadership by Example - A reputation for being a “working leader” who can easily move from strategy to rolling up sleeves while facilitating a senior leader kaizen event or personally engaging in customer acquisition activities like a required site audit.
• Exposure to working with international sources of supply and ordering products / qualifying suppliers globally.
• Must be able to travel domestically and internationally as required (<5% estimated).

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Our ideal candidate will be a highly action-biased and entrepreneurial operations leader with the ability to identify and solve complex operational challenges. He/she must also have excellent interpersonal skills, and be comfortable working in a high-performance culture and high-trust environment. We also expect this individual to be:

• Self-starter/motivator requiring minimal supervision; trusted to deliver on commitments.
• Highly entrepreneurial, with a strong bias for action. Demonstrates an insatiable curiosity around our business, our products, our customers, and each of the industries we serve.
• Assertive, effective, and solid communication and negotiating skills.
• Well-organized and able to manage details effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be able to work professionally with people in a team atmosphere and on an individual basis.
• Ability to telescope up to see and act on big picture, longer term goals without hesitating to get into the weeds with his/her team to understand and drive meaningful change.
• Must have good listening and problem-solving skills.
• Adaptable and flexible to a changing environment.

More About Filtration Group

Filtration Group is on a mission to make the world safer, healthier and more productive. With a passionate workforce, global footprint and world class engineering and manufacturing capabilities, we are driving innovation and developing solutions across a broad spectrum of applications in the fast-growing and rapidly-evolving global filtration industry. We are committed to maintaining an entrepreneurial culture built on a foundation of trust and in which our leaders exhibit a strong bias for action.   The Company began in 2009 and has rapidly grown organically and through a thoughtful acquisition strategy to be a global leader in the highly attractive filtration industry. Filtration Group has the broadest portfolio of solutions in the industry and has had a particular focus on building a leading platform of solutions focused on the Life Sciences and Indoor Air Quality end markets which are rapidly growing in the current market environment. Filtration Group produces mission critical products with high replacement rates.  Over 80 percent of the Company’s revenue comes from replacement / consumable products, many of which are specified into customer’s products or processes.  With revenues over $2 billion, Filtration Group is consistently recognized as the fastest growing and one of the largest filtration businesses in the world and has a global footprint of 141 facilities in 28 countries. Filtration Group has over 10,000 employees who are united in their Mission to make the world safer, healthier and more productive.