Senior Production Planning Analyst

About JTEKT North America

JTEKT North America is a global leader in engineering and manufacturing automotive systems, bearing solutions, and high-performance machine tools. Our vision is to be the preferred choice for our customers, associates, suppliers, and local communities. At JTEKT, we believe in building value that exceeds customer expectations, creating exceptional products that make an impact around the world, and developing professionals who think and act autonomously. If you share our commitment to excellence, teamwork, continuous improvement, and personal growth, we invite you to find your place in the JTEKT community.

This role can be filled in either Greenville, SC or Morristown, TN

Summary / Purpose

The Senior Production Planning Analyst’s core responsibilities are developing the production allocation strategy for JNA facilities through the analysis of customer volume requirements, production capacity, and make vs. buy studies, and providing leadership for inventory control and change management across JNA facilities.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate and monitor the “make or buy” decision-making process and create plans based upon costs, investment, and JTEKT global “make or buy” status; communicate and implement decisions to all related facilities.
• Create production allocation strategic plans for JNA businesses and inquiries.
• Create mid-term capacity planning / line loading forecasts for all current and inquiry business.
• Coordinate with JNA Sales to maintain capacity planning volumes by customer and program.
• Maintain manufacturing floor-space “footprint” of JNA facilities at a planning level (space requirements planning).
• Analyze and track JNA plant efficiencies and cycle times.
• Complete capacity analysis as required to support market studies, inquiry business, and customer surveys.
• Assist with preparation of prior consultation forms (capital expenditure approval) by providing “make or buy” related data and production capacity documentation.
• Provide input to and assist with cost planning activities, requests for quotes (RFQs), annual operating plan, and long-range business plan development.
• Work with JNA facilities to identify, develop, and implement capacity expansion projects.
• Work with Program Management to support the launch process by providing capacity and “make or buy” analysis with supporting documentation.
• Support cross-functional teams to implement localization/in-house value-add projects.
• Lead phase-out activities of products for the JNA plants.
• Lead obsolete and slow-moving inventory activities for the JNA plants.
• Lead inventory control activities for the JNA plants.
• Lead crisis management activities for the JNA plants.
• Lead change management activities for the JNA plants.
• Lead the meeting of key KPIs for on-time delivery and customer expedites for the JNA plants and distribution centers.
• Serve as project lead for production line transfer activities for the JNA plants as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Job Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Leadership skills with ability to motivate cross-functional groups.
• Positive attitude, highly motivated, and high energy level.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to promote a team environment.
• Solid problem-solving skills using a variety of business and root-cause tools.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to handle stressful situations.
• Direct experience with Lean Production concepts and tools.
• Excellent organizational skills that promote efficiency and leadership.
• Financial cost reporting and analysis experience.
• Flexible working hours, overtime, and travel required.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of related work experience.
• High-volume manufacturing process experience with machining and assembly operations.
• Tier-1 automotive industry experience.

Work Environment / Physical Demands

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Work is mostly performed in a normal office setting with minimal exposure to health or safety hazards, and with substantial time spent working on a computer. Requires sufficient hand, arm, and finger dexterity to operate computer keyboard and other office equipment.

The performance of this position may occasionally require exposure to manufacturing areas which require the use of personal protective equipment such as safety glasses with side shields and mandatory hearing protection.

Travel by automobile and plane required approximately 10–20% of the time.