Supply Chain Specialist

About the role

The Supply Chain Specialist coordinates and optimizes material planning, scheduling, and inventory management in a manufacturing environment to ensure on-time delivery, efficient production, and accurate inventory control. This role serves as a key link between purchasing, production, and other internal teams, proactively resolving supply chain issues and supporting continuous improvement initiatives to achieve operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and optimize material planning, scheduling, and inventory management to meet customer demand and production objectives.
• Manage MRO purchasing activities, including maintaining accurate and up-to-date supplier data.
• Oversee the release and closure of shop orders, ensuring correct material consumption and accurate operational labor application.
• Monitor progress against production schedules, identifying deviations, bottlenecks, and constraints, and taking timely corrective actions.
• Engage directly with shop floor personnel to identify, address, and resolve supply chain and material availability issues.
• Collaborate with Operations, Customer Service, the Master Scheduler, and other cross-functional teams to communicate scheduling issues and resolve supply chain challenges.
• Serve as a communication bridge between departments to support timely deliveries and achievement of production and customer objectives.
• Adjust plans proactively to accommodate changes in scope, priorities, unforeseen conditions, or resource availability.
• Ensure accurate inventory records through timely inventory movements, adjustments, cycle counting, and scrap reconciliation.
• Support and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives to enhance planning, scheduling, and inventory processes and outcomes.
• Facilitate seamless interaction between purchasing and materials management to close gaps between supply capabilities and production plans.
• Participate in cross-plant and cross-departmental teams and projects as needed to support broader business goals.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, industry standards, and safety regulations in all supply chain activities.
• Perform other related duties as assigned to support operational excellence and overall business performance.

Requirements

• Proven experience in purchasing, planning, scheduling, or coordination roles, preferably within a manufacturing-specific environment.
• Hands-on experience with production planning, production scheduling, and supply chain coordination.
• Background in procurement, buying, and purchasing, including creating and managing purchase orders.
• Experience in inventory management, including material planning, materials planning, and schedule planning.
• Ability to work effectively in a high mix/low volume manufacturing environment while managing multiple priorities.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities to drive positive work performance and business outcomes.
• Skilled in fostering positive working relationships through clear and effective communication across departments.
• High level of organization with strong attention to detail and accuracy in data and documentation.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and planning tools (such as SAP, Oracle, or similar ERP systems).
• Working knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel for data analysis and reporting.
• Ability to perform accurate and timely data entry related to planning, purchasing, and inventory transactions.
• Experience acting as a production planner or scheduler in a manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with logistics processes related to inbound materials and internal material flow.
• Proficiency with planning and scheduling software such as SAP, MS Project, Oracle, and advanced Excel.
• Experience supporting continuous improvement initiatives in planning, scheduling, and inventory management.
• Demonstrated ability to remain effective under pressure and adapt to changing priorities and conditions.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional and cross-plant teams.

Work Environment

This role operates fully onsite in a manufacturing environment, working closely with shop floor personnel and cross-functional office teams. You will use ERP systems (such as SAP or other ERP platforms), planning and scheduling tools (including MS Project and Oracle), and the Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, to manage data and support decision-making. The position involves regular interaction with production areas, coordination with operations and customer service, and participation in cross-plant and departmental projects to support timely and efficient production.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Grafton, WI.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $31.00 - $35.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms.

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available)
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Schedule

This is a fully onsite position in Grafton, WI.