Sr. Supply Chain Optimization Specialist
Location: Juarez, NL. / Hybrid
BASIC FUNCTION
The Sr Specialist, Inventory Optimization & Supply Chain Analytics is responsible for identifying inventory risks, determining root causes, and driving corrective actions that reduce excess, obsolete, overstock, and overproduction inventory across Kitchen and Bath Americas. Reporting to the Sr Supply Chain Analytics Manager, this role partners with Production Control, Supply Planning, Demand Planning, Finance, Manufacturing Operations, Master Data, IT/Data Analytics, and Supply Chain leadership to improve inventory visibility and governance.
The position serves as a hands-on analytics and process improvement expert, using ERP research, Power BI dashboards, exception reporting, and standardized review routines to convert complex inventory signals into clear business actions.
The role
is expected to work independently, communicate findings clearly, and support the organization in moving from reactive inventory review to proactive prevention.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead recurring root cause analysis for inventory increases, overstock, excess, obsolete, and overproduction across Finished Goods, Raw Materials, WIP, and service-related inventory.
- Research inventory exceptions in ERP and supporting tools to determine whether drivers relate to demand, supply, planning parameters, MOQ, lead time, forecast bias, material status, discontinuation, last-time-buy, production execution, or master data.
- Develop and improve Power BI dashboards, exception reports, and analytical tools that provide early visibility to inventory risk, including PO/PR exceptions, safety stock/time breaches, production overbuilds, blocked or restricted stock, disposition balances, and month-over-month changes.
- Partner with IT, Data Analytics, Master Data, and business process owners to improve report reliability, automate recurring analysis, and reduce manual Excel dependency where practical.
- Identify purchase requisitions, purchase orders, production activity, and material receipts that may create inventory above target levels; coordinate with schedulers, buyers, supply planning, customer service, manufacturing, and operations leaders to review, cancel, defer, or correct orders when appropriate.
- Build structured RCA categories and Pareto reporting to quantify major inventory drivers, financial impact, accountable functions, and recurring patterns.
- Translate analytics into clear business actions with owners, due dates, assumptions, risks, and escalation needs; follow up until actions are closed or formally escalated.
- Create standardized processes, decision rules, escalation paths, governance routines, data definitions, and user instructions for inventory optimization tools and dashboards.
- Communicate concise findings to leadership and cross-functional teams, including what happened, why it happened, financial impact, required decision, owner, and due date.
RELATIONSHIPS AND CONTACTS
Supervisory Relationships:
- Reports directly to the Sr Supply Chain Analytics Manager.
- No direct reports are required; however, the role is expected to lead cross-functional workstreams and coordinate actions across multiple teams.
Internal Business Relationships
1. Frequent interaction with Production Control Directors, plant production control teams, Supply Planning, Demand Planning, S&OP, Inventory Management, Source Scheduling, Manufacturing Operations, Finance, Master Data, IT, and Data Analytics.
2. Regular interaction with Supply Chain leadership, including Vice President-level stakeholders, to provide updates, escalate blockers, and support decision-making.
3. Regular interaction with schedulers, buyers, material managers, customer service, category teams, and plant leaders to validate root causes and close corrective actions.
External Business Relationships:
4. May support discussions with vendors, suppliers, and third-party partners when MOQ, lead time, replenishment, order quantity, or supply constraints contribute to inventory risk.
5. May participate in supply chain benchmarking activities to identify best practices in inventory optimization, analytics, and governance.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree required in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Analytics, Engineering, Finance, Information Systems, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in supply chain, inventory management, supply planning, production control, demand planning, operations analytics, or a related business analytics role.
- Experience with ERP or planning systems, preferably SAP ECC/S4, APO, IBP, or similar tools.
- Advanced Excel skills required, including large dataset analysis, formulas, pivots, and structured analysis.
- Power BI experience strongly required, including dashboard creation, data visualization, report maintenance, and user-focused analytics.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Strong understanding of inventory management, supply planning, demand planning, production control, MRP, ERP planning logic, and root cause analysis.
- Strong analytical capability with ability to work through ambiguous data, identify patterns, quantify business impact, and recommend practical actions.
- Ability to communicate complex findings in simple, actionable language for stakeholders at different levels of the organization.
- Strong follow-up discipline and ability to drive actions to closure across functions without direct authority.
- Ability to work independently, prioritize high-impact opportunities, and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong process design capability, including creation of standard work, governance routines, dashboards, escalation paths, and control points.
- Ability to balance inventory reduction goals with service level, customer impact, manufacturing feasibility, and financial implications.
KEY DELIVERABLES
- Weekly inventory exception review package with prioritized cases, recommended actions, owners, and due dates.
- RCA summary by inventory driver, dollar impact, plant/category, accountable function, and recurring pattern.
- Power BI dashboards and reporting tools for inventory risk, PO/PR exceptions, production overbuild, material receipts, safety stock/time, MOQ, blocked or restricted inventory, and month-over-month changes.
- Action tracker for inventory reduction initiatives with aging, status, and escalation needs.
- Executive-ready summaries showing key risks, financial exposure, decisions needed, and expected impact.
Why Choose Kohler?
We empower each associate to #BecomeMoreAtKohler with a competitive total rewards package to support your health and wellbeing, access to career growth and development opportunities, a diverse and inclusive workplace, and a strong culture of innovation. With more than 30,000 bold leaders across the globe, we’re driving meaningful change in our mission to help people live gracious, healthy, and sustainable lives.
About Us
It is Kohler’s policy to recruit, hire, and promote qualified applicants without regard to race, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran. If, as an individual with a disability, you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact [email protected]. Kohler Co. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
