Associate Director, Materials Planning, Logistics & Supply Chain Operations - Procurement

Associate Director, Materials Planning, Logistics & Supply Chain Operations

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Materials Planning, Logistics & Supply Chain Operations is responsible for leading end-to-end supply chain planning and execution activities across materials management, inventory optimization, procurement coordination, logistics, shipping, receiving, and third-party warehouse operations.

This role ensures uninterrupted material flow from suppliers through production and ultimately to customers while balancing service, inventory, cost, and operational efficiency objectives.

The position provides strategic leadership for planning, logistics, and inventory management functions while partnering closely with Operations, Procurement, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Customer Service, Finance, suppliers, carriers, and third-party logistics providers to drive operational excellence, customer satisfaction, business growth, and continuous improvement.

This role is onsite in Charlotte, NC. Relocation is not provided for this role and candidates must be permanent US residents as sponsorship is not available.

Key Responsibilities

Materials Planning & Supply Chain Management

• Lead material planning and supply chain strategies to support customer demand, production schedules, and operational objectives.

• Develop and execute supply plans that ensure material availability while optimizing inventory investment and working capital.

• Manage shortages, allocations, supplier constraints, and recovery plans to minimize production disruptions.

• Drive inventory optimization initiatives, including safety stock management, excess and obsolete reduction, and service level improvements.

• Lead Sales, Inventory and Operations Planning (SIOP/IBP) activities and translate demand forecasts into executable supply plans.

• Support new product introductions, capacity expansions, manufacturing transfers, and business integration initiatives.

Warehouse Strategy, Logistics & Inventory Governance

• Establish warehouse management standards, inventory control processes, and material handling best practices across internal and third-party logistics (3PL) operations.

• Partner with 3PL providers to ensure adherence to operational standards, transaction discipline, inventory accuracy requirements, and service level expectations.

• Monitor warehouse and logistics performance through KPIs, audits, and operational reviews, including inventory accuracy, shipping accuracy, receiving accuracy, throughput, and dock-to-stock performance.

• Provide coaching, training, and operational guidance to warehouse and logistics partners to drive continuous improvement and consistent execution of standard work.

• Lead initiatives to improve inventory integrity, material flow, transactional compliance, warehouse efficiency, and logistics performance.

• Support warehouse capacity planning, storage optimization, and material flow strategies aligned with business growth and operational requirements.

Shipping, Receiving & Transportation Management

• Establish and maintain standard processes for inbound receiving, outbound shipping, inventory transactions, and transportation management.

• Partner with carriers, freight providers, and logistics partners to improve transportation performance, service reliability, and cost efficiency.

• Drive improvements in receiving, shipping, and logistics processes through KPI management, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Support domestic and international freight operations, customs compliance, and transportation risk mitigation strategies.

• Ensure logistics operations support customer delivery commitments and business continuity objectives.

Supplier & Procurement Collaboration

• Partner with sourcing teams and suppliers to ensure adequate capacity, continuity of supply, and material availability.

• Lead escalation efforts for critical shortages and supply chain disruptions.

• Support supplier resiliency, supplier development, and risk management initiatives.

• Collaborate with suppliers to improve lead times, delivery performance, responsiveness, and overall supply chain effectiveness.

Operations Leadership

• Partner with manufacturing leadership to achieve customer service, productivity, inventory, and operational performance goals.

• Ensure material readiness and supply chain support for production, product launches, and strategic growth initiatives.

• Drive cross-functional problem solving to eliminate operational constraints and improve manufacturing performance.

• Support implementation of business operating systems, operational excellence initiatives, and strategic objectives.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and develop materials planners, supply chain professionals, logistics leaders, and supporting team members.

• Establish performance expectations and accountability measures aligned with business objectives.

• Develop succession planning and organizational capability to support future business needs.

• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, employee engagement, and operational excellence.

Digital Transformation & Continuous Improvement

• Lead implementation and optimization of ERP systems, planning systems, supply chain processes, and digital transformation initiatives.

• Champion Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies across supply chain functions.

• Develop KPI dashboards and executive reporting to support data-driven decision making.

• Drive standardization, process discipline, and best practice adoption across the supply chain organization.

Key Performance Indicators

• Customer On-Time Delivery (COTD)

• Clear to build

• Schedule Adherence

• Inventory Turns/DOH

• Inventory Accuracy 

• Excess & Obsolete Inventory 

• Supplier On-Time Delivery

• Past Due Backlog 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing,  or Engineering

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in supply chain operations, materials planning, logistics, or manufacturing operations.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience directly leading and developing teams, establishing clear performance expectations, and managing accountability.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master’s or MBA) in Supply Chain Management, Operations, or a related field.

• Experience in high-volume, complex manufacturing environments such as HVAC, Industrial Machinery, Automotive, or Aerospace.

• Direct hands-on experience with SAP ERP modules for materials management and logistics execution.

• APICS/ASCM certifications (e.g., CPIM, CSCP) or Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification.

• Proven track record of managing high-level vendor/supplier relationships, building supply/production recovery plans, and recovering customer past-due backlogs.

• Demonstrated ability to maintain 95%+ factory inventory accuracy and execute large-scale physical inventories.

• Experience overseeing multi-shift factory operations and large-scale, multi-site operational organizations (50+ personnel).