Customer Supply Manager – US, Passenger and Light Truck Tires

Continental is a leading tire manufacturer and industry specialist. Founded in 1871, the company generated sales of €19.7 billion in 2025 and currently employs around 78,000 people in 54 countries and markets.

Tire solutions from the Tires group sector make mobility safer, smarter, and more sustainable. Its premium portfolio encompasses car, truck, bus, two-wheel, and specialty tires as well as smart solutions and services for fleets and tire retailers. Continental has been delivering top performance for more than 150 years and is one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers. In fiscal 2025, the Tires group sector generated sales of 13.8 billion euros.

Continental's tire division employs more than 56,000 people worldwide and has 19 production and 16 development sites.

The Customer Supply Manager is responsible for leading customer supply planning, demand alignment, inventory optimization, Sales & Operations Planning (SOP), customer collaboration, and product lifecycle management activities for the U.S. PLT business.

This role serves as the primary liaison between Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Demand Planning, Customer Service, Finance, and Manufacturing to ensure optimal product availability, customer fulfillment, and business performance. The position is accountable for proactively identifying supply risks, developing mitigation strategies, managing customer allocation processes, and delivering actionable business intelligence that supports revenue growth, customer service, inventory optimization, and profitability objectives.

The Customer Supply Manager is also responsible for managing the operational execution of product lifecycle activities, including new product introductions, product transitions, and product discontinuations, ensuring successful market launches while minimizing inventory exposure and customer disruption.

Strategic Supply Planning and Customer Fulfillment

• Lead customer supply planning activities to ensure alignment between demand forecasts, inventory availability, and customer requirements.
• Develop and execute supply allocation and prioritization strategies during periods of constrained supply.
• Partner with Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Logistics, and Procurement teams to identify supply risks and implement mitigation plans.
• Monitor product availability and inventory positions to maximize customer service levels while minimizing excess inventory.
• Drive proactive communication of supply constraints, recovery plans, and customer impacts to Sales and Leadership teams.

Product Lifecycle Management – Phase-In / Phase-Out

• Lead the supply chain planning and execution activities associated with new product introductions, product replacements, and product discontinuations.
• Coordinate cross-functional phase-in and phase-out processes with Sales, Marketing, Product Management, Supply Chain, Demand Planning, Manufacturing, and Customer Service teams.
• Develop and maintain product transition plans that minimize obsolete inventory while ensuring uninterrupted customer service.
• Monitor inventory levels of outgoing products and manage depletion strategies to optimize working capital and reduce write-offs.
• Ensure forecast alignment and inventory positioning for new product launches across all distribution centers and customer channels.
• Facilitate regular product lifecycle review meetings to monitor launch readiness, inventory exposure, supply risks, and customer conversion progress.

Sales & Operations Planning (SOP) Leadership

• Lead the U.S. PLT SOP process and facilitate monthly cross-functional planning meetings.
• Develop executive reporting and recommendations supporting business decisions.
• Monitor forecast accuracy, supply performance, inventory levels, and service metrics.

Customer Collaboration, Forecasting & Demand Alignment

• Support CPFR initiatives with strategic customers.
• Analyze customer sell-out, sell-in, inventory, and market intelligence data.
• Develop recommendations to improve customer service, inventory productivity, and sales growth.

Business Intelligence & Reporting

• Develop executive dashboards, scorecards, and KPI reporting.
• Analyze supply chain performance metrics…