Materials Planning and Logistics Manager; automotive

Our client is an international manufacturer of stamped automotive components. They have an immediate need at their Union South Carolina facility to become their Materials Planning and Logistics Manager. They would prefer no relocation, and the person should have experience in a tier one automotive supplier.

Material Planning & Logistics Manager

Union, SC

We are seeking an experienced Material Planning & Logistics Manager to lead all aspects of supply chain operations at our Union, SC facility. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for customer service, demand planning, production scheduling, inventory management, warehousing, shipping, receiving, and internal logistics.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic supply chain leader who can drive world-class delivery performance, optimize inventory, support operational excellence, and lead continuous improvement initiatives across the plant.

• Lead customer service, material planning, production scheduling, inventory control, warehousing, shipping, receiving, and logistics operations.
• Manage and develop a team of schedulers, planners, logistics, and materials professionals.
• Drive inventory accuracy, working capital improvements, and overall supply chain performance.
• Lead the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process, aligning customer demand with plant capacity and business objectives.
• Ensure accurate customer order management, production schedules, and supplier material releases.
• Optimize material flow through Lean manufacturing principles, pull systems, PFEP, Kanban, and other continuous improvement tools.
• Manage ERP (SAP) planning parameters, inventory controls, and master data integrity.
• Support new product launches, engineering changes, packaging validation, and customer logistics requirements.
• Monitor key logistics KPIs, reduce premium freight costs, and drive corrective actions through structured problem-solving.
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Purchasing, Quality, Engineering, Finance, Suppliers, and Customers to achieve business goals.

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or a related field. Master's degree preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in supply chain, materials management, production control, scheduling, or logistics within a manufacturing environment.
• 3+ years of leadership experience managing supply chain or materials teams.
• Strong knowledge of ERP/MRP systems, preferably SAP.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing principles, including pull systems, JIT, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Automotive manufacturing experience strongly preferred, particularly within stamping, welding, or paint operations.
• Experience working with automotive OEM customers and industry standards such as AIAG, VDA, and MMOG/LE is a plus.
• APICS certifications (CPIM, CSCP, etc.) are preferred.

• Proven leadership and team development skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication and customer relationship management skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment while managing multiple priorities.
• Passion for operational excellence, continuous improvement, and delivering results.