Materials Planning and Logistics Manager; automotive

Location: Union, SC |
Schedule: Full-time, on-site

An international manufacturer of stamped automotive components is seeking an experienced Material Planning & Logistics Manager to lead supply chain operations at its Union, SC facility. This is a high-impact leadership role overseeing customer service, demand planning, production scheduling, inventory management, warehousing, shipping, receiving, and internal logistics, with the goal of driving world-class delivery performance and operational excellence across the plant.

The company prefers candidates with experience at a tier one automotive supplier and would prefer no relocation.

• 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
• 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
• 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
• Experience in a tier one automotive supplier preferred, with no relocation preferred

• Master's degree preferred
• 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

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity to drive world-class delivery performance, optimize inventory, and lead continuous improvement initiatives across a manufacturing plant.