Supply Chain Professionals

Buckner & Associates has been retained to identify and recruit SUPPLY CHAIN professionals with experience in a manufacturing plant environment for Caterpillar’s Aurora, Illinois plant.

 

Today Caterpillar has nearly 300 operations in 40 countries around the globe.  Caterpillar has 95,000 employees worldwide and 2006 revenues of $41.517 billion, and profit per share of $5.17.  Sales and revenues rose 14% over the prior year and profit per share was up 28%.  Caterpillar’s investment in research and development equals more than $5 million each working day or $1.35 billion each year.

 

If you are an experienced manufacturing engineer with a strong background in manufacturing processes, systems, and methodologies, and are interested in an outstanding career opportunity, then Caterpillar has several Supply Chain engineering positions available at their Aurora (Chicago) plant.

 

Our client currently has the following openings:

 

▪ Supply Chain Performance Engineer  ▪ Supply Chain Engineer

▪ Supply Chain 6 Sigma Black Belt    ▪ Supply Chain Planning Team Lead

 Supply Chain Performance Engineer Qualifications:

The incumbent must possess:

·  Industrial or Manufacturing Engineering degree is desirable.  Advance degree is preferred.

·  Five years Supply Chain experience in a manufacturing environment (with Purchasing, Supplier Quality or Logistics experience is a plus.)

·  Experience working with international suppliers.

·  Experience Conducting Supply Chain. Manufacturing Process Audits.

·  Understand flow through use of Value Stream Mapping and identification of waste.

·  Ability to apply statistical tools and methods to problem solving in a Supply Chain or Process Improvement arena.  (Deming, Juran- SPC, Capability, etc)

·  Ability to measure, analyze, implement and control.  DMAIC

·  Production line, lean manufacturing, process improvement experience.

·  Problem Solving & Project Management experience.

·  New Product Introduction (NPI) experience.

·  Ability to Train/Coach others (coworkers/suppliers) in the use of lean manufacturing tools and eventually assist with the Caterpillar Production System Implementation at our supplier base.

·  Advanced PC/statistical skills

·  Strong presentation skills.

·  Willingness to travel 20-60%.

 

Role & Responsibilities

You will report to our Supply Chain Performance Manager and join the team that supports our Supply Chain Management within the Caterpillar Production System Division (CPSD).

 

You will drive projects focused upon supplier key business process that influence our customer satisfaction, waste elimination, efficiency, process/system quality, assuring the alignment of our Supply Chain with CAT systems/policies and demand with goals to improve overall supplier delivery performance to at least 98%.

 

You will be working/participating as the CAT Supply Chain representative with multidisciplinary/international teams (Supplier Development Engineers (SDE), Buyers, Supplier Quality Engineers (SQE), Design Engineers, Material Planners, Demand Management (S&OP), NPI teams and Supplier’s representatives).

 

Your responsibilities will include:

v Identify opportunities for improvement within external and internal supply chain processes and systems.  Prioritize these opportunities and drive change projects to conclusion.

v Support the development of proactive strategies supported by robust action plans and improvement roadmaps to minimize suppliers identified as risks to desired performance.

v Evaluate supplier capacity against CAT Aurora demand profile.

v Deploy diagnostic processes for root cause analysis of poor supply performance.

v Identify suppliers requiring additional Supply Chain development activities in support of new model programs, and managing the implementation of the actions addressing those needs.

v Train suppliers in the use and appropriate deployment of lean manufacturing and other process improvement techniques.

v Will require the development of new processes to solve the problems preventing good supply as well as the improvement of existing processes.

v To be able to work in a dynamic environment of challenging and diverse problems.

v To drive change at suppliers from the highest level of management to shop floor activities.

 Supply Chain Engineer

 

Job Entails:

The Supply Chain Engineer position is responsible for creating an end-to-end supply chain plan for all parts in a product or manufacturing value stream.  This critical role works closely with Supplier Performance Engineers, Requirements Planning, Assembly Planning, and Logistics Planning counterparts to design and implement the supply chain plan for every part.  This position will be heavily involved in implementing lean supply chain principles including pull triggers and Kanban replenishment techniques.  Other duties include process optimization, NPI supply planning, pull trigger implementation, and value chain material flow.  The Supply Chain Engineer is also responsible for working closely with suppliers on part specific supply plans.

 

Qualifications:

Required:

4-year degree

2-year degree and 2 years supply chain experience

5 years supply chain experience

 

Desired:

Previous experience with lean supply chain principles (pull trigger, Kanban, etc.)

Supply Chain Design or Field Engineering

Experience working with Tier 1 suppliers

Graduate degree in Industrial Engineering

Lean Manufacturing training/experience

Packaging/returnable container management

Transportation experience

 Supply Chain 6 Sigma Black Belt

 

Required:

3 –5 years supply chain experience

 

Desired:

Supervisory & project leadership experience

 

Lead project teams to improve critical business processes that drive financial results.  Focus of this position will be projects associated with Push-to-Pull replenishment implementation, PFEP (plan for every part), and other inventory management principles.

 

Duties and Responsibilities:

·  Project leadership includes identifying opportunities, defining and financially justifying projects, launching project teams, using good project management to manage team activities, leading teams to execute projects

·  Tracking project status and results, removing and elevating project barriers, developing team members

·  Measure results

·  Recruit and train team members

·  Integrate improvement projects

·  Communicate

·  Must be a results oriented change agent who is an effective business systems thinker

·  Must be able to manage risk and ambiguity on a project

 

Background/Experience:

 

Preferred 6 Sigma experience

Tools-Lean Manufacturing

Supply Chain experience - logistics/procurement

 

Requires a strong background in materials management, prior experience, and knowledge of Supply Chain, Logistics, and Lean Manufacturing.  Also requires initiative, creativity and patience along with effective written and oral communication skills with all levels of management.  The incumbent must possess the ability to successfully present plans and projects, have knowledge of Company and supplier materials, processes and productions and be a problem solver.  Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience is required, and an engineering or supply chain/Logistics related degree is preferred.

 Supply Chain Planning Team Lead

 

Required:

5 years minimum supply chain experience

Mandatory supervisory and project leadership experience

 

Desired:

Organizational and budget management

 

Purpose:

To manage Aurora Plant logistics systems including the development and implementation of strategies execute PFEP (plan for every part) to achieve material availability at optimal cost. This position will manage a team providing Value Steam focus on PFEP and the development, implement, and be process owner of systems and technologies necessary for PFEP in support procurement, quality and scheduling.

 

This position will work closely with Supplier Performance Engineers, SC Planning Analysts, Packaging, Material flow process design, and Manufacturing Planning.

 

Background/Experience:

Requires a strong background in materials management, prior experience, and thorough knowledge of Supply Chain, Logistics, and Manufacturing.  Also requires initiative, creativity and patience along with effective written and oral communication skills with all levels of management.  The incumbent must possess the ability to successfully present plans and projects, have knowledge of Company and supplier materials, processes and productions and be a problem solver.  Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience is required, and an engineering degree is preferred.

 

CONTACT INFORMATION: Interested applicants should visit our website at: www.bucknerandassociates.com/aurora to review the positions requirements or contact me directly by submitting your resume to sbuckner@bucknerandassociates.com . Stephen L. Buckner, President.

 

 Note:  If you are interested in the engineering opportunities in East Peoria or Decatur please refer to our additional postings on under Manufacturing Engineers!