Principal Engineer of Supply Chain

Overview

Responsible for driving continuous improvement across all dimensions of the supply chain to include sales, procurement, warehousing, transportation and retail support. The role covers multi facility, multi operating companies, and multi technology platforms. This includes any and all process or business changes to reduce operating costs, identify synergies enterprise wide and lead program management teams over major company initiatives with 8-9 figure capital investments. Project tracking and project audits are further requirements of this responsibility. Coordinates with Director of LP and Food Safety and Director of Facilities Engineering to ensure compliance with FSMA and all Federal and State regulations plus SQF certification. Will work closely with the SVP Distribution on enterprise wide opportunities to enhance ecommerce, distribution and retail channels. Partners with the VP of eCommerce at Lowes Foods to help engineer their operations. Support supply chain integration of acquisitions. Reports out progress to CEO Staff.

Responsibilities

-Lead program teams overseeing game changing technology investments for the supply chain supporting future growth. Dotted line to CEO staff for updates and decision making.  

-Works closely and communicates clearly and effectively with all stakeholders including employees, work teams, management, vendors and customers to evaluate, plan and ensure the implementation of "Best Practice" lean supply chain programs that promote efficient and effective supply chain optimization in order to improve customer service and lower operating costs.

-Identifies solutions for distribution applications and assures appropriate use of industry specific technologies and automation to maximize performance in lowering production costs, optimizing throughput quality of service and KPI measures to meet corporate and customer requirements.

-Optimize the use of warehouse processes, facility layout, materials, workforce and equipment by identifying and eliminating waste and improving operational efficiency and effectiveness. Looks beyond the 4 walls of the distribution center to evaluate process improvements along the entire supply chain continuum.

-Experience using work study techniques to gauge and assess labor hours, cycle time, motion, methods and speed involved in performance of maintenance, production and other worker operations to establish standard production rate and to improve efficiency. Observes workers operating equipment of performing tasks to determine time involved and fatigue rate, using sanctioned equipment and standards.

-Drives continuous improvement revision of methods of operation or material handling alterations in equipment layout, or other changes to increase production, ergonomics, or improve standards through bottleneck and material flow analysis, sequence of operations and process flow improvements.

-Leads initiatives focusing on the balance between customer satisfaction and supply chain efficiency. Poll Times, Order Days, Delivery Schedules, Damages, Credits, etc.

-Support the execution of the automation lifecycle, from inception and the development to production. Oversee installation, commissioning, and start-up of sophisticated automation systems.

-Integrates new facilities and acquisitions into current network involving capacity, technology, people, process, and transportation.

-Partners with Lowes Foods to streamline eCommerce operation supporting their high growth.  

-Develops industry relationships with vendors, suppliers, and service providers to ensure the best use of distribution, logistics, and system resources.

-Coordinates with Directors of LP/Food Safety and Facilities Engineering to ensure compliance with FSMA and all Federal and State regulations plus SQF certification requirements.

-Leads the team that ensures the development of all SOPs and appropriate measures are in compliance with all employee training, safety, and security programs, policies and practices. Set the priorities for comprehensive onboarding and training of new employees. Drives efficiency and effectiveness within the organization and creates and evaluates the success metrics of the training programs.

Qualifications

-Bachelors in Industrial Engineering or Mechanical Engineering with 7-10 years of related experience.

-Minimum of at least 3 years of experience as an Industrial Engineer.

-Deep understanding and experience with lean manufacturing principles, change management and driving cultural change within a complex organization.

-Ability to read, analyze and interpret complex documents.

-Ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts such as exponents, logarithms, quadratic equations and permutations.

-Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation of techniques, sampling theory, and factor analysis.

-Must be able to build customer and employee centric relationships and work in a team environment.

-Must have knowledge of FSMA, food safety and security, HCAAP and OHSA. eCommerce operation experience preferred.

-Experience working with executive leadership preferred.

Dimensions:

1200 distribution employees; Impacts $3 billion in distribution sales and enterprise wide project improvement initiatives ; Impact operating expenses of $300 million; Impact labor and productivity standards for >10000 employees; Multi operating company, and multi distribution center environment.

Direction and Responsibility:

The Director Supply Chain Engineering works under the direction of the Sr. Vice President of Distribution and makes decisions independently in respective area of responsibility. This role also leads a team with 2 direct reports, one exempt and one non-exempt.