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Are you a hardworking authority on inventory standards and procedures, looking to drive accuracy at a leading consumer packaged goods company? If so, then we have an opportunity for you!

We are seeking an Associate Planner Inventory to join our team at US Smokeless Tobacco in Hopkinsville, KY.  You will be responsible for direct material inventory management which includes requestioning and maintaining inventory levels. You will review and approve the entry of SAP and JDA/Blue Yonder (Warehouse Management System) transactions, which includes cycle counts for finished goods, raw and direct materials, production systems reporting, and transfer of materials and finished goods between facilities for all USSTC manufacturing facilities under the Hopkinsville umbrella.

Job Responsibilities

• Manage direct material includes forecasting, requestioning, verifying all information on the purchase order and tracking purchase orders receipts until delivered to our facilities. Managing inventory levels to meet months of supply and transferring excess inventory between facilities. Expedite orders with suppliers due to unexpected ramping demand, spike in orders, forecast errors, quality issues and supplier delays.
• Verifying Raw materials, direct materials, and finished goods for accuracy in JDA/Blue Yonder and researching any discrepancies.
• Conduct regular physical counts/cycle counts for direct materials, raw materials and finished goods and verify system(s) accuracy and make system adjustments as needed.
• Collaborate with external customers to balance transfers and receipts between facilities, research large dollar inventory variances, maintain consistency across inventory control practices, and provide guidance with SAP and Blue Yonder.
• Collaborate with internal customers to identify and research inventory variances, verify lot dates and expirations associated, coordinate product destruction and third-party shipments, validate systems reporting accuracy, and determine production and transition dates for new packaging work orders as well as process obsolete material write-offs.
• Ensure compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley pertaining to the monthly inventory/quarterly count log.
• Ensure quality assurance compliance and identify any non-conforming product cases are isolated and destroyed, if applicable, and documentation is accurately reported in Manufacturing Information Portal (MIP), JDA/Blue Yonder and SAP.
• Product Development support which includes attending weekly PD meeting on upcoming experiments/testing, working closely with the operation and production teams to minimize development errors, reviewing process orders completions and components for accuracy, and help manage and maintain the accuracy of product documentation and communication throughout the organization.
• Create process orders for production orders, monthly waste, and adjustment entries.  Monitor expiration dates to avoid write offs.
• Analyzing, identify and implementing opportunities for process improvements.
• Work together with finance with resolving inventory and process order discrepancies in SAP and reconciliation issues.
• Work together with manufacturing on errors and issues with JDA/Blue Yonder and SAP.
• Work together with Quality on deviations and quality issues related to all inventory, includes identifying items impacted, traceability, placing system hold and destructions.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned.

Specific Skills

• Associates Degree in management or related field preferred or combination of equivalent education and experience is preferred.  Must have 2 to 3 years’ experience in a manufacturing environment
• Must have a solid understanding of production and QMS processes
• Knowledge of all applicable laws and regulations
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Must demonstrate a proficiency in procurement and inventory control systems such as SAP software, Blue Yonder, Excel, and Microsoft Word
• Work is generally limited to an office environment, with occasional trips in the manufacturing/processing environment.  The physical requirements of the position are mainly limited to walking, standing and sitting.  The position can require long hours and the incumbent must be able to handle multiple priorities under demanding time constraints.