Supply Chain AI Optimization Specialist (Kaukauna, WI)

You have a choice of where you want to work! We invite you along on our journey to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. We aim to attract, retain, and energize passionate people, like you, by investing in your professional development and providing opportunities for personal growth.
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Position Summary

The Supply Chain AI & Inventory Optimization Specialist is responsible for improving inventory performance while developing and deploying AI-enabled tools, analytics, and digital solutions that enhance the effectiveness of the entire Supply Chain and S&OP organization.

This role is not responsible for demand planning, supply planning, or S&OP process ownership. Instead, the role acts as the digital and analytical partner to these teams, developing solutions that improve forecasting, inventory management, reporting, decision making, and operational efficiency.

The position combines supply chain expertise, inventory management, data analytics, automation, and artificial intelligence to accelerate the organization's transition toward a data-driven planning environment. This direction aligns with the organization's objective of strengthening inventory management, implementing AI-supported forecasting, and advancing an integrated data-driven S&OP model.

Key Responsibilities

Inventory Optimization

• Own inventory analytics and inventory health reporting.
• Monitor inventory levels, safety stocks, service levels, and inventory turns.
• Identify excess, obsolete, slow-moving, and at-risk inventory.
• Recommend actions to optimize inventory while maintaining customer service objectives.
• Support working capital reduction initiatives through data-driven inventory policies.
• Provide regular inventory risk assessments to Supply Chain and Operations leadership.

AI, Automation & Digital Solutions

• Identify opportunities to automate manual planning and reporting activities.
• Develop AI-enabled tools to support planners, schedulers, customer service, and operations teams.
• Create predictive models for:
• Inventory shortages
• Excess inventory
• Demand variability
• Capacity constraints
• Service risks
• Develop digital assistants, Copilot solutions, and workflow automations that improve decision making and productivity.
• Drive adoption of emerging AI technologies within the Supply Chain organization.

Supply Chain Analytics

• Design and maintain Supply Chain dashboards and performance scorecards.
• Transform large data sets into actionable business insights.
• Support root-cause analysis and performance improvement initiatives.
• Deliver scenario analyses to evaluate inventory, capacity, and service impacts of business decisions.
• Establish consistent KPI visibility across the organization.

S&OP Enablement

• Support the monthly S&OP process through advanced analytics and decision-support tools.
• Develop solutions that improve forecast accuracy measurement, inventory visibility, and supply-demand insights.
• Provide data models and simulations that support leadership decision making.
• Reduce manual effort required to prepare S&OP and business review materials.

Digital Transformation

• Partner with IT, Supply Chain, Operations, and Business Units to implement new planning technologies.
• Support SAP, reporting, and advanced planning system enhancements.
• Standardize and automate reporting processes.
• Lead pilot projects involving AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, and automation.

Qualifications/Education

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Data Analytics, Computer Science, Operations Management, Statistics, or a related field.
• Experience
• 3-7 years of experience in Supply Chain, Inventory Management, Analytics, Planning, or Operations.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment preferred.
• Demonstrated experience developing analytical tools, automations, or digital solutions.

Ahlstrom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Equal opportunity is a sound and just concept to which we are firmly bound. Ahlstrom will not engage in discrimination against, or harassment of, any person employed or seeking employment with our company based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, non-disqualifying disability, status as a protected veteran or other characteristics protected by law.

About Us.
Ahlstrom is a global leader in combining fibers into sustainable specialty materials. Our purpose is to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. We aim to be the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company for all our stakeholders. Our Filtration and Life Sciences, Food and Consumer Packaging, and Protective Materials segments, along with the Performance Materials Cluster, address global trends with safe and sustainable solutions. Our net sales in 2025 amounted to EUR 2.9 billion and we employ some 7,000 people.

Read more at www.ahlstrom.com.