What are the responsibilities and job description for the Supply Chain Engineer position at Kennametal and Careers?
About Kennametal
With over 85 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace and defense, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Learn more at kennametal.com. Follow @Kennametal: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Position - Supply Chain Engineer
Location - La Vergne, TN
Job Summary
The Supply Chain Engineer plays a pivotal role in driving operational excellence across the supply chain. This role combines tactical production planning with strategic process improvement initiatives. The Engineer is responsible for optimizing material flow, production scheduling, inventory management, and SAP system utilization to ensure efficient, cost-effective operations that meet customer demand and quality standards.
Key Job Responsibilities
Production Planning & Control
- Develop and manage daily, weekly, and monthly production forecasts aligned with customer demand and capacity constraints.
- Release Orders and adjust priorities based on customer needs for Grouping Responsibilities.
- Validate routers and order specifications to ensure product quality and manufacturability.
- Coordinate with production teams to balance workloads across machining stations and prevent bottlenecks.
- Monitor production status using SAP PP modules, proactively identifying risks such as material shortages or technical issues.
Continuous Improvement & Engineering
- Lead Lean and Six Sigma initiatives to streamline supply chain processes, reduce waste, and improve throughput.
- Design and implement Kanban systems for material replenishment and production flow.
- Analyze inventory data (e.g., safety stock, reorder points, FIFO compliance) to optimize stock levels and service rates.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, CSR, and Production to implement end-to-end process improvements.
- Develop and maintain visual management tools and performance dashboards to track KPIs and CI progress.
Systems & Data Optimization
- Leverage SAP and other ERP tools to extract actionable insights for planning and improvement.
- Support master data accuracy and integrity across supply chain modules.
- Drive automation and digitalization of supply chain workflows where applicable.
Collaboration & Project Support
- Actively participate in cross-functional projects related to new product introductions, capacity expansion, and system upgrades.
- Provide training and support to team members on CI tools and SAP functionalities.
Requirements
- Years of Relevant Work Experience Required: 2 years of experience in production planning, supply chain, or CI engineering
- Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or related field.
- Six Sigma Green Belt or higher certification.
- Experience implementing Kanban and pull systems.
- Familiarity with warehouse management systems (WMS) and advanced planning tools.
As part of our core values, Kennametal is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all people. We are an Equal Opportunity employer.