What are the responsibilities and job description for the Specialist, Operations & Supply Chain position at Samuel, Son & Co.?
Exercise independent judgment in supporting procurement activities, including creating and validating purchase requisitions, issuing purchase orders, and ensuring accuracy and compliance within D365.
• Monitor and manage purchase order progression through the approval workflow, proactively identifying bottlenecks, determining appropriate escalation paths, and providing informed recommendations to leadership.
• Engage with suppliers, planners, and buyers to resolve issues such as past-due orders, shipment delays, freight discrepancies, and quantity variances, using analytical reasoning to determine root causes and appropriate corrective actions.
• Evaluate supplier pricing, lead times, capabilities, and performance trends to inform sourcing decisions and support negotiation strategies.
• Develop procurement insights by preparing cost comparisons, freight analyses, and historical purchasing summaries that help shape future buying strategies and leadership decisions.
• Ensure the integrity of procurement data within the ERP by assessing and updating supplier records, lead times, purchasing parameters, and other critical data elements based on operational requirements and informed judgment.
Production & ERP Responsibilities
- Finalize and validate daily production entries in D365 to ensure complete and accurate system data.
- Monitor production recording exceptions, investigate root causes, and drive corrective actions with operations supervisors.
- Act as a D365 super user by providing frontline troubleshooting, developing job aids, and training staff to ensure consistent system usage.
- Assist with master data setup and maintenance, including the creation of new part numbers, BOMs, and routings as required.
- Partner with Production Supervisors to capture real-time data on downtime, scrap, and output, ensuring alignment between shop floor reporting and system entries.
- Follow up on unresolved data gaps or discrepancies, escalating to the Sr. Manager, Supply Chain when systemic issues are identified.
- Support shop floor visibility initiatives by compiling and distributing production KPIs (posters or electronic displays).
- Provide timely updates to operations leadership on material availability, delayed POs, or system bottlenecks impacting production schedules.
Reporting, Analysis & Cross-Functional Support
- Create professional, executive-ready presentations summarizing performance, trends, and operational or procurement insights for senior leadership.
- Prepare reports and datasets required for production, supply chain, and procurement decision-making.
- Support the Sr. Manager, Supply Chain in preparing materials for planning, purchasing and executive-level reviews.
- Participate in cross-functional continuous improvement initiatives focused on increasing efficiency, reducing downtime, and improving data reliability.
- Partner with production, procurement, and supply chain leadership to ensure compliance with company policies and external audit requirements.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned or required.
Skills / Experience / Education Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Associate’s Degree in Supply Chain, Business or related field and 3–5 years of experience in supply chain, procurement, and/or operations support.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, with advanced skills in Excel (pivot tables, Power Query, VLOOKUP, formulas) and PowerPoint.
- Experience with ERP systems (Microsoft Dynamics D365 strongly preferred); experience supporting purchasing or ERP implementation is beneficial.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data sets and supplier performance metrics.
- Excellent organizational and follow-up skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Effective communication and collaboration skills to work with leadership, suppliers, and cross-functional teams.
- Continuous improvement mindset; Lean Six Sigma or APICS CPIM certification preferred.
- Detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Office-based with frequent collaboration on the plant floor.
Standard business hours with flexibility to adjust based on workload and market demands.
SAMOMM
• Monitor and manage purchase order progression through the approval workflow, proactively identifying bottlenecks, determining appropriate escalation paths, and providing informed recommendations to leadership.
• Engage with suppliers, planners, and buyers to resolve issues such as past-due orders, shipment delays, freight discrepancies, and quantity variances, using analytical reasoning to determine root causes and appropriate corrective actions.
• Evaluate supplier pricing, lead times, capabilities, and performance trends to inform sourcing decisions and support negotiation strategies.
• Develop procurement insights by preparing cost comparisons, freight analyses, and historical purchasing summaries that help shape future buying strategies and leadership decisions.
• Ensure the integrity of procurement data within the ERP by assessing and updating supplier records, lead times, purchasing parameters, and other critical data elements based on operational requirements and informed judgment.
Production & ERP Responsibilities
- Finalize and validate daily production entries in D365 to ensure complete and accurate system data.
- Monitor production recording exceptions, investigate root causes, and drive corrective actions with operations supervisors.
- Act as a D365 super user by providing frontline troubleshooting, developing job aids, and training staff to ensure consistent system usage.
- Assist with master data setup and maintenance, including the creation of new part numbers, BOMs, and routings as required.
- Partner with Production Supervisors to capture real-time data on downtime, scrap, and output, ensuring alignment between shop floor reporting and system entries.
- Follow up on unresolved data gaps or discrepancies, escalating to the Sr. Manager, Supply Chain when systemic issues are identified.
- Support shop floor visibility initiatives by compiling and distributing production KPIs (posters or electronic displays).
- Provide timely updates to operations leadership on material availability, delayed POs, or system bottlenecks impacting production schedules.
Reporting, Analysis & Cross-Functional Support
- Create professional, executive-ready presentations summarizing performance, trends, and operational or procurement insights for senior leadership.
- Prepare reports and datasets required for production, supply chain, and procurement decision-making.
- Support the Sr. Manager, Supply Chain in preparing materials for planning, purchasing and executive-level reviews.
- Participate in cross-functional continuous improvement initiatives focused on increasing efficiency, reducing downtime, and improving data reliability.
- Partner with production, procurement, and supply chain leadership to ensure compliance with company policies and external audit requirements.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned or required.
Skills / Experience / Education Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Associate’s Degree in Supply Chain, Business or related field and 3–5 years of experience in supply chain, procurement, and/or operations support.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, with advanced skills in Excel (pivot tables, Power Query, VLOOKUP, formulas) and PowerPoint.
- Experience with ERP systems (Microsoft Dynamics D365 strongly preferred); experience supporting purchasing or ERP implementation is beneficial.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data sets and supplier performance metrics.
- Excellent organizational and follow-up skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Effective communication and collaboration skills to work with leadership, suppliers, and cross-functional teams.
- Continuous improvement mindset; Lean Six Sigma or APICS CPIM certification preferred.
- Detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Office-based with frequent collaboration on the plant floor.
Standard business hours with flexibility to adjust based on workload and market demands.
SAMOMM