MP&L Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY Responsible for material planning, inventory control, and inbound/outbound logistics to ensure an uninterrupted supply of materials to production and on-time delivery of finished goods to customers, from new program launch through mass production. Coordinates with suppliers, carriers, 3PL, production, purchasing, quality and customers to optimize inventory levels and logistics cost. The roles and responsibilities listed are not meant to be all inclusive. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Receive, analyze and manage customer releases and schedules (EDI 830/862/856, JIT/JIS sequence) and translate them into production and material requirements. Run MRP and develop material plans based on the production plan; issue purchase orders and delivery schedules to domestic and overseas (incl. Korea) suppliers. Monitor supplier delivery performance; expedite shortages to prevent line stoppages, control premium freight, and drive root cause analysis and countermeasures for supply issues. Manage inventory levels (raw material, WIP, finished goods) to target days-on-hand; conduct cycle counts and annual physical inventory and reconcile discrepancies in SAP. Coordinate inbound shipments including ocean containers from Korea - customs clearance with brokers, port drayage, container tracking, and demurrage/detention avoidance. Plan and execute outbound shipments to customers (HMGMA, BMW, etc.); ensure ASN accuracy and on-time delivery; manage carriers and 3PL warehouse performance. Manage returnable containers and packaging - packaging specifications, container pool, tracking and reconciliation with customers and suppliers. Support new program launches and engineering changes: BOM/EO change phase-in/phase-out, material and packaging readiness for build events, and obsolescence control. Maintain material master data in SAP and track logistics KPIs (customer OTD, supplier OTD, inventory turns, inventory accuracy, premium freight); prepare weekly/monthly reports. Identify and manage excess and obsolete inventory, and drive reduction actions. Support customer logistics requirements, scorecards and assessments (e.g., MMOG/LE). Cost savings: drive logistics cost reduction (freight, warehousing, packaging) and continuous improvement of material flow (line-side supply, Kanban, FIFO). Participate in CFT meetings and support team objectives (i.e. APQP activities, launch readiness, continuous improvement opportunities, etc.). Support and ensure compliance with current safety, quality and environmental systems, including powered industrial truck (forklift) safety in warehouse and dock areas. Extensive communication with Korean HQ, overseas suppliers and forwarders is required, and many meetings are necessary during the Korean time zone. Other duties, missions, and/or projects as assigned EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business, Industrial Engineering or related field from an accredited university, or equivalent experience. Experience of at least 2 years in material planning/logistics in the automotive field is preferred. Bilingual English/Korean preferred Proficiency in using Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, etc.), PowerPoint, and Word is required Working knowledge of SAP (MM/PP/SD) or other ERP/MRP systems is required; WMS experience preferred. Have working knowledge of EDI, Incoterms, U.S. customs/import procedures, MMOG/LE and other customer specific logistics requirements preferred. Strong interpersonal skills