Supply Chain Planner

Company:

Interested in joining a winning team? A team whose employees share in the ownership of the business and are empowered to make a difference?

Organizational context and job purpose

INEOS Organization:

INEOS is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products. It comprises 15 businesses each with a major chemical company heritage. Its production network spans 65 manufacturing facilities in 16 countries throughout the world. INEOS products make a significant contribution to saving life, improving health and enhancing standards of living for people around the world. Its businesses produce the raw materials that are essential in the manufacture of a wide variety of goods: from paints to plastics, textiles to technology, and medicines to mobile phones - chemicals manufactured by INEOS enhance almost every aspect of modern life.

Business Context:

INEOS Oxide is one of the most diverse, dynamic and successful businesses within INEOS. We operate 5 manufacturing sites in Europe and North America (Antwerp BE, Köln DE, Lavéra FR, Plaquemine US, Bayport US). We produce a broad range of 200+ products which spread across five key value chains (Ethylene Oxide, Propylene Oxide, Oxoalcohols, Acetic Acid, and ENB), and on many of our products we are the European market leader. Our total manufacturing capacity is above 3 million tonnes per annum generating an annual EBITDA of ~300 M€. INEOS Oxide is an energetic business which is growing actively on a global level, with projects to extend our production base to new sites in North America and Asia in addition to continued investment on our existing platforms. We are committed to resourcing the Procurement team accordingly to deliver on this ambitious growth agenda.

Purpose of the Job:

The jobholder steers the planning process for their production units with the sales team, Business and Product Manager as well as the operations team. The job holder will report to the Supply Chain Team Leader.

The jobholder proposes the allocations of products on different production units to:

• deliver required customer service levels
• minimize total cost (production, distribution)

In order to maximize sales volumes and minimize costs, the jobholder has to coordinate with the local production site’s engineers, the sales team and the business to understand and challenge internal or external constraints in order to ensure the best plan is implemented.

The jobholder ensures the business strategy is implemented through continuous interaction with business, Product Manager and other functional teams, challenging performance in these areas; and therefore participate actively in delivering the EBITDA and Cash targets. The jobholder ensures full product availability at all times taking into account shutdown, flexibility & constraints of the business and other Oxide related businesses.

Internal Factors: 

Executing this role’s wide-ranging remit will require the post-holder to interface directly with the organization beyond the immediate US Supply Chain team.

• Business and Sales team – understand customer and site requirements, but also business strategies.
• Customer service team – problem solving and assistance.
• Logistics Procurement team - provide supplier performance feedback and help fixing when needed, provide inputs into bid processes.
• Site production – advise, verify and align on production progress and planning directions.
• Feedstock procurement – advise and instruct on raw material requirements.
• Accounting – pursue rapid monthly closing and billing.

External Factors:

Customers:  Addressing logistics planning and service issues so product is available-to-promise to customers where and when they need it.

Terminals:  Managing day-to-day matters for terminal facilities in North America; monitoring and recording all product inventories.

Other INEOS businesses:  Network, share and look at leveraging opportunities

Responsibilities And Accountabilities

Accountabilities:

• This position – and all positions – with the INEOS Oxide US organization requires the incumbent to commit to learning, following, and practicing INEOS 20 Principles of Process & Behavioral Safety as applicable to the position.  These Principles are posted throughout each Oxide facility and each employee must also commit to following INEOS’ Life-Saving rules on a daily basis.  These are also posted within each Oxide facility.
• Manage the entire unit Planning including Terminals - Manage the balance of the products on the unit originating across the sites to optimize margin and minimize total cost (production cost and cost to serve)
• Coordinate and challenge production and sales forecasts in order to provide latest view update to the business.
• Focus on Short and Mid Term S&OP activities and owns the planning process for his/her units.
• Manage the supply/demand balance by liaising with the manufacturing sites (planning & engineers), business manager, product manager, sales managers and customer service group to ensure continued product availability for external customers and maximize plant output across all sites.
• Optimize overall performance of the production sites by continuous monitoring, allocating, optimizing orders and transport means to the sites.
• Seek, propose and implement creative solutions to overcome short term supply interruptions (FM, rail strikes, production interruptions, etc...) as a result of external factors/plant shutdowns.
• Manage operational variances in the months versus supply/sales forecast and continuously ensures the supply/demand balance is up to date which is used as the basis for the 4 months financial outlook by the business management.
• Work with and challenge the sales team to ensure sales forecast match sales and business targets. Control and monitor sales allocations when production falls short.
• Support the product and business manager in identifying and executing co-producer contract/swap deal opportunities. Organize and plan shutdown cover in order to ensure continuation of supply bearing in mind minimal distribution costs via optimal supply.
• Issue a monthly and yearly raw material requirement plan. Steer raw material procurement in ensuring the correct amount of raw materials in made available.
• Lead the weekly meeting with the sites and report to business.
• Work with the Business Manager to implement new products.
• Ensure effective usage of the logistics fleet – where applicable.
• Identify and support continuous improvement initiative linked to Planning such as on-site logistics improvements.
• Cover for the other Product Planners.
• Schedule and enter Transfer Orders into SAP, manage replenishment of inventories such that terminals - barring a Force Majeur event - never stock-out.  Handover to Customer Service for order fulfillment.  Track and record actual v. planned order dates.
• Manage terminal stock balance process during month-end close.  Ensure all variances are addressed and cleared.
• Closely coordinate with the Rail Specialist regarding rail car availability and allocation.
• Manage day to day terminal activities.  Ensure SAP is being utilized, PGIs are done in at timely manner and issues are resolved in a timely manner.
• Receive pipeline raw materials into SAP
• Receive miscellaneous items such as sample requests or ad hoc services
• Review and approve invoices for material received or services performed
• Assist/implement improvement projects for Supply Chain.

Skills/Competencies:

Level of Education & Experience in general

• Bachelor’s degree, applicable work experience, or combination of education and equivalent experience in a similar role.
• Previous related experience preferred in Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Site Logistics, Supply Chain, and Logistics
• Fluency in English essential.

Technical Skills

• Understanding of supply chain / logistics and customer specific requirements
• Understanding of the logistics, and technical standards and regulations
• Understanding of basic product characteristics and high consequence dangerous goods logistics (i.e. flashpoints, freezing points, ADR etc.)
• Understanding of the US Chemicals markets: customers, suppliers and competitors.
• Ability to work with MS-Office and SAP IT tools efficiently and effectively.

Behavioral Skills

• Tenacious attention to detail and a drive for extreme accuracy is essential.
• Concern for and adherence to high standards.
• Sound organisational skills required with initiative and thoroughness. 
• Multitasking ability is critical.
• Good oral and written communication. Independent, highly motivated.
• Analytical thinker driven by results and ability to use rational perusasion with a conern for high standards
• Possess interpersonal awareness and excellent interpersonal skills.
• As we operate 24/7 and co-ordinate the supply chain across North America, you will need to be comfortable working holidays or out of hours when required.

ADA Physical requirements, visual acuity requirements and environmental conditions

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and perform tasks requiring repetitive use of hands.  The employee must occasionally walk, stand and travel by car, airplane or other means.   Exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.

Employee must have the ability to see written documents, computer screens, and to adjust focus.

Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction.   Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make discriminations in sound.

Work Environment:  This job is performed mainly in a temperature controlled office environment.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• SHE Performance: Zero incidents.
• Near error-free work product in maintaining Product Warboards.
• 100% ISO Compliance
• Departmental Goals & Objectives ≥ 99%
• Meet all departmental annual training and progression goals: individual and direct/indirect reports as defined in annual performance assessment

Our culture is one of honesty and integrity with an emphasis on safety, health and environmental performance.On our team, people are acknowledged for embracing new practices that help create real value for customers.