About the job

As a Supply Chain Manager, you will take full ownership of the end-to-end supply chain — from purchasing and production planning to logistics and inventory management. Your mission is to secure a reliable, cost-efficient, and compliant material flow that enables seamless automotive manufacturing operations.

You will play a key role in achieving business goals related to cost, quality, delivery, and sustainability, while ensuring full compliance with IATF 16949 standards and OEM customer requirements. By working closely with cross-functional teams, you’ll identify improvement opportunities, reduce risks, and drive operational excellence throughout the supply chain.

This is a highly visible role where strategic thinking meets hands-on execution — ideal for a proactive leader who thrives on creating structure, building strong supplier relationships, and enabling long-term success through data-driven decision-making.

Key Responsibilities:

Supply Chain Strategy and Execution

• Develop and implement supply chain strategies supporting plant and corporate objectives.
• Ensure consistent material availability to meet customer schedules and production targets.
• Manage and continuously improve supply chain processes to enhance delivery performance and reduce total cost.
• Maintain strong alignment with Operations, Quality, and Engineering teams on schedule adherence and production priorities.

Purchasing and Procurement Support

• Oversee purchasing operations, including sourcing, supplier negotiations, and purchase order execution.
• Develop and maintain supplier partnerships that meet company expectations for quality, delivery, and cost.
• Lead supplier cost-reduction and localization initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with purchasing procedures, ethical sourcing standards, and customer-specific requirements.
• Coordinate purchasing forecasts and raw material planning with Finance and Production.

Supplier Management

• Establish and track supplier performance metrics (on-time delivery, quality, responsiveness).
• Conduct supplier business reviews and initiate corrective actions where necessary.
• Support supplier audits and performance improvement projects per IATF 16949 standards.
• Facilitate supplier capacity planning and risk mitigation strategies.

Planning and Logistics

• Lead production and material planning to balance customer demand, capacity, and inventory.
• Oversee logistics and transportation functions, ensuring cost-effective and timely inbound/outbound shipments.
• Manage inventory accuracy, minimizing obsolescence and excess stock.
• Utilize ERP/MRP systems effectively to drive accurate scheduling and reporting.

Inventory and Warehouse Management

• Maintain accurate inventory records through effective cycle counting and root-cause analysis of discrepancies.
• Establish and monitor inventory control parameters (min/max, safety stock, reorder points).
• Optimize warehouse layout and material flow for efficiency, safety, and accuracy.
• Control excess and obsolete inventory through proactive planning and communication with production and finance.

Leadership and Continuous Improvement

• Lead and develop a high-performing supply chain and purchasing team.
• Foster collaboration, accountability, and problem-solving across functional areas.
• Implement lean tools and continuous improvement initiatives to streamline operations.
• Define, monitor, and report key performance indicators (KPIs) to management.

Qualifications needed

•  Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or Industrial Engineering (Master’s preferred).
• 5–8 years of experience in supply chain, purchasing, or materials management within the automotive industry.
•  Knowledge of IATF 16949, MMOG/LE, EDI, and ERP/MRP systems.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Proven success in supplier management and cost improvement programs.
• APICS CPIM/CSCP or ISM CPSM certification preferred.

Key Competencies:

• Strategic and analytical thinking
• Supplier performance management
• Strong leadership and team development
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Lean and continuous improvement mindset

Your Application 

Apply now, we are looking forward to your application! The process onwards may contain tasks to complete, interviews, reference and background checks and psychometric tests. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds. What unites us is our common ambition to make Frauenthal Gnotec an outstanding company, to work for and to do business with. 

Frauenthal Gnotec – a world class supplier

About Frauenthal Gnotec Group 

Frauenthal Gnotec Group is a leading manufacturer of metal components and products to the global Automotive and Commercial Vehicle industry. Our operations in China, Czechia, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and US has more than 1300 employees and offers state of the art technology in Automatic pressing, Welding and Assembly . We offer processes and solutions for different materials, thicknesses, complexities and applications. High automation together with lean manufacturing, Continuous improvement and Zero Defect Principle are our DNA at each plant, performed by highly skilled employees. 

Read more about who we are and our values at gnotec.com