Job Description

Working at Watlow
Watlow is a global technology and manufacturing leader who provides world class engineering expertise through innovative thermal products and systems, enabling our customers to thrive. We are making a positive impact every day as our solutions enrich the lives of people everywhere. We have been providing breakthrough thermal solutions for over 100 years! Our corporate values guide us uncompromisingly to always do the right thing, continually learn and improve, respect everyone, and lead with service and humility.

At Watlow’s Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Columbia, Missouri, we combine precision manufacturing with forward-thinking innovation. Part of a global thermal solutions leader founded in 1922, our Columbia facility is a critical hub for high-performance manufacturing, engineering, and operational excellence.
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We are hiring a: Team Lead, Supply Chain
Columbia, Missouri (Onsite)
Watlow is seeking a Team Lead, Supply Chain who will drive the master production schedule and coordinate material flow to meet customer backlog and sales forecasts, while balancing production and inventory levels against target inventory turn goals. This role acts as a subject matter expert and mentor within Supply Chain, partnering closely with Materials, Operations, Sales, and Finance to align supply and demand, resolve risk, and continuously improve how the team plans, schedules, and executes. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical rigor, hands-on materials management expertise, and the ability to coach others through complex, fast-moving priorities.

What you’ll do:
• Master scheduling & optimization: Develop and continuously optimize the master production schedule to meet customer backlog and sales forecast, monitoring resources, materials, and capacity availability to hit target inventory turn goals.
• Sales, Operations & Financial Planning execution: Coordinate the execution of the SIOP process to align supply and demand, establish optimized production and inventory levels, and meet objectives for profitability, productivity, and customer lead times.
• Material flow leadership: Support production scheduling on all material flow issues, and plan and coordinate the physical movement of materials, parts, finished goods, and information to optimize cost and service levels.
• Schedule management: Review the master production schedule and work orders, establish priorities for specific customer orders, and revise schedules according to work order specifications, priorities, and availability of workers, parts, materials, machines, and equipment.
• Risk mitigation & problem solving: Provide risk mitigation and management planning, resolve complex issues, recommend process enhancements, and ensure adherence to policies, procedures, and systems.
• Continuous improvement: Facilitate, coach, and mentor supply chain rapid improvement events, applying lean concepts, pull systems, and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) to drive measurable gains.
• Cross-functional partnership: Develop strong relationships and provide effective communication, prioritization, and alignment across value streams, sites, business units, and functions, including seamless engagement with external business partners.
• Mentorship & team development: Serve as a subject matter expert and role model, facilitating, coaching, and mentoring others, and identifying team member development needs to provide career coaching and planning assistance.

What you’ll need to succeed:
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience (5–8 years)
• Demonstrated experience in materials management, Material Requirements Planning (MRP), pull systems, flow, and lean implementation
• Project management experience, including the ability to determine scope, budget, and implementation timeframes of assigned projects
• Leadership training or experience mentoring and coaching team members, even without formal direct reports
• Excellent customer service, interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills, with high attention to detail and follow-up
• Proficient in Excel and other Microsoft Office tools

Preferred qualifications:
• Relevant certification such as APICS (CPIM, CSCP, CFPIM), ISM (CPM, CPSM, CSM), or equivalent
• Silver Lean certification or equivalent continuous improvement credential
• Experience with ERP systems, including Oracle, SAP, or similar platforms, especially during system implementations or transformations
• Experience in a manufacturing, industrial, or product-based company operating across multiple sites or business units
• Demonstrated experience facilitating kaizen or rapid improvement events within a supply chain or production environment
• Experience supporting or participating in a Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning (SIOP) process

Benefits: The Watlow Total Compensation Plan
The health, well-being and financial stability of you and your family is a high priority to us.The Watlow Total Rewards Plan includes competitive compensation and a full range of life and career enhancing benefits:
• Annual Incentive Program
• 401(k) plan that includes a company match on your contribution and an annual company contribution that is tied to company performance
• Wellness incentives
• Employee Personal Assistance Program
• Dental, medical, vision and short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Paid holidays, personal time, and vacation
• Parental leave
• Tuition reimbursement
Diversity & Inclusion
We proactively embrace diversity in all its dimensions across our company and cultivate a culture of inclusion and forward thinking that respects and reflects each team member’s individual strengths, views, and experiences. Watlow takes pride in being an inclusive equal opportunity employer and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Please let us know confidentially if you need or require any special accommodations to participate in our recruiting process by emailing us at accommodations@Watlow.com.