Senior Manager, Materials

At GE Appliances, a Haier company, we come together to make “good things, for life.”  As the fastest-growing appliance company in the U.S., we’re powered by creators, thinkers and makers who believe that anything is possible and that there’s always a better way.  We believe in the power of our people and in giving them the freedom to explore, discover and build good things, together.  

The GE Appliances philosophy, backed by three simple commitments defines the way we work, invent, create, do business, and serve our communities: we come together, we always look for a better way, and we create possibilities. 

Interested in joining us on our journey? 

The Senior Materials Manager – Shipping, Receiving is a key leadership role responsible for overseeing the end-to-end material flow, warehouse logistics, and yard operations for an entire value stream within the plant. Leading a team of 64 hourly team members, this position is responsible for maintaining exceptional inventory integrity and receiving accuracy by leveraging data analysis to identify process gaps, design corrective actions, and implement robust standard operating procedures.

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of warehouse logistics, specifically optimizing the flow of finished goods from manufacturing lines to the warehouse, and managing high-volume shipping dock throughput. Additionally, this role will own yard management operations—including trailer velocity while championing a culture of continuous improvement, safety, and operational excellence using Lean manufacturing principles.

Position

Senior Manager, Materials

Location

USA, LaFayette, GA

How You'll Create Possibilities

OPERATIONS: Oversees operations for an entire value stream (Shipping, Receiving, Yard Management, and Material Flow) within a plant.

• Provide leadership and expertise for the plant Shipping and Receiving team. Manage a team of 70~ hourly team members across multiple shifts.
• Own and prepare the annual Hoshin and operational playbook for the Shipping, Receiving, and Yard. Responsible for operational performance and improvement of key metrics including receiving accuracy, shipping dock throughput, yard velocity, and overall inventory integrity.
• Utilize data analysis to identify process opportunities, bottlenecks, and inventory discrepancies; revise existing procedures or create new standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure receiving accuracy remains high and inventory integrity is maintained.
• Understand and optimize the physical and systemic flow of finished goods from the production lines to the warehouse, ensuring seamless integration with daily shipping schedules and outbound carrier flows.
• Direct and manage all yard operations, including trailer spotting, dock door utilization, and yard management system (YMS) optimization.
• Oversee the site’s material handling equipment (MHE) fleet and yard assets, including forklifts, yard spotter trucks, and trailers; partner with maintenance teams and leasing vendors to ensure maximum equipment uptime, optimal fleet utilization, and strict adherence to safety standards.
• Support the implementation of additional software for advanced shipping/receiving/ inventory management technologies, yard tracking tools, and routes.
• Maintain a good technical understanding of Materials, Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), and Operations; follow the escalation process to address and respond to abnormalities and recommend corrective action as required.
• Ensure the Lean manufacturing practices, warehouse flow principles, and escalation processes are followed and adhered to.
• Manage and track all department metrics and budget. Prepare daily report-out of metrics for production meeting.
• Establish daily operating rhythm within the Materials team. Conduct daily start up meetings with ABL's. Maintain rigor around daily team leader meetings, escalation meetings, etc.
• Coach and develop the team to ensure standardized work is deployed and utilized.
• Lead plant material flow & supplier management plans in support of the Appliance Production System (APS). Own packaging plans, shop floor flow, material handling automation, and supermarket implementation.
• Proactively drive continuous improvement materials programs utilizing Lean/Six Sigma methodologies and practices.
• Ensure 5S standards are met for the entire value stream including shipping docks, receiving bays, warehouses, and the trailer yard.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Live, promote and teach the Appliance Production System philosophy and drive continuous improvement within the value stream operation.

• Pioneer and promote work team(s) that react proactively to factory and warehouse inefficiencies. Drive problem-solving and root cause identification of problems related to shipping delays, receiving errors, yard congestion, and inventory discrepancies for the entire value stream.
• Engage all members of cross-functional escalation team to address and resolve problems, ex. Area Business Heads, Team Leaders, Kaizen Promotion Officers and other Lean resources.
• Continuously identify and work to reduce waste in warehouse throughput, shipping/receiving processes, and yard operations for both short-term and long-term improvement initiatives.
• Serve as a second-level responder within the escalation process for problems/issues within the value stream operation.
• Head up regular meetings to review department issues. Prioritize and assign ownership for open items. Track items to closure and ensure follow-up with key stakeholders.
• Promote kaizen events within the department. Ensure related countermeasures are implemented on shipping, receiving, and manufacturing line(s).
• Oversee the planning and execution of work area rebalancing utilizing Yamazumi charts.

LEADERSHIP: Provide effective day-to-day oversight for a highly energized, integrated, cross-functional manufacturing and logistics team.

• Create goals for each member of the team. Ensure one-on-one career coaching, performance feedback, team member training, and talent development. Participate in the annual performance review process.
• Manage third-party logistics (3PL) partners, yard service providers, and carrier relationships to ensure adherence to safety, delivery, and service level agreements (SLAs).
• Steer team member disciplinary investigation and action as appropriate. Partner with HR to conduct timely investigations when necessary. Complete accurate and thorough disciplinary records with supporting documentation.
• Recruit resources to fill team needs in a timely fashion.
• Develop and mentor future leaders for the business.
• Partner with site Human Resources team to ensure fair and consistent administration of all policies, work rules, and processes.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with peer Materials leadership teams—including Material Planning, Conveyance, Production Scheduling, and Plant Material Flow—to drive joint productivity-improvement projects, eliminate operational bottlenecks, and reinforce standardized processes across the entire supply chain.

QUALITY: Ensure the products produced, stored, and shipped within the entire value stream operation are defect-free, accurately accounted for, and processed according to specifications.

• Monitor manufacturing, shipping, and receiving processes, data & reports daily and drive the resolution or escalation for any issues affecting receiving accuracy or inventory integrity.
• Work cross-functionally with multiple stakeholders to address and solve delivery and transportation issues (i.e., Team Leader, engineering, manufacturing, transportation, and quality).
• Monitor shipping errors, receiving discrepancies, inventory adjustments, scrap, and downtime data/reports to drive resolution of issues and work projects to prevent future issues.
• Partner with the Lean team and the Central Materials team to drive improvements in key metrics and to implement new initiatives.

SAFETY: Responsible for the overall safety performance and metrics for the value stream operation.

• Promote a solid safety-minded culture in the value stream. Maintain an effective safety program, ensuring the observation of safety precautions and safe work methods by all personnel, including behavior-based safety observations, safety meetings, safety audits, and 5S housekeeping standards across all warehouse and yard environments.
• Enforce safety rules specific to warehouse operations, including pedestrian-forklift segregation, dock lock safety, trailer jack stands, and safe yard driving practices.
• Enforce compliance to safety rules and procedures, timely accident investigations, Safety Contacts, and Safe Start participation.
• Review and sign off on all accident investigations. Ensure they are completed promptly and identify the root cause and corrective action to drive necessary changes.
• Manage the department's safety item list, including corrective actions from near misses, accident reports & ergo assessments.
• Oversees material and logistics operations for an entire value stream within a plant.

What You'll Bring to Our Team

• BS/BA degree required, ideally in engineering, supply chain management or business.
• Leadership experience and/or technical acumen within supply chain (i.e.: manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, materials, quality, procurement, fulfillment, or related functional area)
• Demonstrated experience working with individuals at all levels of the organization to achieve operational results and positive union relations.
• High level of initiative, energy and motivation to develop & grow in a team environment.
• Organizational skills, initiative, and ability to handle multiple priorities and tasks.
• Strong technical competency & experience
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Strong problem-solving & follow-through ability
• Ability to facilitate team projects.
• Position supports 24/7 manufacturing facilities. Occasional off shift, on-call and weekend work may be required.
• Advanced proficiency in data analysis using Microsoft Excel (must be highly comfortable with Pivot Tables, LOOKUPs, complex formulas, and data visualization/charts) with the ability/openness to leverage modern AI tools to accelerate data processing and trend identification.
• Strong capability to translate raw operational data into clear, concise, and professional presentations for executive-level reviews.

Working Conditions:

• Working conditions are normal for both an office and manufacturing environment.
• Work may involve lifting materials and products up to 25 pounds.
• Working in the manufacturing environment requires the use of safety equipment to include but not limited to safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves, work shoes/boots.

Our Culture

Our work is centered on our People and Culture as reflected in our Zero Distance philosophy and we recognize the importance of reaffirming our commitment to inclusion and diversity (I&D). This underscores our commitment to fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, connected, and empowered to contribute, while positioning our organization to adapt seamlessly to the evolving needs of our workforce and communities.

This reflects our dedication to creating solutions that: Empower colleagues by fostering an environment where all voices are heard, valued, and encouraged to contribute. Strengthen communities where we live and work. Reinforce a culture of belonging, purpose, and engagement. Reflect the diversity of the communities we serve through our workforce, products, and practices.

By further embedding Zero Distance into our People and Culture framework, we will continue to build a deeply connected organization. We are cultivating a culture of engagement, belonging, and connection, because while attracting new talent remains a priority, retention is a cornerstone of our strategy.

GE Appliances is a trust-based organization. It is important we offer our employees the flexibility they need to do their best work while balancing the needs of the business and individuals. When you join GE Appliances, you will have the opportunity to work with your leader to create a flexible work arrangement that balances the needs of the individual, team, and organization.

GE Appliances is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

GE Appliances participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S

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