Director of Materials

Position Objective: Responsible for the overall leadership/management, direction and coordination of materials planning, procurement and scheduling. Ensures that material flows into the factory and/or the product distribution warehouse as required to support customer order schedules, while also minimizing inventory investment in dollars and space. Drive to reduce cost of purchased direct materials. Assure that product cost is accurately calculated.

Relationship To Others: Direct management of materials planning and procurement personnel, including master schedulers, planner/buyers and procurement specialists. Responsible for standard costs and capital expenditure program. In-depth communication with various levels of all other Operations’ functions, as well as with personnel in Order Entry, Sales & Marketing, Engineering and Executive Management., and personnel in other Divisions at multiple locations. Regular communication with material and service suppliers.

Dimensions of Position:

• Directly supervises the activities of a department of approximately ten exempt and non-exempt employees.
• Annual operating budget of expense cost centers approximates $2 million.
• The Minneapolis Materials group supports Home and Professional products for the Consumer Products Division, with gross annual sales revenue of approximately $150 million.
• The Minneapolis Materials group manages the annual purchase of $80 million of direct material from global sources totaling over three hundred suppliers.
• The Minneapolis Material group is responsible for managing the flow of direct materials to minimize an inventory investment approximating $25 million.
• Proper management of the function is essential to maintain customer on-time shipping expectations and minimize risk of fines and loss of business.
• Works with confidential information including company financials, salary data, and company strategic plans.

Priority Order

• Assure that policies, plans, programs and an organization structure are in place to meet the materials planning and procurement needs of the company. Revise as needed to adapt to the changing business objectives and conditions.
• Provide leadership and management support to direct reports.
• Recruit and train as required. Assign individual goals and objectives that support company objectives.
• Plan for and provide resources required to support the Materials function.
• Gather data from all available sources, including forecasting analysts, sales, marketing, and sales history records, as input for planning process.
• Assure that direct materials are available to support shipping all customer orders on time, and meeting all new product development schedules.
• Direct the flow of materials into the factory and/or the product distribution warehouse such that inventory investment is minimized and meets company objectives.
• Assures that a production plan has been developed that considers the constraints of the production line capacities and manpower limitations.
• Responds appropriately to unusual demand fluctuations to maximize meeting customer order requirements.
• Drive efforts to minimize the total procurement cost of direct materials, through clear communication of expectations to suppliers, supplier selection, measurement, and management of the supply chain.
• Major contributor to cost reduction efforts to meet company objectives.
• Assure that realistic cost center budgets are prepared for development of the annual budget. Assure that cost centers stay within budgeted expense levels.
• Assures that standard costs are properly established and maintained to accurately reflect product cost. Assures that capital budget is developed and managed throughout the year.
• Coordinate Direct Shipment programs with key customers.
• Ensure compliance with customers’ social/environmental policies and manage customers’ third-party factory audits.
• Develop and maintain our social/environmental compliance policy.
• Performs other duties and assumes accountabilities as apparent or as delegated, including mutually agreed objectives.

Career Track

• This is an outstanding and highly visible leadership opportunity with potential progression to Global responsibility.

Experience

• Ten years’ experience in a manufacturing environment. High-volume and low-volume production.
• International sourcing experience.
• Experience managing professional employees.
• Supplier management over a broad range of commodities.
• Understanding of finance for non-financial managers, with particular understanding of standard cost components and variance analysis.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with a full range of functions within the organization (at multiple locations) and with suppliers.
• Ability to prioritize the use of resources to maximize impact to the organization.

Education

• College degree.
• APICS and/or NAPM certification a strong plus.
• Maintains an awareness of ongoing technological development and trends in the industry that may be applicable to the organization.

Contact Marni Sampair for more information:

651-342-1620

resume@theconstantsearch.com

www.theconstantsearch.com

Essential Functions

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Writes detailed description of user needs, program functions & operational documentation.
• Track and report on web effectiveness and trends.
• Implement and maintain content management.
• Provide internet design and development to ensure fresh, appropriate content.
• Stay current on industry and technology trends.
• Continuously improve search engine placement, online marketing and lead generation.
• Efficient web site programming capabilities to ensure web site speed and delivery.
• Develop superior web site data architecture for use on intranet, Internet, and Extranets.
• Will focus on the architecture of data integration of web sites.
• Actively participate in Rapid Continuous Improvement projects.
• Must follow all quality standards
• Other duties as assigned. 

Skills and Abilities

• Proficient in HTML, ASP, .NET, .CSS, Action Scripts and JavaScript.
• Proficient in the use of web creation software, including Dreamweaver and Flash.
• Demonstrated knowledge of IIS, ASP.net, Relational Databases and Content Management Systems.
• Experience in the construction of enterprise-wide content effective taxonomies.
• Experience with search engine placement and traffic-building techniques.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Superior presentation skills.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree and three to five years of web development experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Contact Marni Sampair 651-342-1620

www.theconstantsearch.com

VP Finance

Our client is looking for the top finance person to lead all financial management aspects of the company’s operations. The VP Finance will serve as an important contributor to the strategic direction of the company and will provide leadership in areas of accounting, finance, and business planning. Our client has much to offer you beyond this job description. They offer you the ability to be innovative and creative (as much as finance can be creative). Entrepreneurial in nature, our client provides the strength of a Fortune 500 corporation with the ability to be quick and nimble. They are a division of a 3 billion publically held organization, so there is room to grow- which is why this position is open. If you are looking for a company that feels like your own, with the power of a Fortune 500 Corporation, this might be for you.

General Position Information:

• Lead the company through growth initiatives both organically and through acquisitions.
• Review of company’s financial performance with the foresight to identify potential weak areas and ability to guide the company to make strategic improvements.
• Establish and implement both short-term and long-term goals and objectives.
• Develops tools and systems to provide critical financial and operational information to the Executive Management Team and the Board of Directors.
• Plays key leadership role in corporate planning activities, developing and utilizing forward-looking, predictive models and activity-based financial analyses to provide insight into the Company’s operations and business plans.

Personal Attributes and Experience:

• You should have around 10 years’ experience (a little less or a little more depends on the individual).
• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance or Accounting.
• Must be a self-starter and extremely disciplined, while able to excel in a “no hand-holding” “no micro-managing” entrepreneurial environment.
• Please no meeting lovers, who can sit still that long anyway?
• Must possess strong strategic agility with excellent financial and business acumen, while simultaneously rolling up the sleeves to execute with excellence.
• Must be a dynamic leader, someone who energizes their team to wake up every morning and come to work (could someone stop for donuts and coffee, we love coffee).

• Master’s Degree would be nice.
• CPA (active or Inactive) would be a plus.

Please contact us for more details, questions, or to express your thoughts. All inquiries are held in the strictest confidence.

The Constant Search, Inc.-Because the right candidate is out there…

651-342-1620 · theconstantsearch.com

VP Channel Marketing

This is a newly created executive level position that is crucial to our client’s growth. Our client is seeking an individual with experience within an innovative company. This individual must enjoy creating innovative marketing strategies and discovering new customer channels. Please read the job description below and feel free to add to it or change it as you see fit, it may be your job description someday.

The VP of Marketing will lead the company`s marketing strategies across all channels. This role reports directly to the SVP President and will oversee the entire channel marketing department. This person will identify the overall market dynamics and competitive landscape; develop new business development channels and opportunities.  Develop brand marketing plans to drive consumer demand, drive strategic new product and line extension development, support key accounts with trade marketing and lead commercialization for all new products. This position will work closely with sales, engineering, operations, finance and HR (the strategic kind).

 Purpose Statement

To support the vision, goals and strategic direction of our client by developing, implementing and overseeing marketing strategy specific to the New Channel via our Distributor customer base. Efforts and solutions will ensure proper alignment of marketing efforts and coordinate channel and brand integrity efforts, with special focus on the channel’s brands.

 Essential Functions

 To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 Strategic Marketing

• Coordinate and oversee the strategic marketing and planning process for New Channel Marketing.  Work with SVP-Marketing for project prioritization and annual resource alignment.
• Deeply understand the new customer marketplace from a “market-in” perspective (consumer, architects, designer, trade partners) to drive overall NCC marketing strategy and programs.  Especially programs that will increase leads and market penetration leading to aggressive profitable growth.
• Manage Marketing Manager – NCC Marketing to align and optimize marketing efforts as well as customer and specific sales training programs
• Oversee major customer partnership programs; including the Alliance Program while working closely with the SVP-NCC/SAG Sales.  Manage the necessary resources to support Alliance Program (TBD since Alliance has been historically Sales driven versus Marketing due to the nature of the program itself).
• Coordinate work with VP-Product Management, VP-Dealer Marketing, VP-Marketing Services to achieve objectives and address market needs
• Oversee proper use and maintenance of all channel and brand communication standards; especially Channel brands working with Marketing Communications.

 Brand / Product / Channel Communications

• Work closely with NCC Sales and Trade Partners to ensure the development of innovative marketing tools, communications and sales lead programs to support selling success.  This aspect is extremely important for NCC since major focus is on B2B sales tools and profit propositions throughout the value chain (versus consumer promotions or showroom POS).
• Act as a conduit between marketplace and Company’s Product Management for NCC new product needs and existing product modifications. 
• Serve as the front-line communicator and “face” to Corporate Sales/Field for all channel and product launch communications relating to the HTL and HNG brands, as well as regular presentations for biweekly SAG Sales calls, Alliance calls, and FHH calls.  Work closely with VP-Dealer Marketing to ensure proper communications across channels as well.
• Develop, communicate, and coordinate external information requests for Company, especially those relating to NCC channel, Channel brands, and regulatory impact communications to customers
• Oversee and direct market research and competitive analyses for Company

 Miscellaneous

• Model the values and practices of our corporation.
• Participate in strategic alliances and professional organizations to ensure that company is visible and properly placed within the industry

 Skills and Abilities

• Strategic – ability to think both long-term and short-term to develop actionable and well defined strategic marketing plans.
• Communication – requires excellent communications both written and verbal and at many levels with strategy documents, marketing information, product literature review, technical sales direction, etc.  Requires confident public speaking abilities in front of large groups and sales audiences.
• Leadership – ability to lead both direct and indirect reports to drive success and obtain resources.
• Organization – ability to multi-task as well as clearly prioritize, sift and deselect priorities for self and direct reports.
• Energy / Breadth of Thought – requires energetic person, ability to handle pressure and short-timelines as well as the ability to operate at 50,000 strategic level as well as 500 foot tactical level very quickly and easily
• Sense of Urgency – Self-motivated and directed, gets things done quickly and efficiently via the organization
• Travel – ability to travel approximately 25% to get in field with customers and sales

 Qualifications – Education and Experience

• Four-year degree in Business Administration, Marketing or related field required, MBA preferred.
• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible, successful and balanced experience and leadership in marketing strategies as well as product or brand management.
• Sales experience highly desired as well, especially B2B distributor sales, national accounts
• Proven experience with P&L accountability required.
• Durable Goods industry experience preferred.   

For more information visit www.theconstantsearch.com