Senior Supply Chain Manager

About the opportunity

Tenneco is looking for a Senior Supply Chain Manager to own plant-level supply chain execution in a demanding automotive manufacturing setting. The role is centered on building a disciplined operating rhythm that brings together customer demand, supply, capacity, inventory, supplier performance, and execution priorities into one coordinated plan.

This position serves as the process owner for S&OE and S&OP at plant level and works closely with Plant Management, Operations, Customer Service, Procurement, Logistics, Finance, and Program Management.

Role purpose

The main objective is to lead the plant supply chain as an end-to-end business process by managing production planning, safeguarding customer service, strengthening inventory control, and maintaining cash discipline in a volatile demand environment.

Core responsibilities

The role covers the full material flow from raw materials to final shipment, including raw materials, work in progress, finished goods, intercompany movement, and external customer deliveries. It also includes ownership of short- and mid-term demand and supply execution, planning governance, master scheduling, SAP/ERP data integrity, and planning parameters that support accurate decisions.

A major part of the position is leading the daily, weekly, and monthly S&OE/S&OP cadence. This includes protecting production flow and shipments on a daily basis, aligning the 12–16 week outlook weekly, and preparing monthly inputs for the 12-month horizon with demand assumptions, capacity checks, material constraints, and AOP alignment. The role also relies on scenario planning to compare demand, supply, inventory, and capacity so the business can respond quickly and on facts.

The position is responsible for customer service performance, backlog reduction, and recovery of overdue orders through structured action plans. It also requires active communication with customer-facing teams and leadership of escalation meetings when demand changes or capacity issues put service levels at risk.

Inventory control is another key focus area. The role manages inventory value and days on hand versus target across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods, while identifying slow-moving, excess, and abnormal stock build-ups and driving corrective action. It also ensures inventory accuracy through cycle counting, variance review, and corrective measures.

The manager monitors supplier deliveries, shortages, quality problems, and supplier OTIF in order to prevent disruptions to production. Corrective actions with Procurement, Logistics, and suppliers are part of the role, along with oversight of PF usage and transportation execution to maintain cost discipline without compromising customer commitments.

The job requires running a strong daily management system with tier meetings, operations reviews, and action-plan follow-up. Performance tracking includes production plan attainment, schedule adherence, pick-ups, shortages, shipment execution, and the conversion of KPI gaps into clear actions with owners, mitigation steps, and deadlines.

The role also drives supply chain excellence and continuous improvement by supporting the P3 Operating Standard, introducing standard work and best practices, improving KPI visibility, simplifying processes, removing waste, and supporting lean transformation across the plant.

In addition, the Senior Supply Chain Manager leads, coaches, and develops the plant supply chain team, works closely with cross-functional partners to remove barriers, and supports product launches and phase-outs by anticipating planning, material, capacity, and logistics risks.

What success in this role looks like

Success means a stable S&OE/S&OP cadence, improved customer service, reliable production supported by material availability, tighter inventory control, a stronger and more proactive team, and a supply chain organization that shifts from firefighting to controlled execution.

Qualifications and experience

The ideal candidate has proven plant-level supply chain leadership experience in automotive or complex manufacturing environments, with strong knowledge of demand planning, supply planning, production scheduling, material planning, inventory, logistics, and customer delivery.

Hands-on experience with S&OE/S&OP routines, daily management, escalation handling, and cross-functional performance reviews is expected, along with strong ERP/SAP planning knowledge and the ability to make data-driven decisions using KPIs and action plans.

Experience with lean transformation, waste reduction, pull systems, lead-time reduction, and continuous improvement is important. The role also requires calm performance under pressure, the ability to create clarity during escalations, and strong leadership, coaching, and communication skills in a matrix organization. Experience supporting launches, phase-outs, or major demand/capacity changes is an advantage.

Education and language skills

A bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field is required. A master’s degree is preferred.

The role requires native or bilingual German and fluent English. Another European language is considered an advantage.

Additional skills and certifications

Strong Excel skills are required. Experience with BI tools, ERP platforms, and emerging supply chain technologies is beneficial. Lean/Six Sigma certification and APICS certification are also considered advantages.

Why this role may appeal to you

This is a high-impact opportunity in a global automotive manufacturing environment, with the chance to shape the supply chain operating model, improve plant performance, and contribute to a culture of operational excellence, simplification, accountability, and continuous improvement. Ongoing development and career growth are part of the opportunity.