13104 – Supply Chain Specialist – Carlow Contractor

Purpose:

The Lab Planner is accountable for the effective and efficient running of all planning operations in the QC/QO Labs function. This requires the management of a stable process supported by a flexible, collaborate, multi-skilled teamwork environment. The Lab Planner will be an active member within the cross functional QC and QO Lab Team providing support, guidance and expertise to ensure the success of the Area and will sit on the laboratory operations leadership team. The Lab Planner will be an active part of laboratory strategy development. The Lab Planner will model the Company Leadership behaviors and understand the MPS principles to individually live a culture of continuous improvement to become a High Performance Organisation.

Responsibilities:

• Be customer focused by driving the long term and short-term capacity plans for the Labs, through preparation, analysis and communication.
• Review long-term forecasts with the Labs to identify and mitigate possible capacity/material issues, analyzing rough-cut capacity plans and recommend appropriate action. Analysis will incorporate key activity elements including cost drivers and resource utilization.
• Have a working knowledge of the daily scheduling tools in the lab (e.g. the “rhythm wheels”) and is working with the operations team and planners to continually improve this system (& seamlessly integrate with the capacity planning model.)
• Develop the Lab capacity plans for the Annual Budget Planning process. This activity will incorporate resource planning. Ensure continual alignment to plan and delivery of targets. Deviations to plan must be analyzed from Customer, resource, activity and cost perspective.
• Cycle time reduction, delivery performance and schedule adherence.
• Be a driver in new product introduction activities, shutdown planning, tracking key milestones to enable successful execution of planned initiatives.
• Identify and plan potential laboratory bottlenecks and propose resolutions to ensure continued laboratory capability.
• Recognize and implement continuous improvement activities to increase flexibility, eliminate waste, reduce cycle times and cost while maintaining product supply to internal and external customers.
• Ensure supply of high quality product through tactical planning and execution of production schedules.
• Ensure highest Quality & Compliance standards.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience: 

• Degree or 3rd level qualification (Science, Engineering, Supply Chain.)
• At least five years’ experience in the Pharmaceutical industry or a similar operating environment with experience in lab operations and/or a planning role in an operations environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge in more than one pharmaceutical and/or chemical manufacturing operation (e.g. manufacturing, quality, engineering, etc.)
• Knowledge of and experience in applying Six Sigma and Lean methodologies.
• Demonstrated leadership and change management skills with a continuous improvement focus.
• Demonstrated ability to fully realize improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated successes in a team environment, such as project teams, Six Sigma team, etc.
• Technologically innovative and is a champion for utilising technology for improving planning & operations in the laboratory.
• Advanced PC skills such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
• Stakeholder management of multi decision makers, colleagues, peers and cross functional teams.
• Excellent communication skills & the ability to develop good working relationships with our external partners/customers.
• Desirable evidence of Continuous Professional Development.
• Preference for Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.