Job Purpose

This job is responsible for continuous improvement in managing and refining the current and new processes of each program within the operations of the Supply Chain Team.

Primary Job Accountabilities/
Responsibilities

• Understand the current ongoing processes and systems in Japan Supply Chain (SC) organization, best practices in Assurant other locations, and that in other successful companies to benchmark our processes and systems and identify areas of improvement.
• Analyze production data and interpret results to direct improvement initiatives.
• Establish a plan to substantialize improvements identified, confirm alignment with other relevant teams, seek required approvals to put the plan into execution, and implement the plan.
• Monitor how an improvement implemented works and assess if it meets what are aimed for in the planning stage.
• Highlight any risks and/or challenges in SC operations in a timely manner.
• Ensure all Japan SC processes are adherent to Assurant policies and other regulatory and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate with Assurant QA and Materials associates to address line impacting component escalations and determine alternate source components.
• Process / manufacturing facility layout designs to maximize throughput, yields, and quality.
• Build and maintain cooperative, productive, and positive relationship with SC colleagues, other teams such as Operations, IT, Finance, etc., and internal and external stakeholders.
• Report impacts brought by implemented improvements to relevant stakeholders.
• Report and update stakeholders regarding supplier selection, agreement with suppliers, and risk management/ mitigation schemes.

Required Experience, Skills, and Knowledge

• Minimum 5 to 7 years in warehouse operation and logistics
• Proven work experience at warehouse assistant manager level
• Expertise in warehouse management procedures and best practices
• Proven ability to implement process improvement initiatives (Six Sigma, Kaizen)
• Strong knowledge of warehousing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Hands on experience with warehouse management software and databases
• Experience in negotiating with suppliers, sourcing new suppliers
• Leadership skills and ability to supervise external staff
• Strong decision making and logical problem-solving skills
• Flexible, resilient, comfortable with fast-paced high-pressured environment, can contribute in VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) environment
• Proactive, innovative/ creative thinker, ability to think from scratch/ differently, self-starter, and quick logical learner
• Detail oriented and action focused, agile
• Ability to read and comprehend moderately complex instructions
• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to other employees, team leaders, managers and supervisors of the organization
• Excellent communication skills in both Japanese and English
• Digital mindset, IT literacy, PC skills (advanced proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

Preferred Experience, Skills, and Knowledge

• Strong project management skill
• BPR (Business Process Reengineering) experience