Director of Production Planning and Transportation Logistics

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Director of Production Planning and Transportation Logistics is responsible for the strategic leadership of two key functions: production planning and transportation logistics. This person ensures strategic alignment between production capacity and sales forecasts while guaranteeing the efficiency and timeliness of customer deliveries. They lead a multidisciplinary team and work closely with sales, manufacturing plants, customer service, and external partners. They also play a key role in the continuous improvement of processes, tools, and operational practices.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Production Planning

• Define and implement production planning strategies aligned with sales forecasts, customer requirements, production capacities, product life cycles, and profitability objectives.
• Develop planning models tailored to product lines (e.g., "make to order" vs. "make to stock") and optimize inventory management processes, both internal and customer (VMI).
• Analyze production and external storage capacities to ensure optimal alignment with demand.
• Oversee the analysis of trends and sales forecasts to guide strategic adjustments to order books.
• Promote smooth collaboration between sales, production, customer service, and transportation, notably through "Sales & Operations Planning" exchanges.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in planning practices and lead their implementation.

Transportation Logistics

• Provide strategic leadership to the transportation team by setting priorities, partnerships, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Oversee the overall performance of multimodal transportation operations, including delivery timeliness, equipment availability, and shipment flow from plants and extended inventories.
• Act as the escalation point for operational issues and lead recovery plans in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strengthen synergy between carriers, brokers, planning teams, plants, and sales by fostering a collaborative, customer-oriented approach.
• Support team member development through training, coaching, and engagement around service and efficiency objectives.
• Drive the evolution of transportation management processes and tools, promoting documentation, standardization, and innovation.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement within the logistics team by implementing performance indicators and feedback loops.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

• University degree in operations management, logistics, engineering, or a related field. An MBA is an asset.

EXPERIENCE

• 10 years of experience in planning, logistics, supply chain, and continuous improvement, including several years in a managerial role.
• Proven experience managing multidisciplinary teams in a complex manufacturing environment.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Customer service-oriented, with a focus on operational performance and product market understanding.
• Ability to think both tactically and strategically with a cross-functional perspective.
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to make quick decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust-based relationships with internal teams and external partners.
• Recognized for strong leadership and coaching qualities.
• Advanced knowledge of ERP and TMS systems, as well as Excel and the Microsoft Office suite.

LANGUAGES

• Bilingual, both oral and written (English and French).

Knowledge of English is required for this specific position as Kruger deals with partners across North America and the successful candidate will be required to communicate frequently with them. Kruger has taken all reasonable steps to avoid imposing English language requirements, including assessing the actual language needs associated with the duties to be performed, ensuring that the language skills already required of other employees were insufficient for the performance of those duties, and limiting as much as possible the number of positions with duties requiring English language skills.

Competitive Compensation

Stimulating Work Environment

Wide Range of Benefits

Numerous Growth Opportunities