Senior Manager, Inventory Management

Career Area:

Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do - but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here - we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Role Definition

Leads the global aftermarket New Product Introduction Authorizations (NPI) and end of parts lifecycle strategy to ensure parts readiness, material availability, and continuity of product support. Develops and implements data-driven supply chain strategies leveraging advanced analytics and machine learning to anticipate demand, mitigate risk, optimize lifecycle decisions, supporting customer back approach and profitable growth.

Responsibilities

• Developing and executing the global aftermarket NPI and lifecycle strategy, aligning parts readiness, availability, inventory, and transition priorities with business growth, customer, and operational objectives.
• Managing global NPI Parts Readiness and Parts Availability, ensuring timely material support for new product launches and aftermarket requirements while proactively identifying and mitigating supply chain risks.
• Leveraging advanced analytics, predictive forecasting, and machine learning to improve demand visibility, parts planning, inventory positioning, risk identification, and decision-making across NPI and product lifecycle activities.
• Directing end-of-life lifecycle management and Parts Disposition, balancing customer support requirements, inventory investment, obsolescence risk, and financial impact.
• Managing part, supplier, engineering, and BOD changes through structured transition strategies to ensure seamless change implementation, supply continuity, and uninterrupted aftermarket product support.
• Leading Quality Disposition activities to address supplier quality issues, accelerate cross-functional resolution, and safeguard material availability and customer commitments.
• Establishing performance metrics, analytics, and governance mechanisms to monitor NPI readiness, forecast accuracy, parts availability, lifecycle transitions, inventory exposure, and supply chain risk; translating insights into actions and strategic recommendations.
• Leading cross-functional collaboration across engineering, procurement, suppliers, logistics, facilities, and product teams to accelerate NPI execution, strengthen lifecycle management, and deliver sustainable improvements supporting operational excellence and profitable growth.

Degree Requirement

Degree or equivalent experience desired, APICS CSCP/CPIM certification will be an added advantage

Skill Descriptors

Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.

Distribution Requirements Planning (DRP): Knowledge of the process, issues and considerations for systematically managing distribution of inventory for multiple plants or warehouses; ability to apply related knowledge and experience in real practice.

Forecasting: Knowledge of forecasting tools, approaches and practices; ability to determine product demand and estimate production requirements and loads.

Inventory Management: Knowledge of processes and methods of inventory management; ability to effectively manage local or distributed inventories of raw materials, work-in-progress and finished goods.

Planning and Organizing: Knowledge of the process of planning and arranging tasks and resources; ability to plan and organize both time and resources to get things completed while structuring and maintaining work in a systematic and highly methodical way.

Problem Solving: Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.

Service Excellence: Knowledge of customer service concepts and techniques; ability to meet or exceed customer needs and expectations and provide excellent service in a direct or indirect manner.

Supply Chain Management: Knowledge of functions, principles and techniques used in supply chain management; ability to develop and use, strategies, practices and tools for controlling the logistical processes.

Cross-Team Integration: Understanding of the importance of inter-team collaboration in breaking down silos and achieving business results; ability to lead employees from various functions to communicate, coordinate work across divisions, and collaborate in solving problems as one team.

Project Management: Knowledge of effective project management strategies and tactics; ability to plan, organize, monitor, and control projects, ensuring efficient utilization of technical and administrative resources to achieve project objectives.

Analytical Thinking: Knowledge of techniques and tools that promote effective analysis; ability to determine the root cause of organizational problems and create alternative solutions that resolve these problems.

Strategic Thinking: Knowledge of the importance of "big picture" thinking and planning; ability to apply organizational acumen and competitiveness to identify and maintain focus on key success factors for the organization.

Posting Dates:

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply

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