Supervisor, Customer Returns & Reprocessing

I.  Job Purpose and Job Duties 

This role requires an active and present leadership style to ensure rapid and knowledgeable responses to daily needs. Effective communication is essential in this position, interacting with all levels of the organization, as well as internal and external customers/suppliers. The role requires the supervisor to be on-site to complete the below requirements. This may require longer hours than a standard eight-hour workday. Work-from-home hours are allowed as needed, but to do not take the place of the required on-site hours.  

The supervisor is required to ensure the safety and security of their team members by focusing on the execution of department and company policies. This position will oversee the functional and cosmetic evaluation of hand instrumentation and electro-mechanical medical devices, as well as performing software upgrades. The supervisor will ensure established standard operating procedures and work instructions are consistently followed to produce safe, accurate, and timely evaluation of customer and company owned assets. All department procedures are routinely audited for effectiveness and improved when necessary. Effective daily collaboration and communication (written/verbal) with stakeholders throughout the process is an important requirement for long term success. The supervisor is required to be trained and be able to execute the department work instructions and procedures. Developing associate skills and contributions through conversation, coaching, and support. Continuous Improvement activities are initiated and completed on top operational defects, both in impact and volume.  Daily labor forecasting and adjustments are required to meet objectives of safety, throughput, and accuracy in supporting customer satisfaction.  

Ownership of the department: 

Safety and security of your associates  

Safety and Sanitation Checklist 

Potential safety risks are addressed 

Aware of associate behaviors and actions 

Directing team on deliverables  

Communicate team targets and goals 

Follow-up on execution of targets and goals 

Know the state of your department  

Daily Standard Work 

Kronos 

LMS 

Snapshot 

VOC review 

Return Inventory Report 

SAP Open task report 

Execution and follow-up of Exception Management  

Use CI tools to diagnose problems/exceptions 

Monitoring of exceptions 

Follow-up on audit results, internal and external   

Financial responsibility of purchases, department spending, and follow-up on discrepancies as needed.  

Plan and strategize the execution of incoming and outgoing workflow 

Understand your department inputs 

Understand your incoming department’s workflow and strategies  

Create and execute action plan(s) for out-of-control workflow situations 

Communicate plans and strategies with appropriate business partners 

Lead department projects as delegated and supported by management 

Oversee the on-time completion of expediting requests. 

Communicate with and Manager/Director on potential safety and/or department issues, people, and product related. 

Addressing non-standard workflow (i.e. VOC/Defects) and escalating to management as needed 

Approve, drive, support, and quantify continuous improvement ideas to improve efficiency, service levels and reduce waste. 

Assist with creation, editing, and processing of work instructions. 

Cross-training within KSEA-L departments to better understand business requirements 

Driving LEAN/Continuous Improvement initiatives with a high level of engagement to support internal and external business partners. These activities include: 

5S 

VOC program 

Idea Board 

Audits 

Visual Control Systems  

Responsible in LC labor planning, both short term and long term.  

Reinforcing and supporting training and coaching of best practices, work instructions, and procedures.  

Serve as the backup to your manager with work allocation and necessary meetings. 

Responsible for supporting compliance and implementation of process improvements with internal and external departments. 

Creating a training plan for the department: 

Ensure Training Trackers are submitted and being completed on time. 

Create a plan for areas of risk where there is light training. 

Communicate and plan with business partners on cross-training efforts to support operational needs. 

Ensure our Compliance and Quality Management System standards are being met through auditing and communicating opportunities. 

Run reports to support and prioritize daily workflow through the department to help maintain FIFO and resolve discrepancies. 

Responsible for overseeing the maintenance and storage of current software files for electro-mechanical devices 

Maintaining an accurate Kanban inventory system within the department 

Facilitating reinspects assigned by quality 

Maintaining an up-to-date PM and Calibration schedule for test equipment 

Support complaint investigation and collaborate with complaint handling team. 

Must be able to work overtime as needed with minimal notice.  

Other duties and responsibilities as assigned. 

The performance of this position is measured by achieving targets related to the following KPIs (others may be added as identified): 

• VOC / Idea board alignment and contributions 
• Audit quality level 
• SLAs 
• SMART Goals 
• OPEX 
• Cost Per Unit 
• Daily carry over WIP  

II. Minimum Knowledge, Education and Skill Requirements  

Required 

• 3-5 years of supervisory experience required, in a distribution or manufacturing environment 
• Basic skill with Microsoft Office applications 
• Demonstrated ability to successfully lead, develop, train, coach, evaluate, communicate, and discipline individual contributors is necessary 
• Warehouse Management System (WMS) knowledge required 
• Public speaking experience required; must be comfortable presenting data/metrics to various levels within the organization 
• Training experience strongly preferred 
• Cross-functional decision making experience 
• Subject Matter Expert within the department 
• Analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills. 
• Quality focused 

Preferred 

• Bachelor’s degree or experience in a related field 
• SAP knowledge  
• LEAN/Continuous improvement training and/or certification 
• Personnel management experience strongly desired  
• Knowledge or aptitude of Microsoft Office Suite preferred with an advanced skill level in Excel 
• SAP/WMS/TMS experience  
• Technical skills / ability to read technical documents 
• Experience with medical equipment 
• Familiar with evaluation/inspection/assembly processes 

III. Essential Functions 

• Must be able to maintain productive working relationships and treat fellow employees with respect. 
• External communication: KARL STORZ colleagues as required. 
• Mental requirements/Emotional Demands:  Ability to adapt and demonstrate flexibility working through changing priorities and work situations. 
• Interpersonal and communication skills:  Multicultural, cross-functional communication; problem solving; business acumen 

Physical Requirements: 

• Position requires constant and varying degrees of movement including standing, sitting, bending, walking, reaching, grabbing, and packing, lifting, pulling, and pushing. Must be able to frequently lift to
• 30lbs. Must be able to occasionally lift up to 100lbs with assistance Must be able to frequently use a warehouse ladder for reaching shelves. Must be able to operate a pallet jack.     

 
IV.  Core Requirements  

• Degree of accountability:  High degree of accountability based on Continuous Improvement is being supported and executed, Achieved SLAs with Business Partners are met, and Achieved KPIs as a result of improvement. 
• Degree of decision making:  Regular decision making of daily tasks will occur  
• Financial/Budgetary:  Properly executed SAP Transactions in accordance with Work Instructions 
• Safety:  Adhere to KARL STORZ safety protocols 
• Quality:  Adhere to KARL STORZ Quality Management System 
• Supervision:  Supervises others 
• Authority to Sign (not applicable for North America): N/A 
• Travel: N/A
• Other duties consistent with the general nature and focus of the job and/or the goals and objectives of the department may be assigned. 
• Note for U.S. only: Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.