Senior Material Planner

Job Overview

We are looking for a seasoned Senior Material Planner to oversee comprehensive material planning and procurement scheduling within our food manufacturing setup. The successful candidate will guarantee timely availability of essential raw materials, ingredients, and packaging to meet production demands while managing inventory costs, shelf-life limitations, and supplier dependability.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and sustain material requirement plans for raw inputs and packaging aligned with production timetables, sales forecasts, and demand indicators.
• Keep close watch on inventory to avoid shortages and excess or obsolete stock, emphasizing items with limited shelf life.
• Coordinate with procurement teams to initiate and manage purchase orders ensuring punctual deliveries and economical sourcing.
• Work alongside production planning to synchronize material availability with the main production schedule.
• Evaluate supplier performance regarding lead times and delivery consistency.
• Address material shortages promptly, accelerating orders to maintain uninterrupted production.
• Analyze inventory turnover rates, safety stock, and reorder thresholds; advise on optimizing working capital usage.
• Lead investigations into planning issues such as shortages or expired inventory and implement corrective measures.
• Use ERP/MRP tools for handling planning data, generating reports, and supporting continuous improvements.
• Assist in new product launches by coordinating sourcing and scheduling material availability.
• Engage in Sales & Operations Planning meetings contributing insights on material constraints and risks.
• Advocate process enhancements to boost planning precision, minimize waste, and strengthen supply chain robustness.

Qualifications

• Degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, Logistics, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• At least 5 to 7 years of experience in material or production planning, ideally within food manufacturing or similar sectors handling perishable goods.
• Proficient in MRP/ERP systems and advanced Excel skills.
• Comprehensive knowledge of food industry factors including shelf-life management and inventory techniques like FIFO/FEFO.
• Experience managing various SKUs, ingredients, and suppliers in fast-paced environments with tight deadlines.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving abilities, and data-oriented decision-making approach.
• Effective communicator with excellent collaboration skills, capable of influencing stakeholders across multiple departments.
• Experience in supplier management and resolving disruptions in supply chains.