Materials and Supply Planner

Job Details: Job Location: Corporate Office - Trussville, AL, Salary Range: Undisclosed, The Materials and Supply Planner is responsible for the company’s integrated materials planning process.  This role serves as the business owner for SPOC’s Supply Readiness Assessment by evaluating customer demand, supplier commitments, material availability, inventory position, and planning constraints to support development of the Operational Execution Plan (OEP). 

The Materials and Supply Planner drives Material Requirements Planning (MRP), creation of supply planning worksheets, planning parameters, lead-time management, and material planning policies.  This role reports to the Director, Integrated Supply Chain Operations and Planning to provide recommendations regarding supply risks, material constraints, and mitigation strategies that support operational decision-making.

This position must work cross-functionally with Demand Planning   Procurement, Inventory Control, Warehouse Operations, Production Logistics, Manufacturing, Engineering, Transportation, Finance, and Sales to align and integrate inventory availability, supplier commitments, planning parameters, lead-time risk, and production requirements into a comprehensive Supply Readiness Assessment.

Success in this role is measured by the organization's ability to proactively identify material constraints, improve planning confidence, and support stable manufacturing execution.

Key Responsibilities

Own and maintain the company's Supply Readiness Assessment process.
Evaluate material readiness supporting the Operational Execution Plan.
Develop integrated material supply plans supporting production requirements.
Analyze demand forecasts, backlog, and production schedules to determine material readiness.
Review and manage Material Requirements Planning (MRP) recommendations.
Serve as business owner for Business Central Planning Worksheets and planning processes.
Maintain planning parameters including lead times, safety stock, reorder policies, and planning calendars.
Support scenario planning and evaluate the operational impact of changes in demand, supplier performance, or production capacity.
Monitor critical material shortages and develop mitigation plans.
Evaluate supplier commitments and material delivery risk in partnership with Procurement.
Identify long-lead material constraints and recommend recovery actions.
Support monthly Operational Execution Planning by providing Supply Readiness assessments and recommendations.
Partner with Demand Planning to align material plans with customer demand forecasts.
Collaborate with Manufacturing to support schedule stability and production readiness.
Partner with Inventory Control to optimize inventory planning strategies and inventory coverage.
Recommend inventory planning policies that balance operational readiness with working capital objectives.
Maintain material planning assumptions, constraints, and executive planning recommendations supporting the monthly Operational Execution Review.
Analyze planning performance and recommend process improvements.
Support Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central implementation, testing, and continuous improvement.
Lead cross-functional planning meetings focused on material readiness and supply risk.
Develop standardized planning processes, procedures, and documentation.
Provide material planning analysis supporting Procurement and supplier planning activities.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives that improve planning accuracy, material availability, and schedule stability.
Build collaborative relationships across Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Engineering, Sales, Finance, IT, and Quality.
Support organizational readiness for growth through scalable planning processes and operational discipline.
Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, Business, Logistics, or related discipline preferred.
Equivalent combinations of education, military leadership, technical training, certifications, and 5–8 years of progressively responsible manufacturing or supply chain experience will be considered.
Experience with ERP planning, manufacturing operations, procurement, or production scheduling preferred.
ASCM Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certifications are preferred.

Skill Requirements

Cross-Functional Leadership:  Ability to influence and coordinate cross-functional teams across Procurement, Manufacturing, Inventory Control, Warehouse Operations, Engineering, Sales, Finance, and Information Technology without direct authority.

Planning & Analytics:  Strong analytical capability to evaluate material availability, demand signals, supplier performance, inventory strategy, production capacity, and operational readiness using quantitative and qualitative data.

ERP & Technical Systems: Advanced understanding of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Material Requirements Planning (MRP), Master Production Scheduling (MPS), Planning Worksheets, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (preferred), Power BI, Excel, and supply chain analytics tools.

Systems Thinking:  Ability to understand complex interactions between demand planning, procurement, inventory, production scheduling, warehouse operations, transportation, and manufacturing execution while developing integrated operational solutions.

Communication: Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to communicate operational risks, planning assumptions, and executive recommendations clearly to all organizational levels.

Planning and Organization: Ability to manage multiple planning horizons, competing priorities, cross-functional projects, and operational deadlines within a rapidly growing manufacturing environment.

Problem Solving: Demonstrated ability to identify material constraints, evaluate operational risk, develop mitigation strategies, and make sound business recommendations under changing business conditions.

Business Acumen: Ability to balance customer demand, operational capability, inventory investment, supplier performance, and business priorities while supporting executive decision-making.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION / EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

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