Material Planner

Job Summary

The Material Planner is responsible for ensuring the uninterrupted availability of raw materials required to support production in the Closures Factory. The role is accountable for material planning, inventory optimization, supplier coordination, and executing MRP activities to achieve high service levels while maintaining optimal inventory levels. The Material Planner will work closely with Central Teams, Production Planning, Manufacturing, Warehouse, Quality, and suppliers to support customer demand and business objectives.

What you will do

As a Material Planner, you will:

1. Material Planning & Inventory Management
• Plan and manage material requirements based on production plans, forecasts, and customer demand.
• Execute MRP runs and review planning signals, exception messages, and replenishment recommendations.
• Ensure continuous material availability to support production schedules.
• Monitor inventory levels and maintain optimal stock, safety stock, and reorder parameters.
• Identify and mitigate material shortages and excess inventory risks.
• Support inventory reduction initiatives while maintaining target service levels.
• Analyze slow-moving, obsolete, and excess inventory and propose corrective actions.Key Responsibilities
2. Production Support
• Collaborate with Production Planners to align material availability with production requirements.
• Monitor critical materials and proactively communicate supply risks.
• Support new product launches, artwork changes, and material phase-in/phase-out activities.
• Coordinate material allocation during supply constraints.
3. Supplier coordination
• Coordinate with Procurement and suppliers to ensure timely material deliveries.
• Review supplier commitments and expedite deliveries when required.
• Escalate supply issues and develop recovery plans with suppliers.
• Participate in supplier performance reviews.
4. Raw Material Claim Management
• Coordinate and manage supplier claims related to raw material quality, quantity, and delivery discrepancies.
• Work closely with Quality, Procurement, Warehouse, and suppliers to investigate material issues and determine root causes.
• Track and follow up on claims to ensure timely resolution and recovery of costs where applicable.
• Monitor the impact of blocked or rejected materials on production and implement mitigation plans.
• Maintain accurate records of claims, investigations, and supplier responses.
• Participate in supplier performance reviews and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce recurring material issues.
5. System and data management
• Maintain accurate planning parameters and master data within ERP systems (SAP preferred).
• Review and optimize procurement lead times, lot sizes, safety stock, and reorder points.
• Ensure data integrity for material planning processes.
• Support continuous improvement projects related to planning and inventory management
6. Reporting & Analysis
• Prepare and analyze inventory and material planning reports.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and recommend improvement actions.
• Conduct root-cause analysis for stock-outs, excess inventory, and planning variances.
• Support monthly inventory reviews and cycle count investigations.
7. Continuous Improvement
• Drive efficiency improvements in material planning processes.
• Participate in WCM activities, S&OP, and inventory optimization initiatives.
• Support digitalization and automation projects within planning activities.

We believe you have

Education
• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Logistics, Business administration, Industrial Engineering, or related field
Experience
• 3–5 years of experience in Material Planning, Supply Planning Production Planning, or Supply Chain Operations.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment is required.
• Experience in plastics, packaging, closures, or process manufacturing is an advantage
Technical skills
• Strong knowledge of MRP and inventory management principles.
• Experience with ERP systems, preferably SAP.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP, Power Query, data analysis).
• Understanding supply chain planning processes and inventory optimization techniques.
• Knowledge of forecasting and replenishment concepts.
Competency
• Planning Material Requirements (MRP)
• Inventory Control
• Supply Planning
• Demand Analysis
• Data Analytics
• ERP Systems (SAP)

Behavioral Competencies
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Attention to detail
• Effective communication and stakeholder management
• Proactive and results-oriented mindset
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities
• Teamwork and cross-functional collaboration