Materials Planner

Specific Duties and Responsibilities :

• Responsible for developing and managing demand intake for product and contributing to the creation of the END item supply plan in the MRP.
• Works on issues of diverse scope where analysis of data requires evaluation of identifiable factors.
• Demonstrates good judgment in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions.
• Normally receives little instruction on day-to-day work, and general instructions on new assignments.
• Has the authority to make responsible decisions comparable to scope of position.
• Analyzes the demand requirements vs. the supply commitments and possibilities.
• Performs due diligence by conducting what-if analyses for all demand changes, prior to agreements being made with customers.
• Executes MRP run for changed demand and end item supply requirements.
• Works with Master Production Scheduling to ensure closed loop feedback process is in place for all potential risks to meeting supply.
• Works with Purchasing to confirm materials availability for all demand requests that require orders to be expedited or placed within lead-time.
• Works with Account Management and Supply Chain Management for agreement of order quantities and rules, buffer inventories, etc.
• Reviews the plan with Master Production Scheduling weekly to understand changes, review capacity loads, and materials plans/risks.

Knowledge and Skills

College diploma in Business Administration or related fields is an asset. Typically requires a minimum of 5 years’ related experience.

Communication

• Communicates with internal teams and external customers to ensure effective execution of planning schedule and commits.
• Networks with senior internal and external personnel in own area of expertise.

Customer Focus

• Works directly with Program Managers to ensure ordering rules reflect the desired operation of the business and customer requirements that may be in conflict can be managed.
• Participates in early discovery sessions to ensure customer requirements are understood and planning, build, and supply chain design, methods and processes are developed.

Problem Solving

• Focuses on meeting mid
• and long-term customer demand (orders or forecasts), assessing materials and capacity requirements in a proactive manner and works with Account Management and Supply Chain Management to mitigate risks. The goal is to improve customer responsiveness, flexibility, internal scheduling, and reduce execution costs.

Job specific skills

• Advanced skills in Excel and Oracle are required.

Leadership

• Participates in cross-functional teams including Buyers, Test, Manufacturing and Quality Engineers, and Program Managers.
• May lead weekly and monthly supply/demand reviews.
• Provides support and guidance to less experienced members of the team.

Innovation

• Identifies, recommends and builds opportunities for improvements to planning process.

Organization/Project Management

• Sets overall product lead-times. Analyzes constraints that allow customer lead-times to be met and ensures reduction initiatives are undertaken.