Material Planner

About the Role

Join a company passionate about its mission as a Material Planner responsible for creating a 24-month rolling materials plan. You will oversee procurement of all necessary packaging and raw materials aligned with production needs. This role entails identifying and communicating risks and opportunities to fulfill production demands at minimum cost while optimizing working capital and maintaining target customer service levels. Collaboration with Procurement on supplier reviews and driving continuous improvement in materials planning processes and tools is expected.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage short- and long-term materials requirements planning supporting production schedules.
• Validate material plans and identify shortages, coordinating resolutions with buyers.
• Issue requisitions to buyers for purchase order processing.
• Address production shortages by collaborating with warehouse, buyers, and production planners to develop contingency plans minimizing production disruptions.
• Optimize delivery schedules by liaising with warehouses and suppliers.
• Coordinate with warehouse, development, and laboratory teams to address suspect materials and ensure uninterrupted factory operations.
• Prepare and present materials constraints, projections, and mitigation strategies at Supply Chain Review Meetings (SRM).
• Utilize SRM to highlight medium- to long-term upstream supply risks and present financially quantified scenarios to inform decision-making.
• Execute project action plans, monitoring milestones and objectives while advising on associated risks and opportunities.
• Manage material procurement for trials alongside New Product Development (NPD).
• Coordinate with stakeholders including R&D, quality, procurement, and buyers to assure material availability for product introductions, renovations, and continuous improvements.
• Prepare liability reports and handle write-offs or obsolete raw and packaging materials, communicating financial impacts related to product lifecycle changes.
• Monitor and maintain forward materials requirements within working capital targets, aiming to minimize stock while ensuring supply adequacy.
• Track packaging and raw material working capital status against targets and collaborate with site finance to manage inventory provisions and minimize write-offs.
• Lead supplier relationship initiatives to build partnerships, identify supply risks and opportunities, and guarantee supply continuity.
• Serve as liaison with Central Procurement for forecast sharing, supplier performance, and pricing updates.
• Provide suppliers weekly rolling 13-week forecasts and rolling 12-month materials forecasts.
• Create risk scenarios assessing material shortages on sales and factory outputs and lead mitigation plans such as safety stock establishment or alternative sourcing.
• Maintain accuracy and functionality of MRP tools through systematic reviews and data updates.
• Develop stock holding policies for raw and packaging materials in line with group objectives and maintain targets through effective planning.
• Collaborate with suppliers to reduce working capital and manage supply constraints to prevent business interruptions.
• Develop contingency strategies jointly with Central Procurement and suppliers to address potential supply risks.
• Ensure compliance with MRP processes without audit findings.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• National Diploma in Industrial Engineering, Logistics Management, Supply Chain Management, or Bachelor of Commerce in Logistics/Supply Chain.
• Certifications such as CPIM, CSCP, or CIPS are advantageous.
• At least 3 years' experience in planning, preferably in supplier, retail, and make-to-stock environments.
• Experience within FMCG or manufacturing industries preferred.

Core Competencies & Skills

• Strong grasp of materials planning best practices, project management, and production planning.
• Understanding of customer service interrelations, product management, demand planning, procurement, and inventory management (raw and packaging materials).
• Proficiency in S&OP processes, data analytics, supply chain risk management, and stakeholder engagement.
• Leadership abilities including influencing, driving results, change management, and decision making.
• Effective communication, interpersonal skills, integrity, creativity, continuous learning, and attention to detail.

Additional Information

This role is based in Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa. Employment equity principles may result in preference for candidates from under-represented designated groups as per the company's equity plan.