Material Planner

The Materials Planner is responsible for managing the supply chain of assigned product groups, ensuring inventory levels align with customer demand and company objectives.

This role requires proactive demand forecasting, inventory optimization, coordination with internal teams (customer service, sales, marketing, and finance), and collaboration with external suppliers/vendors to optimize material flow.

The Materials Planner plays a key role in integrating new products and customers while effectively managing excess and obsolete inventory. Utilizing APICS global supply chain standards, this position ensures seamless operations, cost efficiency, and supply continuity.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

• Forecasting & Planning: Analyze historical data, market trends, and sales projections to develop accurate demand forecasts, ensuring optimal inventory levels.
• ​Inventory Optimization: Manage stock levels to prevent shortages and overages, implementing strategies to reduce excess and obsolete inventory while maintaining service level targets.
• ​Maintain clear communication with stakeholders and vendors by promptly responding to email requests and providing updates on current/in-transit orders, past-dues, volumes, lead-times/fulfillment dates
• Establish, track and report supply chain KPIs as required
• Regularly analyze data to create clear, data-driven reporting & presentations on inventory insights, forecast accuracy, and supply chain performance metrics to key stakeholders.
• Provide improvement recommendations on inventory reporting, processes, sourcing, and efficiency enhancements, using best practice measures.
• Manage Excess Inventory to track, measure, and oversee the disposal or repurposing of excess inventory to optimize stock levels.
• Collaborate with cross functional partners to provide updates on inventory, sourcing, lead times, and analysis while proactively identifying and resolving inventory challenges. Assist in planning for product packaging and purchasing strategies.
• Optimize freight & supplier replenishment to evaluate freight options based on cost, efficiency, and delivery timelines in collaboration with the Traffic Manager to ensure the best cost-benefit ratio.
• Assist with pricing updates, generate reports for planning, accounting, and sales teams, review forecast accuracy, coordinate product launches, manage data and BOMs, and oversee inventory levels at third-party logistics providers (3PLs).
• Participate in projects and process improvement initiatives related to material and inventory requirements, distribution flow enhancements, new customer onboarding, and freight cost reduction.

Updated Tasks:

• Expedite shipment follow up between Planner and internal Transportation department both verbal and email communication
• Follow up on incoming shipment delays with internal partners
• Dropship follow up and reporting via internal communications using excel skills, and data entry.
• Use Excel skills, data entry, administrative skills and email communication to view Customer Backorders progress.
• Use information compiled from Memphis open orders report and additional kitting information provided by internal communications and Inbound information to:
• Determine what can be kitted this week by item, quantity, and value reduction
• Determine what’s due in inbound, this week, this month, etc

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• Excel
• Pivot Table skills
• Communications skills for email and verbal communication
• Administrative skills
• Data entry