External Supply Planner (Operational Buyer)

Safran; Cwmbran; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Safran Seats is seeking an External Supply Planner to manage ERP-driven supply plans with external suppliers, ensuring material availability for production and addressing risks and capacity constraints.

You will work in the External Supply Chain team within the wider Supply Chain function, focusing on tactical and operational supplier management to support continuity and performance monitoring.

Qualifications

• Experience with ERP systems and material scheduling.
• Production or material scheduling in technically complex, regulated industry.
• Familiarity with supplier capacity and delivery performance tracking.
• Supply chain risk management experience including mitigation.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Interpret ERP outputs to create, adjust, and expedite supplier schedules.
• Monitor supplier delivery performance and resolve discrepancies.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to align material plans with production requirements.
• Support risk assessment and contingency planning with suppliers.
• Maintain ERP planning parameters (lead times, lot sizes, safety stock).
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

ERP system experience

Production scheduling

Supplier capacity & delivery tracking

Supply chain risk management

Multitasking / prioritization

Stakeholder management

Tools

Lean DNA

Microsoft Office (Word/Excel/PowerPoint)

Job description

Safran is an international high-technology group operating in the fields of aerospace (propulsion, equipment and interiors), space and defense. Its mission is to contribute sustainably to a safer world, where air transport becomes ever more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Present on every continent, Safran was ranked second in the Aerospace & Defense sector in TIME magazine's "World's Best Companies 2025" ranking.

With more than one million seats installed across the fleets of the world's leading airlines, Safran Seats is one of the global leaders in passenger, crew, aircraft and helicopter seating, delivering innovative, high value-added solutions.

Join Safran Seats as our External Supply Planner, overseeing the execution of ERP-based supply plans with external suppliers, and ensuring timely material availability to support production requirements while actively addressing risks, capacity limitations, and adherence to schedules.

The External Supply Chain Planner is responsible for executing ERP-driven supply plans with external suppliers, ensuring material availability to meet production needs while proactively managing risks, capacity constraints, and schedule adherence. This role focuses on the tactical and operational dimensions of supplier management (not commercial negotiation) and plays a critical part in ensuring supply continuity, performance monitoring, and alignment with the production plan.

You’ll be a member of the External Supply Chain team, part of the wider Supply Chain function.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

ERP Supply Plan Execution

• Interpret and action MRP outputs to create, adjust, and expedite purchase orders and supplier schedules.
• Resolve discrepancies between ERP plans and supplier commitments.
• Lead order error resolution for supply base.
• Monitor accurate and timely PO acknowledgements and delivery confirmations from suppliers.

Supplier Coordination

• Be the first point of contact for daily operational matters with assigned suppliers.
• Communicate changes to schedules, volumes, or priorities to suppliers within agreed planning horizons.
• Escalate persistent delivery issues or risks to the External Supply Manager and Strategic Purchasing counterpart.
• Support and resolve invoice queries.

Capacity & Risk Management

• Assess supplier capacity vs. forecast and identify shortfalls or bottlenecks early.
• Support contingency planning and capacity recovery activities in collaboration with the manager and suppliers.
• Document and track risk mitigation actions.

Supplier Performance Monitoring

• Track supplier On-Time Delivery (SOTD), responsiveness, and delivery quality.
• Maintain accurate supplier performance data in relevant dashboards and KPIs.
• Support and attend regular supplier reviews with data and insights.

Planning Collaboration

• Work cross-functionally with internal stakeholders (production planning, logistics, inventory control, supplier performance, quality, after market) to ensure full alignment of material plans with final assembly requirements.
• Inform internal stakeholders of confirmed delivery plans and exceptions.

Data and System Maintenance

• Maintain accurate ERP planning parameters (e.g. lead times, lot sizes, safety stock levels).
• Support root cause analysis of MRP discrepancies and system errors.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify and propose process improvements to enhance supplier collaboration, ERP usage, and supply planning efficiency.
• Participate in lean or supply chain improvement initiatives as needed.

Knowledge, Experience, Training and Qualifications

Essential Skills

• A good understanding, and experience working with an ERP System, particularly material scheduling.
• Production or material scheduling experience in technically complex and highly regulated industry.
• Familiarity with supplier capacity and delivery performance tracking.
• Supply Chain risk management experience including reduction and assessment of risks.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment
• Stakeholder management

Desirable Skills

• Competent Microsoft user inc. Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement tools.
• Experience in aviation or aerospace manufacturing.
• Experience of using a supplier two way system such as Lean DNA or other business intelligence tools.
• APICS CPIM / CSCP or similar supply chain qualification.