Buyer Planner

zeissgroup; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

ZEISS in Maple Grove, MN is seeking a Buyer Planner to ensure material availability, optimize inventory, and support operational excellence through data‑driven planning and procurement strategies.

You will partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, Strategic Purchasing, Customer Care, Sales and Suppliers to maintain material flow, improve supply chain resilience, and drive continuous improvements across the end‑to‑end supply chain.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business, Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in supply chain planning, procurement, manufacturing, or inventory management.
• Experience working within ERP systems (SAP preferred).
• APICS/ASCM certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain demand forecasts using historical trends, customer demand signals, market intelligence, and AI-assisted forecasting tools.
• Support monthly S&OP and Integrated Business Planning (IBP) processes.
• Identify forecast risks and opportunities and recommend corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Sales, Service, Product Management, and Manufacturing to align supply with demand.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and implement improvements to planning methodologies.
• Ensure material availability to support production schedules and customer delivery commitments.
• Identify supply constraints and develop mitigation plans to minimize production disruptions.
• Manage exception-based planning processes and prioritize critical shortages.
• Utilize digital planning tools and dashboards to monitor supply chain performance.
• Support production leveling and capacity planning initiatives.
• Manage procurement activities for assigned commodities and suppliers.
• Execute purchase orders, supplier scheduling agreements, and replenishment strategies.
• Monitor supplier delivery performance, lead times, capacity constraints, and risk indicators.
• Partner with Strategic Purchasing to support supplier development and cost optimization initiatives.
• Drive supplier performance improvements through data-driven reviews and corrective action plans.
• Optimize inventory levels while maintaining required service levels.
• Analyze excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory and develop disposition plans.
• Support inventory reduction and working capital improvement initiatives.
• Establish and maintain inventory policies, safety stocks, reorder points, and planning parameters.
• Utilize AI-enabled planning, forecasting, and analytics tools to improve decision making.
• Develop and maintain dashboards, KPIs, and automated reporting solutions.
• Leverage predictive analytics to identify supply chain disruptions before they impact operations.
• Support automation initiatives that reduce manual work and improve data accuracy.
• Participate in ERP, digital transformation, and supply chain technology projects.
• Maintain accurate material master, supplier master, and procurement data within ERP systems.
• Support Engineering Change Management and lifecycle planning activities.
• Identify opportunities for process simplification, standardization, and automation.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory requirements, and audit standards.
• Identify supply chain risks related to suppliers, logistics, inventory, and geopolitical factors.
• Develop contingency and recovery plans for critical materials and supply disruptions.
• Support supplier onboarding, dual-sourcing, and resiliency initiatives.
• Drive proactive risk monitoring and escalation processes.

Skills

Demand planning

Forecasting

S&OP

Inventory management

Supply chain analytics

Cross-functional collaboration

ERP systems

Procurement

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

3+ years supply chain experience

APICS/ASCM certification preferred

Tools

SAP ERP

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

Job description

About Us

How many companies can say they've been in business for over 180 years?!

Here at ZEISS, we certainly can! As the pioneers of science, ZEISS handles ever-changing environments in a fast-paced world, meeting it with cutting edge of technologies and continuous advancements. ZEISS believes that innovation and technology are the key to a sustainable future and solutions for global change. We have a diverse range of portfolios throughout the ZEISS family in segments like Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology. We are a global company with over 46,000 employees and have over 4,000 in the US and Canada alone! Make a difference, come join the team!

Location/Region:

This position is a hybrid role and is located at our Maple Grove, MN facility.

What's the role?

The Buyer Planner is responsible for ensuring material availability, optimizing inventory levels and supporting operational excellence through data-driven planning and procurement strategies. This role leverages ERP systems, AI-enabled analytics, forecasting tools and supplier collaboration to proactively identify risks, improve service levels, optimize working capital and support business growth.

The position partners closely with Manufacturing, Engineering, Strategic Purchasing, Customer Care, Sales and Suppliers to maintain material flow, improve supply chain resilience and drive continuous process improvements across the end-to-end supply chain.

Sound Interesting?

Here’s what you'll do:

Demand Planning & Forecast Management

• Develop and maintain demand forecasts using historical trends, customer demand signals, market intelligence, and AI-assisted forecasting tools.
• Support monthly S&OP and Integrated Business Planning (IBP) processes.
• Identify forecast risks and opportunities and recommend corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Sales, Service, Product Management, and Manufacturing to align supply with demand.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and implement improvements to planning methodologies.

Supply Planning & Production Readiness

• Ensure material availability to support production schedules and customer delivery commitments.
• Identify supply constraints and develop mitigation plans to minimize production disruptions.
• Manage exception-based planning processes and prioritize critical shortages.
• Utilize digital planning tools and dashboards to monitor supply chain performance.
• Support production leveling and capacity planning initiatives.

Procurement & Supplier Management

• Manage procurement activities for assigned commodities and suppliers.
• Execute purchase orders, supplier scheduling agreements, and replenishment strategies.
• Monitor supplier delivery performance, lead times, capacity constraints, and risk indicators.
• Partner with Strategic Purchasing to support supplier development and cost optimization initiatives.
• Drive supplier performance improvements through data-driven reviews and corrective action plans.

Inventory & Working Capital Management

• Optimize inventory levels while maintaining required service levels.
• Analyze excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory and develop disposition plans.
• Support inventory reduction and working capital improvement initiatives.
• Establish and maintain inventory policies, safety stocks, reorder points, and planning parameters.

Digital Supply Chain & AI Enablement

• Utilize AI-enabled planning, forecasting, and analytics tools to improve decision making.
• Develop and maintain dashboards, KPIs, and automated reporting solutions.
• Leverage predictive analytics to identify supply chain disruptions before they impact operations.
• Support automation initiatives that reduce manual work and improve data accuracy.
• Participate in ERP, digital transformation, and supply chain technology projects.

Master Data & Process Excellence

• Maintain accurate material master, supplier master, and procurement data within ERP systems.
• Support Engineering Change Management and lifecycle planning activities.
• Identify opportunities for process simplification, standardization, and automation.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory requirements, and audit standards.

Risk Management & Business Continuity

• Identify supply chain risks related to suppliers, logistics, inventory, and geopolitical factors.
• Develop contingency and recovery plans for critical materials and supply disruptions.
• Support supplier onboarding, dual-sourcing, and resiliency initiatives.
• Drive proactive risk monitoring and escalation processes.

Do you qualify?

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business, Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in supply chain planning, procurement, manufacturing, or inventory management.
• Experience working within ERP systems (SAP preferred).
• APICS/ASCM certification preferred.

Technical Skills

• SAP ERP (ECC or S/4HANA)
• Microsoft Excel (advanced)
• Power BI or equivalent analytics tools
• AI