Lead Material Planner - Second Shift

Slate Auto; Warsaw (IN); On-site; USD 123,339 - 185,009; Full time

Job summary

Slate is seeking a proactive Material Planning Supervisor, Crew B (Second Shift) to guide our automotive material planning team. You will lead planning, scheduling, and cross‑functional collaboration to ensure reliable production flow and optimized inventory levels, while mitigating supply chain risks.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience in high‑volume manufacturing, strong leadership abilities, and a deep understanding of MRP/ERP systems and lean principles, with a track record of

Qualifications

• 12+ years related experience with Bachelor's degree
• 8 years with Master's degree
• 5 years with PhD or equivalent experience
• Strong knowledge of MRP/ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Plex, FUUZ, Etc.) and inventory control practices
• Proven leadership experience with ability to coach and develop high‑performing teams
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem‑solving skills
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for cross‑functional collaboration
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, data analysis)

Responsibilities

• Supervise, mentor, and develop a team of material planners, setting clear goals and performance expectations.
• Lead daily planning meetings and ensure alignment between production, procurement, and logistics teams.
• Develop and implement strategic material planning processes that support business goals and customer requirements.
• Create and manage material requirement plans (MRPs) based on production forecasts, customer orders, and inventory targets.
• Ensure timely procurement and delivery of materials to meet production schedules without overstocking.
• Monitor supplier performance and coordinate with purchasing to resolve delivery or quality issues.
• Maintain optimal inventory levels by balancing supply and demand, reducing excess and obsolete inventory.
• Analyze usage trends, lead times, and capacity constraints to improve planning accuracy.
• Implement and maintain PFEP to ensure efficient material flow and storage.
• Oversee transition of obsolete parts, minimizing financial liability and waste.
• Support manufacturing changes / Change Management and process enhancements; support NPI & launch activities.
• Establish SOPs for material planning to improve efficiency and accountability.
• Optimize cost‑saving strategies while maintaining quality and productivity standards.
• Utilize ERP/MRP systems to manage material planning, scheduling, and reporting.
• Ensure data accuracy in BOMs, item masters, and inventory records.
• Generate and analyze KPIs such as inventory turns, on‑time delivery, and material availability.
• Collaborate with production, quality, engineering, and logistics teams for new product launches and engineering changes.
• Coordinate with suppliers and logistics providers for timely inbound material flow.
• Support packaging and labeling compliance for inbound and outbound materials.
• Lead lean initiatives to streamline material flow and reduce waste.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance planning efficiency and responsiveness.
• Conduct root cause analysis for material shortages and implement corrective actions.

Skills

MRP/ERP

Leadership

Analytics

Communication

Excel

Cross-functional

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD or equivalent

Tools

SAP

Oracle

Plex

FUUZ

Excel

Job description

Slate is seeking a proactive Material Planning Supervisor, Crew B (Second Shift) to guide our automotive material planning team. You will lead planning, scheduling, and cross‑functional collaboration to ensure reliable production flow and optimized inventory levels, while mitigating supply chain risks.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience in high‑volume manufacturing, strong leadership abilities, and a deep understanding of MRP/ERP systems and lean principles, with a track record of