Material Planner

Pregis; Aurora (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading manufacturing company in Aurora, Illinois is seeking a Materials Planner to manage the planning and purchasing of raw materials. The ideal candidate will hold a Bachelor's degree in supply chain or business and have 2-5 years of supply chain experience. Key responsibilities include forecasting material needs, facilitating vendor relationships, and maintaining alignment in ERP systems. Strong SAP knowledge and data analytics skills are essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, accounting/finance or related field required.
• 2-5 years of supply chain experience with emphasis in material planning.
• Proven track record of success in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Analyze and establish forecast material needs for manufacturing.
• Oversee purchasing activities for raw and production supplies.
• Facilitate supplier discussions to improve material flow.

Skills

Data analytics experience

Advanced MS Excel skills

Excellent communication skills

SAP procurement knowledge

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain or business

Certifications in Supply Chain field (APICS, CPIM, CSCP, CPF)

Tools

SAP

MS PowerPoint

ERP systems

Job description

Position Overview Pregis is seeking a Materials Planner to manage the planning and purchasing of the raw material inputs that enable our manufacturing operations to satisfy our growing customer demand. In this role, you are responsible for forecasting, analyzing and placing purchase orders from our vendors to ensure we always have appropriate materials on hand. Candidates with expertise in MM modules of SAP software will be prioritized. Our ideal applicant has a bachelor’s degree in supply chain or business, 2-5 years of supply chain experience and will have a proven track record of performance in a manufacturing environment.

Essential Functions

• Analyze and establish forecast material needs for a given period. Monitor site level consumption and adjust order sizes as needs fluctuate.
• Oversee and perform all purchasing activities for raw materials, production supplies and non-production supplies so manufacturing can continue without interruption
• Monitor and work with vendors to ensure committed delivery dates are being met to support site production. Identify bottlenecks in the supply-chain process and implement solutions to improve performance.
• Facilitate supplier discussions and bring to fruition activities to support improved material flow, strategic projects, and cost reduction objectives.
• Develop, analyze and present sourcing data to assist leadership with targeting potential savings initiatives and developing improved supplier performance.
• Support cross-functional teams to successfully source and procure goods and services in support of production, innovation, and new product development.
• Engage with vendors to expedite orders when supplies are low
• Manage working capital on materials and assist sites with hitting inventory management goals
• Collaborate with site level management and planning teams on a regular basis to ensure requirements are fulfilled
• Understand commodity markets of responsibility and be able to provide current market trends and make recommendations to optimize market conditions
• Monitor, maintain, and update all ERP/SAP system parameters and settings to ensure alignment with the Business unit and Supply Chain goals
• Establishes and implements purchasing strategies to align with forecast variability, inventory constraints, supply limitations, and priority markets
• Collaborate with Corporate Procurement on pricing negotiation, support RFQ’s and vendor selection/award activities
• Assist in development and adherence to spending budgets

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret various reports and documents.
• Ability to present issues clearly and concisely; generate accurate analysis, with a good understanding of the cause and effect that will occur with each alternative solution both inside and outside the Supply Chain.
• In depth knowledge of procurement and planning activities within SAP is strongly preferred.
• Proven data analytics experience. Advanced MS Office skills, particularly MS Excel and MS PowerPoint, are expected.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid and concise conclusions and/or recommendations.
• Previous experience with procurement of films, paper, adhesives a plus.
• Ability to adapt to change in direction and modify approach on the fly.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, accounting/finance or related field required
• Certifications or additional education in Supply Chain field, APICS, CPIM, CSCP, CPF a plus
• 2-5 years of supply chain experience with emphasis in material planning
• Proven track record of success in a fast-paced environment
• Strong negotiation skills with the ability to reason and influence at all levels