Material Planner Manager

Socket.dev; Ridgeway (SC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a seasoned Material Planning Leader to guide the Material Planning team and ensure timely availability of purchased and intercompany materials to support customer demand and production schedules. You will manage supplier schedules, align with MRP, optimize inventory, and coordinate cross-functionally with CS, Production, Purchasing, Logistics, Warehouse, Quality and Suppliers.

You will lead shortage meetings, implement recovery plans, and drive KPI reporting on material

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a related field.
• 10+ years of automotive industry experience.
• 5+ years in material planning or supplier scheduling leadership.
• Strong understanding of MRP, inventory control, supplier releases, and production planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Material Planning team.
• Ensure timely availability of materials to support demand and production schedules.
• Manage supplier schedules, releases, confirmations, and material forecasts in line with MRP.
• Monitor shortages, late deliveries, and material constraints affecting production.
• Coordinate daily with Customer Service, Production, Purchasing, Logistics, Warehouse, Quality, and Suppliers.
• Translate demand into reliable material plans and supplier priorities.
• Lead shortage meetings, escalations, and recovery actions with suppliers.
• Optimize inventory levels while ensuring continuity and on-time delivery.
• Support launches, engineering changes, phase-ins/phase-outs, and obsolescence control.
• Prepare supply chain KPIs and reports on material availability, supplier performance, and inventory.

Skills

Leadership

Data analysis

Excel advanced

English fluency

Communication

Urgency mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

SAP

MRP systems

ERP

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Material Planning team.
• Ensure timely availability of purchased and intercompany materials to support customer demand and production schedules.
• Manage supplier schedules, releases, confirmations, and material forecasts in alignment with MRP requirements.
• Monitor shortages, past-due supplier deliveries, inventory risks, and production-impacting material constraints.
• Coordinate daily with Customer Service, Production, Purchasing, Logistics, Warehouse, Quality, and Suppliers.
• Translate customer demand and production requirements into reliable material plans and supplier priorities.
• Lead shortage meetings, escalation processes, recovery plans, and supplier follow-up actions.
• Optimize inventory levels while protecting production continuity and customer delivery performance.
• Support program launches, engineering changes, phase-in/phase-out activities, and obsolescence control.
• Prepare supply chain KPIs and management reports, including material availability, supplier performance, inventory turns, excess/obsolete inventory, and root-cause actions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Logistics, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of automotive industry experience.
• Minimum 5 years in material planning, production planning, supply chain, or supplier scheduling leadership.
• Strong understanding of automotive manufacturing, MRP, inventory control, supplier releases, and production planning.
• ERP experience required; SAP experience strongly preferred.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and strong data analysis capability.
• Experience managing supplier performance, shortages, delivery escalations, and material recovery plans.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills with high sense of urgency.
• Fluent English, written and spoken, mandatory.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in automotive mirror manufacturing, assembly operations, plastic components, electronics, harnesses, or similar Tier 1 environment.
• APICS CPIM/CSCP, Lean Manufacturing, or supply chain certification is a plus.
• Experience with JIT, Kanban, min-max planning, supplier scorecards, and premium freight reduction.
• Experience supporting launch, ramp-up, engineering changes, and supply base stabilization.

Monday - Thursday 7 am - 5.30 pm