Materials Planning Manager

Sika; Gastonia (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Sika is seeking a Materials Planning Manager to own material availability, production scheduling, capacity planning and inventory accuracy at the Gastonia site. You will lead and develop the planning team, set KPIs, and act as the SAP master data owner for BOMs, recipes, and inventory, while guiding key users on SAP issues impacting inventory and customers.

You will partner with cross-functional teams to minimize bottlenecks, ensure timely shipments, and drive continuous improvement in inventory

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and coaching skills to develop a high-performing planning team.
• Expertise in inventory management and materials planning to ensure on-time shipments.
• Experience with production scheduling and capacity planning to optimize materials flow.

Responsibilities

• Own material availability and production scheduling for the site.
• Maintain SAP master data (BOMs, recipes, inventory) and resolve SAP issues affecting inventory or customers.
• Publish weekly production schedule and monitor output to meet customer shipments.
• Lead continuous improvement teams for inventory accuracy across departments.
• Oversee raw material ordering, packaging inventory, and repack operations with FIFO discipline.
• Manage site purchasing activities and resolve invoicing issues; drive KPI setting and reporting.

Skills

Leadership

Team coaching

Inventory management

Production scheduling

Continuous improvement

Tools

SAP

Job description

Overview of the Role

The Materials Planning Manager owns material availability, production scheduling, capacity planning and inventory accuracy for the site so that every customer shipment leaves on time. You will manage, develop and coach the planning team, set departmental KPIs and individual goals, and serve as the site owner of SAP master data (BOMs, recipes, inventory) and the first point of contact for SAP issues affecting inventory and customers.

What We Are Looking For!

• Ensure all safety policies are followed within the factory and the MP&L department.
• Maintain procedures that meet IATF 16949 and customer-specific requirements.
• Oversee production planning; ensure materials and scheduling processes are developed and followed by the team.
• Publish the weekly production schedule and monitor production so inventories support on-time shipments.
• Maintain capacity planning for all equipment and labor, review material, equipment and manpower constraints for potential bottlenecks.
• Partner with Project Management and schedulers on phase-in/phase-out of engineering changes and new products to minimize obsolescence.
• Communicate recovery plans directly with customers as needed.
• Work with the materials planner to manage raw material ordering and potential shortages; develop and implement raw material inventory procedures.
• Oversee site purchasing activities and resolve invoice issues.
• Oversee returnable packaging inventory and manage the repack department; ensure FIFO on all materials.
• Oversee cycle counting of finished goods, raw material, packaging and semi-finished goods.
• Maintain target inventory dollars and achieve finished-goods inventory turn targets.
• Analyze finished-goods levels and adjust with schedulers; own over/under shipments and follow-up actions.
• Manage inventory risk through the aged inventory report, working with Quality to recertify product where applicable.
• Lead continuous improvement teams for inventory accuracy and participate in CI across all departments.
• Maintain and verify SAP master data, including BOMs and recipes.
• Manage handling units and manual corrections; correct deliveries and resolve ASN issues with customers.
• Troubleshoot SAP inventory and customer issues; lead and guide key users so the required knowledge level is maintained in the local team.
• Support global and local processes as the local business owner; identify and prioritize change requests that improve the function.
• Report department metrics monthly; set departmental KPIs and individual goals with team members.
• Post the weekly production compliance chart and customer ratings on communication boards.
• Seek synergy opportunities across the region and with global Sika colleagues.