NPI Materials Planner

Red Oak Technologies; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Red Oak Technologies is seeking an experienced NPI Materials Planner in the Bay Area to own material planning across prototype through production builds. You will manage BOMs in ERP, generate POs, monitor supplier performance, and collaborate with engineering, quality, and manufacturing to ensure timely material availability.

The role emphasizes cross-functional teamwork, on-time delivery, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced hardware environment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in Materials Planning, Supply Chain, Procurement, Production Planning, or NPI Operations for hardware builds.
• Experience with New Product Introduction (NPI) and engineering builds.

Responsibilities

• Own material planning and execution for prototype, engineering, NPI, and production builds.
• Create, maintain, and manage Bills of Materials (BOMs) in ERP.
• Generate purchase orders based on engineering demand, forecasts, and build schedules.
• Track shortages, deliveries, inventory, and readiness for Build-to-Order.
• Coordinate with Contract Manufacturers and global suppliers for on-time material availability.
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and Program Management to support product launches.
• Monitor forecasts, open orders, shipments, and supplier commitments; maintain planning data.
• Support logistics, supplier communications, and issue resolution through lifecycle.
• Improve planning processes by reducing manual work and increasing reporting automation.

Skills

Materials planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Forecasting

ERP tooling

Advanced Excel/Sheets

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain/Engineering

Tools

NetSuite

SAP

Oracle

Job description

We're partnering with an innovative Bay Area technology company that develops industry-leading LiDAR sensors powering autonomous vehicles, robotics, industrial automation, and smart infrastructure worldwide.

We're seeking an experienced NPI Materials Planner to join a growing Global Supply Chain organization supporting new product introductions and engineering builds. This is a hands‑on role responsible for material planning, ERP management, BOM administration, supplier coordination, and ensuring materials are available to support prototype through production builds.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys working cross‑functionally with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Program Management, and global Contract Manufacturers in a fast‑paced hardware environment.

Responsibilities

• Own material planning and execution for prototype, engineering, NPI, and production builds.
• Create, maintain, and manage Bills of Materials (BOMs) within the ERP system.
• Generate purchase orders based on engineering demand, forecasts, and build schedules.
• Track material shortages, supplier deliveries, inventory, and Clear‑to‑Build readiness.
• Coordinate directly with Contract Manufacturers (CMs) and global suppliers to ensure on‑time material availability.
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Commodity Managers, and Program Managers to support successful product launches.
• Monitor forecasts, open orders, shipments, and supplier commitments while maintaining accurate planning data.
• Support logistics, supplier communications, and issue resolution throughout the product lifecycle.
• Improve planning processes by reducing manual work and identifying opportunities for automation and better reporting.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in Materials Planning, Supply Chain, Procurement, Production Planning, or NPI Operations within a hardware manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) and engineering builds.
• Strong understanding of Bills of Materials (BOMs) and experience creating and maintaining BOMs in an ERP system.
• Experience with ERP systems such as NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, or similar.
• Experience working with Contract Manufacturers (CMs), EMS partners, and global suppliers.
• Strong material planning experience, including purchase orders, forecasting, inventory management, and supplier coordination.
• Ability to read engineering drawings and understand mechanical, electrical, and optical components.
• Advanced Excel or Google Sheets skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to work across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Operations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting LiDAR, robotics, semiconductor, electronics, or other advanced hardware products.
• Experience working with suppliers throughout Asia.
• Experience with process improvements, automation, dashboards, or reporting tools that reduce manual planning activities.
• Experience with Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), consignment inventory, or contract manufacturing environments.

What the Hiring Manager Is Looking For

The ideal candidate is a hands‑on supply chain professional who thrives in a fast‑paced hardware environment. This is not a traditional Program Manager role. Instead, you'll own the operational execution of materials planning—ensuring BOMs are accurate, purchase orders are placed, suppliers stay aligned, and materials arrive on time to support engineering and production builds.

Must‑Haves

• Strong BOM knowledge and the ability to create, maintain, and interpret BOMs.
• Materials planning experience (more important than procurement or negotiations).
• ERP experience (NetSuite preferred).
• Experience working with Contract Manufacturers and global suppliers.
• Experience improving manual processes through automation or process improvements.
• Comfortable working onsite in the Mission District, San Francisco, 4–5 days per week.