Production Material Planner / Buyer - 2 Year Fixed Term

Roche; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 121,000; Full time

Job summary

Roche is hiring a Production Planner/Buyer to lead end-to-end procurement and replenishment planning for assigned material portfolios. You will guarantee material availability, manage delivery schedules, and optimize inventory coverage while collaborating with procurement, logistics, quality, and supply planning teams.

You will contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, participate in Lean and Agile projects, and support product launches.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, or related field.
• 3–5 years of relevant professional experience in supply chain, procurement, or manufacturing (Bachelor) or up to 3 years with Master.
• Strong working knowledge of procurement planning, scheduling, and MRP systems.
• Proficiency in lean analysis and reporting tools using advanced Excel and Google Workspace.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken); German language proficiency is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Material Replenishment & Procurement: manage rolling purchasing forecasts, schedules, and quantities to ensure timely material availability.
• Planning Parameter Maintenance across ERP/MRP IT systems.
• Inventory & Lifecycle Management: set targets, reduce obsolete/excess stock, oversee scrapping processes.
• Supply Continuity & Risk Mitigation: coordinate with suppliers to prevent disruptions.
• Cross-Functional Supply Reviews: contribute data to monthly reviews, lead root-cause problem solving, track goods receipts and quality approvals.
• Continuous Improvement & Projects: participate in Lean/ Agile initiatives and support product launches.
• KPI & Performance Reporting: develop lean analysis tools and regular reporting for KPIs and budgeting.

Skills

Procurement planning

MRP

Excel

Google Sheets

Lean

Agile

Analytical thinking

English fluency

German language

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business / Industrial Engineering / Supply Chain

Tools

MRP systems

Google Workspace (Sheets)

Job description

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections, where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

This role is a vital part of our Near Patient Care Operations team within the Production Planning Chapter, dedicated to ensuring seamless manufacturing operations and reliable product delivery. As a member of this team, you will collaborate closely with internal and external partners across procurement, logistics, quality, and supply planning to steer material replenishment and optimize supply continuity. In this environment, you will play an active role in continuous improvement initiatives, agile projects, and lean problem-solving to support operational excellence.

The Opportunity

As a Production Planner/Buyer, you will be primarily accountable for managing the end-to-end procurement and replenishment planning of assigned material portfolios to guarantee timely, adequate material availability while optimizing inventory coverage.

• Material Replenishment & Procurement: Conduct procurement activities, create rolling purchasing forecasts, and manage delivery schedules and order quantities to guarantee timely material availability.
• Planning Parameter Maintenance: Set, evaluate, and maintain planning parameters across all relevant enterprise and material requirements planning (MRP) IT systems.
• Inventory & Lifecycle Management: Establish item-level inventory coverage targets, mitigate obsolete and excess stock, and oversee designated scrapping processes.
• Supply Continuity & Risk Mitigation: Manage relationships and logistics coordination with internal and external suppliers, proactively initiating countermeasures to prevent supply disruptions.
• Cross-Functional Supply Reviews: Actively contribute data to monthly Supply Review Meetings, lead root-cause problem-solving sessions, and track goods receipts and quality approvals.
• Continuous Improvement & Projects: Participate in continuous improvement (Lean/Agile) activities, support product launch initiatives, and execute non-routine project deliverables.
• KPI & Performance Reporting: Develop lean analysis tools to generate regular reporting on operational key performance indicators and support annual budget planning.

Who you are

• Education: Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field (or equivalent second-level education alongside relevant industry experience).
• Professional Experience: 3–5 years of relevant professional experience with a Bachelor’s degree, or up to 3 years of relevant experience with a Master’s degree, within a supply chain, procurement, or manufacturing environment.
• Technical & MRP Expertise: Strong working knowledge of procurement planning, scheduling, and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems, with the ability to evaluate trade-offs between alternative courses of action.
• Analytical & Digital Tools: Proficiency in building and using lean analysis and reporting tools using advanced Excel and Google Workspace tools (including Google Sheets).
• Problem-Solving & Agility: Demonstrated analytical problem-solving and proactive decision-making capabilities with an understanding of logistics and continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Agile).
• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent teamwork, planning, and organizational skills, with fluency in English (both written and spoken); German language proficiency is a plus.

The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of Indianapolis, IN is $65,000 -$120,800. Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law. A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance. This position also qualifies for the benefits detailed in this link. This is an on-site position. Relocation benefits are not approved for this posting.

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact. Let’s build a healthier future, together. Roche is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy and practice to employ, promote, and otherwise treat any and all employees and applicants on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competence. The company's policy prohibits unlawful discrimination, including but not limited to, discrimination on the basis of Protected Veteran status, individuals with disabilities status, and consistent with all federal, state, or local laws. If you have a disability and need an accommodation in relation to the online application process, please contact us by completing this form Accommodations for Applicants. We believe it’s urgent to deliver medical solutions right now – even as we develop innovations for the future. We are passionate about transforming patients’ lives. We are courageous in both decision and action. And we believe that good business means a better world. That is why we come to work each day. We commit ourselves to scientific rigor, unassailable ethics, and access to medical innovations for all. We do this today to build a better tomorrow. We are proud of who we are, what we do, and how we do it. We are many, working as one across functions, across companies, and across the world. We are Roche.