Material Planner

McCormick & Company; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 420,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

McCormick & Company is seeking a Material Planner to oversee end-to-end raw material planning, aligning with production needs and procurement efficiency. You will analyze daily production schedules to optimize material purchases and develop short- and medium-term material plans.

The role requires strong analytics, proactive problem-solving, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to maintain inventory levels, streamline processes, and support cost reductions.

Qualifications

• Solid experience in a supply chain role with customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.
• Practical experience of material planning in FMCG (food industry preferred).
• Experience in managing run-in/run-out (face-in/face-out) of materials.

Responsibilities

• Proactively mitigate material shortages to ensure production continuity.
• Monitor inventory levels and optimize stock, including slow-moving and obsolete items.
• Provide material schedules to suppliers to align with business needs.
• Expedite materials per SAP recommendations to support timely fulfilment.
• Ensure SAP parameters are maintained accurately and up-to-date.
• Propose and evaluate process improvements to optimize material flow and reduce costs.
• Identify and mitigate short- to medium-term supply chain risks.
• Oversee working capital by managing inventory levels within targets.
• Prepare shortage and surplus reports and provide accurate data for decision-making.
• Maintain optimal safety stock levels to guard against demand fluctuations.

Skills

Leadership

SAP

Excel

Education

Industrial/Supply Chain/Business/Accounting degree

Tools

SAP

Job description

The Material planner oversees the end-to-end raw material planning process, ensuring alignment with production requirements and operational efficiency. This role involves conducting daily analysis of the production schedule to optimize material purchases, develop short – and medium - term material requirement plans, and contributing to the creation of long - term strategic planning initiatives. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills, proactive problem -solving abilities, and the capability to collaborate with cross -functional teams to maintain optimal inventory levels and streamline procurement processes.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• Material Shortage Management: Proactively initiate and coordinate action plans to mitigate material shortages, ensuring continuity in production.
• Inventory Control & Optimisation: Monitor inventory levels, minimizing excess stock while proactively managing Slow-moving and Obsolete (SLOB) items.
• Supplier Coordination: Provide material schedules to suppliers at required frequencies to maintain alignment with business needs.
• Procurement expediting: Expedite materials in accordance with SAP recommendations to support timely fulfilment to business requirements.
• SAP Data Integrity: Ensure the maintenance of SAP parameters as regulated by management, keeping system data accurate and up to date.
• Continues Improvement & Cost optimisation: propose and valuate process enhancements to improve material flow and drive cost reduction.
• Risk assessment & Mitigation: Identify short-to medium -term supply chain risks, implementing preventive strategies to minimize impact.
• Working Capital Management: Oversee inventory levels to maintain working capital targets, ensuring efficient resource allocation.
• Compliance & Reporting: Complete shortage and surplus reports within communicated deadlines, provide in accurate data for decision -making.
• Safety stock maintenance: Establish and maintain appropriate safety stock levels to safeguard against demand fluctuations.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

• Solid experience in a supply chain role working with customers, suppliers, and other internal stakeholders.
• Practical experience of material planning in FMCG company (preferably in food industry).
• Experience in managing run in - run out (face in - face out) of materials.
• Degree in Industrial/Supply Chain/Business/Accounting.
• Proven leadership skills and ability to influence stakeholders on all levels in the organization.
• Excellent presentation skills and ability to proactively contribute to customer presentations.
• Proven experience in managing and executing CI projects within a dynamic environment.
• Cross functional team player and able to operate effectively within a matrix structure.
• Flexible approach & innovative problem solver.
• Exposure to ERP/SC systems (SAP) and Advanced level Microsoft Office (Excel).
• Potential and desire to build career within Supply Chain.
• Flexibility in complex, ambiguous and fast-paced environment with changing priorities.

McCormick & Company is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, colour, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies.