Materials Planning Manager
$70,000–$95,000 year
On-site · Hackettstown, New Jersey, United States
Job Summary
Material Planning Manager responsible for day-to-day material planning, purchasing, and inventory management to support production schedules and customer commitments. Lead a team of planners, buyers, and inventory analysts; translate demand and production plans into actionable purchasing activity; manage open PO book; drive continuous improvement of planning processes; partner cross-functionally with Production, Fulfillment, Quality, Engineering, and Finance to ensure materials flow cost-effectively and on time. Must manage inventory health, supplier delivery, cycle counting, and obsolescence, establishing policies and KPIs; oversee alignment of materials with business priorities and engineer changes while minimizing stockouts. Core competencies include cross-functional collaboration, data-driven decision making, financial literacy related to inventory and cost of goods sold, and coaching high-performing teams. The role emphasizes hands-on leadership, Lean/Six Sigma influence, ERP/MRP stewardship, and ongoing S&OP/IBP support, with a focus on OTIF and working capital optimization in a manufacturing environment.
Required Qualifications
- 2+ years of progressive experience in material planning, operational purchasing, or supply chain planning
- At 1 year experience as a team leader with direct reports
- Working knowledge of MRP/ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics)
- Demonstrated success managing inventory levels, service levels, and working capital in a manufacturing or distribution environment
- Proficiency in Excel and comfort with large data sets and BI tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau)
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field preferred
Desired Qualifications
- APICS CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent supply chain certification
- Experience with advanced planning systems (e.g., Kinaxis, o9, SAP IBP, Blue Yonder)
- Lean, Six Sigma or equivalent continuous improvement certification
- Experience supporting S&OP/IBP and presenting to senior leadership
- Experience in regulated industries (e.g., medical device, aerospace, automotive, food and beverage)
- Demonstrated success managing inventory levels, service levels, and working capital in manufacturing or distribution environments
- Proficiency in Power BI, Tableau
- ERP/MRP systems experience (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics)
- Strong Excel and large data-set analytics
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