Materials Planning Manager

As the **Materials Planning Manager,** you have direct responsibility for the buy planning team consisting of up to 10 direct reports with employees in two possible locations (Welland and Waukesha). Responsible to lead and support the team ensuring adequate material stream to meet customer demand and inventory goals. You will act as pivot point and liaison between the Demand Leader, Global Commodity Leaders, Schedulers, Customer Service teams, Logistics members and Buyers to plan and prioritize incoming material with the planning team based on changing demand requirements or supplier capacity. This Materials Planning Manager role is one that utilizes leadership strength, functional expertise, analytical thinking, and the ability to adapt and prioritize quickly.

**Core Responsibilities**:

- Direct management of the Buy Planning Team across both Welland and Waukesha locations.
- Oversee key planning team activities and ensure alignment to business goals and objectives.
- Make business decisions regarding team deployment, team member portfolios, and overall workload.
- Foster a continuous improvement mindset within the team and connecting departments
- Utilize Change Management practices to build engagement within and across functions to drive projects and improvement initiatives.
- Translate Service, ReUp, and New Unit demand into supply requirements to meet customer demand, and inventory goals for the Waukesha business unit.
- Implement and execute a “plan for every part” strategy, including economic order quantities, reorder points, or other planning parameters among all Waukesha inventory organizations to optimize inventory and customer on time delivery
- Responsible for team coaching and performance reviews for all direct reports
- Refine and track planning metrics to measure the planning team’s success/improvement areas.
- Work cross functionally with purchasing and sourcing functions to ensure parts with upcoming demands are sourced in a timely manner to meet production and service needs.
- Work closely with the Inventory Manager to roll up inventory estimates, establish operating plans, and implement optimization projects within the team.
- Act as an escalation point for the planning team when dealing with suppliers or internal departments.
- Collaborate with schedulers to resolve shortages and determine root cause and executed on preventative planning actions
- Analyze inventory levels, usage patterns, and planning parameters (lead time, order quantities, etc.) to determine and implement opportunities to improve KPIs
- Lead planning efforts on phase-in and phase-out and new product introductions through close interaction with the Inventory Manager, product management, engineering, sourcing, and other functions.
- Work with Sourcing and Manufacturing to define make/buy strategies based on full-cost models
- Travel between Welland Ontario and Waukesha Wisconsin will be required.

**Qualifications**:

- Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college with supply chain focus or related field (or 7+ years of comparable industry experience)
- 3+ years direct experience working with Material Requirements Planning module (Oracle preferred)
- Direct experience working in a manufacturing or in a shop floor environment
- Direct experience leading and implementing Lean/Continuous Improvement projects.
- Direct experience working with suppliers and purchase order management
- High degree of functional knowledge on developing and tracking KPIs
- Must be a collaborative team player, willing to take ownership of decisions and be a results-oriented self-starter
- Demonstrated ability to motivate, influence people across a complex matrixed organization, drive change at all levels of the organization, and excel in fast paced business environment

**Desired Personal Characteristics**:

- A collaborative leader with high customer and result orientation
- Able to bring teams together to meet common goals & objectives
- Adaptive, agile, growth minded thinker with above average communication skills
- Strong customer service skills and approach
- Strong analytical skills - a solid problem solver
- Entrepreneurial mindset