Material Planner II

About Company

At the heart of what we are, we are a small company that specializes in manufacturing personal care products. While we are much bigger now than what we were 20 years ago or even 5 years ago, our company was built on a belief that being small meant that we had to be faster than our competition, smarter, braver and of course, nicer. We knew that in order to make it, we had to produce products that our customers needed, in time, priced right, and with the highest quality. We knew innovation meant pushing the envelope on design and thinking. Most importantly, we knew that developing relationships meant building a reputation for coming through on promises and standing behind our product. That is who we are today and how we operate every day.

Position Summary

The Material Planner II will be responsible for managing material availability and inventory balance to support the production schedule while minimizing supply disruption and excess inventory. This role interprets MRP signals, monitors supplier performance, and executes supply recovery actions to ensure materials are delivered in alignment with operational demand.

Material Planner II builds upon the execution responsibilities of Material Planner I by assuming ownership of material supply planning, inventory coverage, and shortage recovery.

Responsibilities are cumulative and include all Material Planner I foundational duties.


Responsibilities and Essential Duties

• Analyze MRP planning signals and exception messages to identify supply risks and required order actions.
• Review material availability against production demand to ensure uninterrupted supply.
• Adjust purchase order quantities and delivery dates based upon MRP recommendations and operational requirements.
• Validate system signals against actual production needs and supplier capabilities.
• Monitor inventory levels, coverage, and on-order supply to maintain appropriate material availability.
• Identify potential material shortages or excess inventory risks and report out to internal teams driving quick resolution.
• Evaluate safety stock, reorder point, and lead time parameters to ensure proper inventory positioning.
• Monitor supplier delivery performance, including on time in full delivery.
• Identify recurring supplier delivery issues and escalate when necessary.
• Maintain communication with suppliers to confirm delivery commitments and shipment status remain on track.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders when supplier delays impact production.
• Collaborate with production planners to ensure material supply aligns with the production need by date.
• Maintain accurate purchase order data including quantities, delivery dates, and supplier commitments.
• Ensure system data integrity for all materials.
• Monitor inventory trends and identify slow moving or excess materials.
• Identify potential risks related to supply continuity and escalate appropriately.
• Utilize Excel and reporting tools to analyze inventory levels, supplier performance, and supply risks.

Technical Skills Required

• ERP system proficiency (Sage X3 or equivalent)
• Proficient in Material Requirement Planning (MRP) logic
• Intermediate Microsoft Excel capabilities (pivot tables, lookup functions, data analysis).
• Competence with Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Teams, etc).

Experience Required

• 2-4 years in Purchasing for Beauty/Personal Care, Food, Health, and/or Pharmaceutical industry.
• Bachelor's Degree preferred or 4+ years' experience in Supply Chain.

Physical Requirements

• The employee may be asked to lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Works inside an open office environment. Must be able to work 8:00AM - 5:00PM Monday through Friday.
• Frequent exposure to varying temperatures, loud noises, heavy machinery, fumes, airborne particles, chemicals, and moving parts.
• Prolonged use of computer screens.