Material Planning & Logistics Manager

Material Planner & Logistics Manager

The Material Planner & Logistics Manager leads end-to-end production planning, materials management, purchasing, and material-flow operations to meet customer commitments and site objectives. This role owns the Master Production Schedule (MPS), capacity-based planning, and supplier performance, while building and coaching a high-performing team of planners, buyers, and logistics personnel. The leader is accountable for on-time delivery (OTD), inventory turns, schedule adherence, cost, PPV reduction, and data integrity, and partners cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Customer Service, and Finance. Success requires expert ERP/MRP capability, strong analytical skills, supplier development experience, and the ability to drive standard work and continuous improvement in a dynamic aerospace manufacturing environment.

This position is in-person located in Monticello, Indiana. Company sponsored relocation is available.

Key Accountabilities

• Provide direct leadership to planners, buyers, and materials team members by setting clear targets, cascading site goals, conducting performance reviews, and developing career growth plans.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert and coach for planning, ERP usage, purchasing processes, and supplier management.
• Build a high-performance team focused on material availability, supplier performance, and planning accuracy.

• Lead all tactical purchasing activities and support strategic sourcing, supplier selection, contract negotiation, and long-term agreement (LTA) development.
• Oversee buyer performance and support supplier audits, development plans, and ongoing performance management.
• Establish and maintain supplier on-time delivery (OTD) metrics and ensure routine assessment of supplier risk, capacity, cost, and quality.
• Maintain a robust pipeline of cost-reduction projects and execute purchasing actions to minimize PPV and total cost of ownership.
• Ensure supply continuity for all purchased materials and services through proactive risk identification and mitigation strategies.

• Own and improve all production planning and scheduling processes, ensuring standard work is documented and followed.
• Lead the development and execution of the Master Production Schedule (MPS) and capacity-based planning to level-load operations and guarantee build plans are viable.
• Drive key performance metrics including OTD, schedule adherence, inventory turns, past-due reduction, plan attainment, and revenue/cost objectives.
• Lead daily/weekly tier meetings to ensure schedule clarity, decision velocity, and alignment with Operations and Customer Service.
• Analyze backlog, create an achievable monthly shipment plan, and communicate risks and trade-offs to leadership.
• Lead SIOP discussions on demand variability, capacity constraints, and forecast accuracy.

• Ensure effective material flow through optimized planning parameters, lead times, order quantities, and safety stock levels.
• Implement controls to meet inventory targets, improve turns, and reduce excess & obsolete (E&O) inventory.
• Drive continuous improvement in warehouse, logistics, and material flow processes to support efficient manufacturing operations.

• Develop and maintain dashboards, reports, and metrics that communicate material constraints, supplier performance, and planning health.
• Own MRP/ERP parameter governance and lead system enhancements, digitization efforts, and automation of planning and inventory practices.
• Conduct data analysis to support strategic decision-making, including E&O reviews, parameter audits, and scenario modeling.

• Act as primary escalation point for high-priority orders, long-lead items, and supplier performance challenges.
• Identify chronic planning, scheduling, or supply issues and lead cross-functional problem resolution.
• Coordinate recovery plans with Operations, Customer Service, and Procurement to protect customer commitments.

• Lead kaizen events, value stream mapping, and continuous improvement activities focused on material flow, planning reliability, and supply chain performance.
• Standardize processes across purchasing, planning, and logistics to support operational stability and scalability.
• Ensure adherence to quality, safety, and 6S standards across all materials-related functions.

• Collaborate with Engineering and Operations on long-term capacity planning, equipment justification, and manufacturing footprint optimization.
• Work with enterprise and corporate supply chain teams to align strategies, share best practices, and support global initiatives.
• Manage labor planning and schedule alignment to ensure balanced material flow and staffing flexibility.

Job Requirements

• Restrictions imposed by federal export control laws may limit this job opportunity to candidates who are a 'U.S. Person', which includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, U.S. permanent residents, individuals granted asylum in the United States, and refugees in the United States, or who otherwise can qualify for a license that permits them to hold the position
• Bachelor's degree (preferably Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or a related technical field)
• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in manufacturing, supply chain, or MRP/ERP environments (preferably in a high mix, low volume industry)
• Minimum 3 years of people leadership in a warehouse or manufacturing environment (leading hourly and salaried associates)
• Inventory management or materials planning experience with multiple ERP/MRP systems (SAP, Oracle, Infor, Microsoft Dynamics, etc.)
• Experience leading SIOP processes, capacity planning, and forecasting fundamentals
• Demonstrated success improving OTD and inventory turns, reducing past due, and stabilizing planning parameters
• Expert-level proficiency in Excel (lookups, pivot tables, basic analysis), data modeling, and analytical tools
• Strong analytical skills and demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex scheduling or inventory problems
• Deep understanding of lean methodologies, root-cause analysis (e.g., 5-Why, Fishbone), and continuous improvement tools
• Extensive experience leading cross-functional teams, driving complex problem resolution, and presenting over to leadership
• Ability to meet moderate physical demands (frequent handling of average-weight material; occasional heavy items) in support of Gemba/warehouse engagement

Preferred Qualifications

• APICS / ASCM certification (CPIM or CSCP) or progress toward certification is a plus
• Experience managing multiple product lines or complex, multi-stage manufacturing environments is a plus
• Experience in aerospace or other highly regulated manufacturing environments is a plus
• Familiarity with APS tools, digital planning technologies, or automation solutions is a plus
• Experience with experience with BI tools is a plus