Materials Planning Manager

Company Overview

Ancient Crunch Inc. is the fastest-growing healthy snack brand in the U.S. Our flagship product, MASA Chips, is the #1 selling tallow-fried tortilla chips in premium retailers like Erewhon. We manufacture all products in-house at our Hackettstown facility using real ingredients—no seed oils, artificial flavors, or preservatives. All operations adhere to strict Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and food safety standards.

Role: Material Planning Manager

Reports To: Director of Operations

Direct Reports: Will lead a team across planning, procurement, materials, inventory, and related roles.

Role Summary The Material Planning Manager owns the day-to-day execution of material planning, purchasing, and inventory management to keep production running and customers happy. Reporting to the Director of Operations, this is a hands-on leadership role that requires you to translate demand plans into action, balance service levels against inventory needs, and build a high-performing materials team. You'll work cross-functionally with Production, Fulfillment, Quality, Engineering, and Finance to ensure materials flow reliably and cost-effectively.

The responsibilities listed below are not exhaustive. As we scale, the requirements of this role will expand. The Material Planning Manager is expected to lead new initiatives and take on additional duties consistent with this title and the long-term evolution of our supply chain.

Key Responsibilities

Summary

• Own the material costs by managing inventory health and supplier delivery
• Convert demand and production plans into actionable purchasing activity
• Build and lead a team of planners, buyers, and inventory analysts
• Partner cross-functionally to keep materials aligned with business priorities
• Drive continuous improvement across planning processes and systems

Specific Areas

1. Material Planning & Operational Purchasing

• Lead day-to-day material planning and purchasing to support production schedules, customer commitments, and new product launches
• Convert inventory signals into purchase orders, schedule agreements, and delivery schedules — ensuring on-time, in-full receipt at the right cost
• Manage the open purchase order book; expedite or de-expedite as needed and resolve supplier delivery issues, shortages, and over-shipments
• Maintain accurate planning parameters in the inventory system including lead times, lot sizes, safety stock, reorder points, and MOQs
• Partner with Strategic Procurement on supplier performance, contract execution, cost negotiations, and dual-sourcing strategies

2. Inventory Management

• Own inventory health across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods — balancing service-level targets against inventory value and obsolescence risk
• Establish and maintain inventory policies (ABC/XYZ segmentation, safety stock, min/max levels) aligned to demand variability and supply risk
• Drive cycle counting, inventory accuracy, and reconciliation; investigate and correct root causes of discrepancies
• Identify and disposition slow-moving, excess, and obsolete (E&O) inventory in partnership with Finance and Operations
• Monitor and improve inventory turns, days-on-hand, and fill rate against targets

3. Supply Chain Planning & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Translate demand and production plans into a feasible material requirements plan, surfacing constraints early
• Coordinate with Production, Quality, Engineering, Customer Service, and Finance to align materials availability with business priorities
• Manage materials aspects of engineering changes, phase-ins/phase-outs, and new product launches to minimize obsolescence and stockouts

4. Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of material planners, buyers, and inventory analysts; set clear goals, provide feedback, and build bench strength
• Establish standard work, KPIs, and cadenced reviews that drive accountability and continuous improvement
• Foster a collaborative, data-driven, and customer-focused culture across the materials team

5. Process, Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Drive continuous improvement of planning and purchasing processes using Lean and Six Sigma principles
• Champion data integrity and effective use of ERP/MRP, advanced planning, and inventory management tools
• Develop dashboards and reporting for material availability, supplier performance, inventory health, and risk
• Support internal and external audits related to inventory, purchasing, and supply chain controls

Core Competencies

• Operational Focus: A "doer" who can manage the details while keeping the big picture in view
• Financial Literacy: Strong understanding of inventory economics, working capital, and cost of goods sold
• Direct Communication: Clear, actionable communicator with leadership and cross-functional partners
• Coaching Mindset: Track record of building high-performing, accountable teams
• Bias for Action: Structured, data-driven approach to problem-solving under pressure

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

Bonus Points

• 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 a regulated industry (e.g., medical device, aerospace, automotive, food and beverage)

Success Metrics

• On-time, in-full (OTIF) supplier delivery performance
• Material availability and production schedule attainment
• Inventory turns, days-on-hand, and fill rate against plan
• Excess and obsolete inventory as a % of total inventory
• Cycle count and inventory record accuracy
• Working capital tied up in inventory versus target