Materials Planning Manager

Materials Planning ManagerThis is a high-impact leadership opportunity at our Mocksville manufacturing plant, where the Materials Planning team plays a critical role in keeping production moving and customers supplied. Mocksville is entering an exciting period of growth, with new products and additional Gardner Denver product lines expected to transition into the facility. The Materials Planning Manager will have a visible and direct impact on production flow, inventory health, product-launch success, customer delivery, and the plant's ability to scale effectively. As the Materials Planning Manager, you will lead and develop a team of buyer/planners supporting a diverse operation that includes pack assembly, rotary assembly, remanufacturing, and machine shop activity. The plant manages a broad supplier base and a complex mix of short lead-time, book-and-turn orders and long lead-time, engineer-to-order projects. This is not a desk-only leadership position. You will remain close to the operation, helping the team anticipate supply gaps and drive execution across promise-date accuracy, past-due purchase orders, expedites, de-expedites, cancellations, inventory turns, and over-entitlement reduction. You will also maintain a small hands-on purchasing portfolio supporting gears, pinions, and bull gears. We are looking for a hands-on materials, purchasing, or planning leader who can see around corners, bring discipline to a complex ERP/MRP environment, and turn competing priorities into clear execution. The right leader will combine urgency and accountability with empathy—staying connected to the team, coaching both experienced and developing buyer/planners, identifying risks early, and helping employees navigate the daily pressures of manufacturing materials management. If you thrive in a fast-moving manufacturing environment and want your leadership to make a meaningful operational difference, this role offers the opportunity to strengthen planning discipline, improve inventory performance, support successful product launches, and ensure the right parts arrive at the right time.ResponsibilitiesMaterials Planning and Supply ContinuityTeam Leadership and DevelopmentOperational Excellence and Continuous ImprovementCross-Functional LeadershipTeam's ResponsibilitiesMaterial Planning and Inventory ManagementPurchasing and Supplier ManagementShortage Management and Production SupportQuality, Invoice, and Transaction ResolutionProductivity and Cost ImprovementRequirementsBachelor's degree5+ years of prior people management experience5+ years' experience working in a manufacturing environment4+ years of experience in materials planning, purchasing, buyer/planner functions, master scheduling, and/or supply planning, or related manufacturing supply chain execution3+ years of demonstrated experience using ERP/MRP systems to support materials planning activities2+ years' experience in Excel skillsCore CompetenciesHands-On People LeadershipMaterials Planning & Purchasing ExecutionERP/MRP & Replenishment SystemsManufacturing Operations & Complex Production EnvironmentsInventory, Lean & Visual Performance ManagementPreferencesMBA and/or Bachelor Concentration in Business or Supply Chain ManagementAPICS or CPIM certificationERP Experience in Oracle R12Experience managing a large, diverse, or complex supplier/materials portfolioExperience in engineer-to-order, long lead-time, complex BOM, or mixed-model manufacturing environmentsExperience driving inventory turns, inventory reduction, excess inventory reduction, or over-entitlement improvementThis position is based onsite in Mocksville, NC