Global Materials & Inventory Planner

Job Description

Job Description

Job Type : Full Time, Exempt

Duration of role : Permanent

Position : 1

Reporting to : Global Procurement Director – Liquid Cooling

Location : Columbia, Maryland, USA/ Austin, Texas, USA/ Remote

About Us

At Tate we are passionate about everything we do. As an independent brand operating within Kingspan Group, a global plc group of companies, Tate has been recognized worldwide as an industry leader in the development and manufacture of data center infrastructure solutions and commercial office raised access floors, for over 60 years. With revenues of over $600m and growing, Tate plays a pivotal role in offering expertise in cutting edge design engineering in order to craft solutions, by working collaboratively with clients as a trusted partner.

Tate continues to grow and expand, operating multiple manufacturing and commercial sites across the US, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We are excited about our fresh, dynamic, and inclusive team of experts working on new innovations and forward-thinking designs, as we remain a market leading player within our industry. We continue to invest heavily in the best available manufacturing tools and equipment needed to adhere to Tate’s world class standards and in keeping with our Planet Passionate sustainability strategy, our focus is on having minimal climate impact.

We are excited by potentially welcoming you as part of our team as we continue to grow on a worldwide scale.

About the Role

Tate is building a world-class procurement and supply chain function for one of fastest growing segments and the most technically demanding segments in the data center market: liquid cooling infrastructure. We are seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Global Materials & Inventory Planner to join our growing team.

This role is the operational connective tissue between Tate’s demand signal and its factory floors. Where the Demand Planner looks forward at what’s coming , you look at what’s on hand, what’s in transit, and what needs to move. Translating the demand plan into materials requirements that keep our liquid cooling manufacturing building our manifolds without interruption, this role is the supply chain’s daily interface with manufacturing. You will own materials requirements planning across all of Tate’s factory sites, manage inventory positioning to support program schedules, and serve as the early warning system for shortages after they become production stops. You’ll work directly with Strategic Sourcing Managers and Global Commodity Managers when supply gaps are imminent giving procurement the maximum LT to respond.

You’ll have the rare opportunity to build this function from the ground up with the full support of leadership and a clear mandate. You’ll establish the materials planning process, co-manage the inventory targets with the team, and create the visibility tools that operations and procurement rely on every day. The right person brings both the analytical rigor to build a clean MRP process and the factory-floor credibility to partner effectively with operations teams across all sites. What you build here becomes the standard for how Tate plans materials as the liquid cooling business scales.

What You’ll Do

• Own the MRP for Tate’s liquid cooling programs across all factory sites. You will translate the demand plan into what needs to be ordered, in what quantity, and by when, for every component on the active BOM.
• Run regular MRP cycles reviewing system generated requirement, apply judgement to questionable data, and release actionable purchase requirements to procurement with sufficient LT.
• Maintain the integrity of planning parameters in the ERP: LT, safety stock levels, lot sizes, etc.
• Flagging planning exceptions immediately where if the components where the MRP signal suggests a shortage is imminent, where supplier LT have exceeded the planning assumptions, or where OH inventory is significantly above or below target.
• Coordinate with Engineering on BOM changes ensuring that new or revised PNs are set up correctly in the planning system after they drive purchase requirements.
• Own the DSI master list for liquid cooling components by maintaining, updating, and reviewing it on the cadence defined in the initial DSI strategy build.
• Manage safety stock levels for DSI-managed components at each factory location. This includes but not limited to setting the buffer, monitoring consumption against target, and triggering replenishment after stockouts occur.
• Monitor inventory positions across all Tate factories tracking on-hand, in-transit, and open PO quantities to maintain a real-time picture of supply position across all sites.
• Identify slow-moving or excess inventory and flag for disposition: excess inventory on a component at risk of BOM change is a write-off risk that needs to be identified after it compounds.
• Evaluate DSI target against actual consumption and supplier LT data on an on-going basis and recommending target revisions to the Global Director when market conditions or program volumes change.
• Serve as the supply chain’s daily interface with factory operations at facility sites by coordinating material availability, build schedules, and inbound timing with manufacturing to keep the production floor running without interruption.
• Attend/contribute to production planning meetings at each site providing supply chain visibility into what’s arriving, what’s at risk, and what procurement is doing about it.
• Work with factory operations to understand actual consumption rates and build sequences and feeding that intelligence back into planning parameters to improve MRP accuracy over time.
• Escalate material shortages to procurement with a sense of urgency.
• Support NPI programs at factory level ensuring materials are planned and in position for first builds, and that planning parameters are set correctly after production ramps.
• Own the supply review input into Tate’s S&OP process by preparing the materials and inventory position report that responds to the demand review with a clear picture of what supply chain can support.
• Identify supply constraints, capacity gaps, or inventory risks ahead of each S&OP cycle so meetings drive decisions.
• Work with the Senior Demand Planner to ensure the materials plan reflects the latest forecast. So knowing when the forecast changes the material plan must be updated.
• Track key supply chain health metrics for S&OP reporting: on-time delivery by supplier, DSI performance vs. target, and past due purchase orders.
• Partner with SSMs and GCMs on supplier-side inventory strategies providing factory level consumption data that informs VMI agreements, blanket PO sizing, and capacity reservation decisions.
• Work with finance on inventory valuation, slow-moving inventory reporting, and material cost inputs for program cost tracking
• Support the DSI strategy build in the first 90 days as the Global Materials & Inventory Planner will be the long-term owner of the DSI master document after GCMs complete the initial build.

Additional Expectations

• Remain compliant with the Code of Conduct and Policies which includes the Kingspan Group Compliance Policy.
• Ensure that all duties related to product compliance are adhered to in accordance with the Product Compliance Policy, Laws, Regulations, and market demands.
• Responsible for all tasks to achieve compliance goals and demands of the Compliance Management System.
• Must raise concerns related to the Compliance Management System to their supervisor, manager, or any member of the Leadership Team, or through the confidential whistle blower service.

What You’ll Bring

• A bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business, or related field.
• Additional certification such as APICS CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent are valued
• 3-7 years of experience in materials planning, production planning, or inventory management within manufacturing environment. Also, experience with engineering products, data center infrastructure, HVAC, or precision manufacturing is a meaningful advantage.
• Must have experience with running MPR in an ERP environment.
• Solid understanding of inventory management concepts: safety stock calculations, reorder points, lot sizing, LT management, and the relationship between forecast accuracy and inventory investment.
• Experience working directly with factory operations
• Familiarity with S&OP process
• Strong analytical skills: proficient in Excel-based inventory analysis, ERP reporting, and data visualization. Experience with planning analytics tools is a plus.
• Detail oriented with a strong sense of urgency to act.
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of management.
• Comfortable building from scratch in an ambiguous environment. This role requires someone who can establish process.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally to factory as required.

What You'll Get

• Pay Range: $95,000 USD to $115,000 USD. This role is eligible for a discretionary bonus.
• Career Scope and Advancement: As we grow, new positions and career opportunities arise, offering accelerated paths for the right candidates, locally and globally.
• World of Wellness : Philosophy: We empower you to take charge of your health and well-being. You’ll have access to a wide range of medical, dental, and vision benefits, along with personalized guidance from a “Health Advocate.” We also offer other supplemental options, including 401k, legal, disability, and theft insurance, to ensure your financial wellness.
• Corporate Social Responsibility: Through Planet Passionate we are determined to reduce our manufacturing carbon (CO2e) emissions to as close to zero as technically possible, together with halving carbon intensity in our primary supply chain. We are very involved in our community, and you will have ample opportunities to support us in creating a better world.
• Skills Development: Given the dynamic pace of our business and a strong collaborative environment, your new role will be diverse and multifaceted – allowing you to be more versatile and develop a broader skill set.
• Mentorship and development: At Tate, we don’t believe in hierarchy, we work together as one team for one common goal. You will have access and exposure to our senior leaders and experts for learning in your role, and additionally mentorship for the future.
• Culture: We have a great team culture, highly collaborative, supportive, and social. Together we innovate, collaborate, take ownership, and strive for excellence.

Stay connected with us on LinkedIn for insights into life at Tate. Join us in our mission to make a difference through exceptional solutions.

Tate Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of post-offer requirements, including a background check and drug screening, in accordance with company policy and applicable laws.