Senior Material Planner

About the role

We are looking for an experienced Senior Material Planner to lead end‑to‑end material planning for our food manufacturing operations. The role ensures that raw materials, ingredients and packaging are available on time while controlling inventory costs and respecting shelf‑life constraints.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and maintain material requirement plans (MRP) for raw materials, ingredients and packaging based on production schedules, sales forecasts and demand signals.
• Monitor inventory levels to prevent stockouts and minimise excess or obsolete stock, especially for perishable items.
• Collaborate with procurement to place and manage purchase orders, ensuring on‑time delivery and cost‑effective sourcing.
• Partner with production planning to align material availability with the master production schedule (MPS).
• Measure supplier performance, including lead times and delivery reliability.
• Track and resolve material shortages, expediting orders as needed to avoid production disruptions.
• Analyse inventory turns, safety stock levels and reorder points; recommend adjustments to optimise working capital.
• Lead root‑cause analysis and corrective actions for planning‑related issues such as shortages or expired materials.
• Utilise ERP/MRP systems to manage planning data, generate reports and drive continuous improvement.
• Support new product introductions by coordinating material sourcing and availability timelines.
• Participate in S&OP meetings, providing input on material constraints and risks.
• Drive process improvements to enhance planning accuracy, reduce waste and improve supply‑chain resilience.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, Logistics or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5–7 years of material or production planning experience, preferably in food manufacturing or a similarly regulated, perishable‑goods environment.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities with a data‑driven decision‑making approach.
• Excellent communication and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
• Proven experience managing supplier relationships and resolving supply disruptions.

Required skills

• Advanced proficiency in Excel
• Working knowledge of MRP/ERP systems
• Understanding of FIFO/FEFO inventory management and shelf‑life considerations