The Planning & Materials Manager is responsible for the efficient, timely, and cost-effective flow of materials to support production at a high-volume manufacturing facility. This role owns production planning, material planning, warehouse, and logistics operations, while serving as a key member of the plant management team.

This position requires strong SAP knowledge, hands-on planning experience, and a continuous improvement mindset in a regulated manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

Planning & Supply Chain Management

• Own and continuously improve production planning and material planning processes
• Lead MRP activities to ensure optimal inventory levels and uninterrupted production
• Drive S&OP execution and serve as the primary plant liaison to corporate supply chain planning
• Balance short-term execution with long-term planning and capacity needs

Materials, Warehouse & Logistics

• Oversee warehouse and logistics operations to ensure accurate and timely material flow
• Manage inbound, outbound, and internal material movement
• Maintain supplier relationships, service levels, pricing, and material specifications
• Monitor supplier performance and address non-conformances
• Support continuous plant operations through effective materials and logistics planning

Systems, Data & Compliance

• Serve as SAP key user for Planning, Procurement, and Warehouse/Logistics modules
• Maintain master data accuracy and resolve data issues impacting planning or reporting
• Use KPIs, reporting, and root-cause analysis to drive performance improvements
• Ensure compliance with BRC, FSMA, FDA, and IFS requirements
• Support audits, traceability exercises, and corrective action implementation

Leadership

• Lead and develop a team of planners and logistics personnel (individual contributors and one supervisor)
• Foster accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Participate in biweekly management meetings and the plant manager on-call rotation
• Contribute to overall plant strategy and performance as part of the management team

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Logistics, or a related field (Required)
• Master’s degree is a plus

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in production planning, materials management, and logistics
• Manufacturing experience required within Food, Beverage, Pharma, CPG, or FMCG
• Proven experience with MRP and S&OP processes
• Experience managing teams of individual contributors

Technical Skills

• Strong SAP user knowledge, including ability to troubleshoot and correct data issues
• Advanced Excel and data analysis skills
• Experience working in regulated manufacturing environments

Leadership & Competencies

• Strong ownership and accountability for results
• Practical continuous improvement mindset (Lean or Six Sigma exposure a plus)
• Ability to communicate and influence across operations, supply chain, quality, and leadership
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, high-expectation manufacturing environments