Material Planner - Supply Chain

Griffith Foods is a global manufacturer of food products.  We provide a wide range of taste and texture components for food industry customers throughout the world.  Our products include seasoning blends, dry mixes, coating systems, dough blends, crumbs, flavors, sauces and food bases that are used in an extensive variety of application from snack foods and processed meat and poultry to ready meals. Our customers include food processors, restaurant operators and grocery retailers.  While our name may not be familiar to consumers, our products are key components of foods offered by many of the world’s best-known companies.

Summary: To plan and maintain proper inventory levels of purchased materials to support desired Service level and net working capital guidelines. To secure the arrival of all our required raw materials on time and in full (OTIF) in accordance and supporting demand and production schedule.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Planning

• Read and analyze MRP requirements in order to firm Purchase Orders.
• Maintain optimal raw material inventory levels through the correct use of Planning and inventory Parameters.
• Participate in the periodic revision of planning and inventory parameters (safety stock, lead time, minimum order quantity, maximum order quantity, etc.)
• Active and formal communication with the Scheduling department to exchange information on open orders' delivery status to fulfill the production schedule compliance.
• Attend and execute internal customer's urgencies in demand variations by expediting raw materials.
• Avoid raw material shortages that affect production schedule.
• Expedite, and Escalate material issues to proper teams

Vendor Interaction and Management

• Develop Supply agreements for selected purchasing categories along with purchasing team and vendors to ensure the Supplier performance (OTIF), tandem activity with purchasing team.
• Communication with vendors about service level performance, delays, and needs of corrective action plans on raw materials claims and rejections, tandem activity with purchasing team.
• Co-leader in the Vendor Evaluation Process to analyze, integrate and support Supplier’s performances indicator, tandem activity with purchasing team.

Other Related Activities

• Participate in the Sales and Operations Planning Meeting (S&OP), focus on RM availability and potential stock out risks.
• Periodically review at risk/slow moving inventory to uncover inventory that may expire before being used and suggest a disposition.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree, Supply Chain related.
• 3-5 years’ experience in Supply Chain environment.
• APICS/ CPIM certification preferred
• Must have prior ERP & MRP experience, preferably in the food industry.
• Strong analytical skills and a demonstrated ability to make decisions with imperfect information, coupled with the ability to develop and adhere to strong processes.
• Possess a positive and proactive approach to problems and opportunities.
• Communicate effectively.
• Negotiation skills.
• Must be computer literate and proficient in MS Excel.