Material Planner

Job Title: Senior Material Planner Job Description The Senior Material Planner plays a key role in ensuring material readiness and supporting customer programs within a fast-paced contract manufacturing environment. This position serves as the primary point of accountability for material availability, shortage management, and customer communication, helping to ensure production schedules are met. The role focuses on hands-on material planning, execution, escalation, shortage resolution, and customer support rather than strategic sourcing or complex negotiations.

You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to proactively drive material availability and reduce production risk across multiple customer programs. Responsibilities Own material readiness and kit availability for assigned customer programs, ensuring materials are available to support production schedules. Monitor material shortages that could affect production and actively drive closure to minimize schedule risk.

Partner closely with Buyers, Planners, Program Managers, Production Planning, Procurement, and Operations to ensure material availability and alignment with production needs. Act as a primary liaison between customers and internal teams regarding material status, shortages, and delivery risks, providing clear and timely communication. Track long-lead material risks and proactively escalate issues before they impact production, coordinating mitigation actions with relevant stakeholders.

Analyze demand, inventory, and supply data to identify potential shortages, constraints, and execution gaps, and recommend appropriate corrective actions. Collaborate with Production Planning and Procurement to develop and execute mitigation plans that address material constraints and support on-time delivery. Facilitate resolution of material-related issues, driving accountability across functional teams and following issues through to completion.

Support purchase order placement when necessary to close execution gaps or address urgent material needs. Participate in cross-functional meetings focused on production readiness and material availability, providing data-driven insights and updates. Maintain accurate planning data within the ERP/MRP system and use Microsoft Excel to analyze shortages, inventory positions, and trends. Support management of kit readiness, bills of material (BOMs), inventory, and supply chain execution activities related to assigned programs.

Communicate material status, risks, and recovery plans directly to customer contacts as needed, ensuring expectations are managed and issues are clearly explained. Essential Skills Hands-on experience in material planning, production planning, asset management, supply chain planning, or a related manufacturing planning function. Experience managing material shortages, kit readiness, bills of material (BOMs), inventory, and supply chain execution in a manufacturing environment.

Strong customer-facing written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain material status and risks clearly. Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including the ability to analyze shortages, inventory positions, and trends. Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across multiple functions such as Buyers, Planners, Program Managers, Production Planning, Procurement, and Operations.

Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, with a focus on driving issues through resolution rather than only reporting status. Demonstrated follow-through and escalation skills, ensuring material-related issues are addressed promptly and thoroughly. Comfort working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and handling multiple customer programs and priorities. Additional Skills & Qualifications Approximately five to seven years of relevant planning experience in material planning, production planning, asset management, or supply chain planning; exceptional candidates with fewer years may be con