Material Control Planner, Ford Energy

Ford • Glendale, KY

1d • $65,100 - $144,900 • Onsite

About The Position

At Ford Energy, the Material Control Planner will keep battery manufacturing operations supplied with the right materials, in the right quantities, at the right time. The role plans and coordinates material flow from suppliers to the production line, covering electrode materials, cells, modules, and DC block components. It works with Production, Purchasing, Quality, Engineering, suppliers, and Logistics to prevent shortages, control inventory, and support production ramp-ups.

Responsibilities include translating production schedules and customer demand into material requirements using MRP; maintaining ERP planning parameters; coordinating supplier releases and inbound deliveries; managing inventory, traceability, and material availability; supporting production and resolving shortage risks; coordinating quality holds and compliance activities; planning engineering changes and launch builds; and reporting KPIs and supporting continuous improvement. Domestic and international travel may be needed to plants, external warehouses, and provider sites for startup activities. Weekend work may be required on an exception basis.

The role will initially be employed by Ford and is expected to transition to a wholly owned subsidiary focused on Battery Energy Storage Systems within one year.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or a related field, or at least 2 years of experience in material planning, production control, or inventory management within a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or similar.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Access.
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed to plants, external warehouses, and provider sites in support of startup activities.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States; employment eligibility verification is required at hire.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in automotive, battery, or other high-volume manufacturing.
• Extended experience with SAP S/4 Hana, WMS, and BI tools such as Power BI.
• Familiarity with Kanban, JIT, and lean principles.
• Knowledge of hazardous materials handling.
• APICS/ASCM certification, such as CPIM or CSCP.
• Passion for energy systems and U.S. energy independence.

Responsibilities

• Translate master production schedules and customer demand into material requirements using MRP.
• Maintain ERP planning parameters, including lead times, safety stock, lot sizes, and reorder points.
• Review MRP exception messages and expedite, reschedule, or cancel orders as appropriate.
• Build short- and long-term material plans for ramp-ups, model changeovers, and scenario planning.
• Monitor supplier releases and delivery performance, resolving late or short shipments.
• Coordinate expedited and premium freight and track associated costs.
• Coordinate with logistics and customs teams on international and domestic shipments.
• Flag supply risks, including supplier capacity limits and raw material availability, to Purchasing and plant leadership.
• Maintain inventory levels that balance line-side and warehouse availability within available plant storage.
• Support cycle counts, reconcile discrepancies, and identify root causes.
• Manage lot and batch traceability for semi-finished and finished goods.
• Monitor FIFO/FEFO for shelf-life-sensitive materials.
• Reduce excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory.
• Manage quality campaigns through the supply chain without affecting customer schedules.
• Ensure materials are available when required for scheduled production shifts.
• Coordinate replenishment with material handlers, warehouse staff, and production and quality teams.
• Respond to shortages and line-stop risks and lead cross-functional resolution.
• Coordinate quarantine, hold, and release of nonconforming material with Quality.
• Support containment actions, supplier corrective actions, and returns.
• Follow safety and regulatory requirements for hazardous and non-hazardous materials.
• Manage ECN/ECO part-number cutovers and depletion of old stock.
• Plan materials for prototype, pilot, and trial builds.
• Account for scrap and yield loss in material plans.
• Work with Engineering to maintain accurate bills of materials.
• Track and report KPIs, including inventory turns, inventory accuracy, shortages, on-time supplier delivery, material-related downtime, and premium freight.
• Support month-end close, including inventory adjustments and variance explanations.
• Participate in lean initiatives to reduce waste and improve material flow.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package including performance-based bonuses.
• Ford vehicle discounts and management leases.
• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.
• Paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, and subsidized back-up child care.
• Family-building benefits, including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement and fertility treatments.
• Tuition assistance.
• Employee resource groups.
• Paid time off for individual and team community service.
• Generous vacation time, sick/personal time, and paid holidays, including between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level