Material Planner

AkzoNobel•Nashville, TN

24d•Onsite

About The Position

Since 1792, AkzoNobel has been supplying innovative paints and coatings globally, with brands like Dulux, International, Sikkens, and Interpon. Active in over 150 countries, the company focuses on providing sustainable solutions and enhancing everyday life, aiming to paint the future together. The primary purpose of the Distribution Requirement Planner role is to optimize the distribution of products from factories and central warehouses to regional and global warehouses to meet customer demand efficiently while balancing service, inventory, and cost. This role ensures proper planning, allocation, and replenishment across the supply network, supporting both operational execution and strategic decision-making.

Requirements

University or college degree in Business Administration, Economics, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, or a related discipline.
At least 1 year of experience in supply planning in Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Paint/Coating, or Retail sectors.
Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities, able to identify, structure, and resolve issues.
Experience with supply planning tools such as Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing (SAP) and Business Intelligence (BI).
Good understanding of goods handling, transportation (including dangerous goods), and cross-border documentation requirements.
Focused on achieving results, with a strong desire to challenge and improve existing processes and the status quo.
Strong communication, interpersonal, and cross-cultural skills.
Flexible and able to work effectively under pressure.
Fluent in English with understanding and sensitivity to different cultural behaviors in a global supply chain environment.

Responsibilities

Create and maintain the distribution requirement plan to optimize product allocation from production sites and central warehouses to regional/global warehouses.
Align inventory with market demand and customer needs to support production plans.
Understand and balance trade-offs between service levels, inventory levels, and cost efficiency.
Monitor and adjust plans to maintain reliability, lead times, and cost-effectiveness.
Manage supply and replenishments across the network, ensuring SKU-level demand consolidation and resolution of exceptions.
Oversee daily/weekly distribution plan releases, inventory projections, and warehouse capacity planning.
Maintain correct transactional and master data for all planning activities.
Ensure housekeeping processes in ERP/SAP systems are followed consistently.
Liaise with planning teams, manufacturing, logistics, and customer service to ensure integration across functions.
Lead MDI meetings and gatekeeping sessions; provide KPIs to measure performance.
Support initiatives to improve planning efficiency, reduce slow-moving/obsolete stock, and enhance inventory and service performance.
Oversee supply and replenishments across the network; review mid- and long-term supply plans against resources, warehouse capacities, and Stock Keeping Unit (SKU)-level demand.
Consolidate independent, dependent, and distribution demand; release weekly/daily Stock Transfer Orders / Intercompany Deliveries (ICDs) and ensure alignment with production and warehouse capacity.
Resolve planning exceptions in accordance with Integrated Business Planning (IBP) rules; balance service levels (On-Time In-Full, OTIF) with inventory targets (On-Warehouse Coverage, OWC) and manage slow-moving/obsolete stock, rework, and scrapping.
Project inventory volume and value; plan warehouse and logistics capacity; maintain replenishment policies, safety stock levels, shipment calendars, and SKU stocking levels.
Communicate and integrate with manufacturing, logistics, customer service, and planning teams; drive Material Demand Integration (MDI) meetings and gatekeeping meetings with other departments.
Provide relevant KPIs for service, inventory, and supply plan adherence; conduct impact analysis to evaluate the effect of decisions or scenarios on the plan.
Review logistics schedule adherence, optimize truck load management, and ensure smooth execution of distribution flows.
Ensure correct master data and housekeeping of transactional data in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) / Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing (SAP); monitor replenishment model and policy adjustments.
Act as a resource for other planners; share knowledge, provide guidance, and support team coordination for smooth planning operations.