Materials Planning Specialist Materials Planning Specialist

Nestle Operational Services Worldwide SA•Sudbury, MA

21h•$75,000 - $90,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Materials Planning Specialist will be responsible for planning and procuring raw materials and packaging components required to support production schedules, inventory targets, and customer service goals for our manufacturing facility of Pure Encapsulations products in Sudbury, MA. This role manages end-to-end material flow from demand signal review through purchasing, supplier communication, inventory monitoring, and issue resolution. The Materials Planning Specialist also collaborates closely with Planning, Procurement, Quality, Manufacturing, and external suppliers to ensure material availability, cost efficiency, and supply continuity. This role will work onsite (Monday to Friday) at Nestle Health Science USA’s manufacturing plant in Sudbury, MA.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED required; Bachelor’s degree preferred.
3+ years of professional work experience in Production or Materials Planning, Supply Chain or in Procurement required.
Demonstrated fluency in Microsoft Office (Word/Excel/Outlook/PowerPoint) required.
Must have excellent communication (oral and written), organizational, presentation and stakeholder management skills (including the ability to develop and maintain strong, cross-functional stakeholder relationships).
Current or prior experience with MRP functionality.
Must be detail oriented, agile, possess a continuous improvement mindset and and willing to work through change management/business transformation.
Willing and able to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines with minimal supervision.
Experience working with KPIs and data management is required.
Willing and able to travel up to 5% based on the needs of the team and the business.

Responsibilities

Order raw and packaging materials to support the detailed production schedule while managing stock cover targets and working capital.
Review MRP signals and purchase requisitions to validate delivery dates, lead times, and quantities prior to purchase order creation.
Place purchase orders and confirm supplier acknowledgements, ship dates, and delivery commitments.
Follow up with suppliers to ensure timely fulfillment and resolve shortages or delays.
Identify material supply risks and escalate potential production impacts.
Communicate material status, delays, and risks to Planning, Manufacturing, and Quality teams.
Coordinate with Quality Control on lab testing priorities and late material releases.
Partner with Receiving to ensure visibility to inbound deliveries and expected arrivals.
Process special or urgent material orders as required.
Manage inventory levels to safety stock targets while minimizing excess, aged, or short-dated inventory.
Monitor KPIs including material turnover, aging inventory, and service levels.
Support cost savings initiatives through optimized order quantities, rebates, and volume pricing opportunities.
Balance inventory investment with service and production continuity requirements.
Maintain and validate material master data including lead times, safety stock, min/max levels, and lot sizes.
Support supply chain process improvements and troubleshooting of material flow issues.
Provide input on forecasting, production planning, and supply chain optimization.
Perform additional duties as assigned by the Demand & Supply Manager.