Planner/Buyer

Sika•Aurora, IL

About The Position

Sika is a global specialty chemicals company that develops and produces systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protection in construction and industry. The Planner/Buyer develops production plans to support supply, operational efficiency, and inventory targets, and purchases raw materials, packaging, and other components needed to meet those plans. The role manages purchasing and production schedules, maintains accurate inventory and planning data, monitors and expedites purchase orders, and addresses supply, capacity, and production constraints. It works across operational and corporate teams to support timely material flow, order fulfillment, product labeling, compliance, and plant goals. Inventory control includes warehouse walkthroughs, cycle counts, discrepancy investigations, and reconciliations.

Requirements

At least 5 years of production planning and/or purchasing experience in a manufacturing environment.
Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Supply Chain, or a related field.
Proficiency in SAP or comparable ERP systems and Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
Strong understanding of inventory management, material requirements planning (MRP), bills of materials, and component planning.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams.

Nice To Haves

APICS certification.

Responsibilities

Manage purchasing of raw materials and packaging to support production requirements, inventory targets, and demand forecasts.
Maintain accurate inventory levels and master data for raw materials, packaging, and finished goods.
Generate, monitor, and expedite purchase orders.
Communicate supply issues, pricing changes, and lead-time impacts with suppliers and Corporate Procurement.
Develop and manage production schedules using SAP MRP and other planning tools to ensure product availability and optimize plant resources.
Resolve production and capacity constraints by balancing inventory, machine capacity, manpower, and operational priorities.
Coordinate with Production, Quality, Logistics, Customer Service, Shipping/Receiving, and other cross-functional teams to ensure timely material flow and order fulfillment.
Partner with R&D, Marketing, EHS, and Operations on product and raw material labeling, compliance, and operational goals.
Conduct warehouse walkthroughs, cycle counts, discrepancy investigations, and inventory reconciliations to maintain inventory accuracy and material visibility.