Senior Materials Planner

Amy's Kitchen•Petaluma, CA

16d•$75,200 - $112,800

About The Position

The Senior Materials Planner ensures the continuous availability of direct materials for finished goods production across manufacturing operations. The role independently manages end-to-end planning for assigned material portfolios, translating planning signals and operational requirements into replenishment decisions that balance service levels, inventory health, and cost efficiency. The planner analyzes MRP outputs, consumption trends, supplier constraints, and inventory dynamics to identify supply risks and implement mitigation strategies before production is affected. The role independently resolves most material supply issues and escalates systemic or cross-site risks when broader coordination is needed. The planner drives continuous improvement by refining planning parameters, strengthening inventory strategies, and improving ERP/MRP data integrity. The role collaborates with sourcing, manufacturing, logistics, and quality teams to stabilize material flow, support new product introductions, and align planning decisions with operational priorities. It also mentors junior planners and leads process-improvement efforts within its assigned scope. Up to 20% travel may be required. The role is not eligible for sponsorship.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in supply chain, business, finance, operations, or engineering, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
4–6 years of experience in materials planning, supply planning, or purchasing and inventory management.
3–5 years of hands-on experience with ERP/MRP systems, including configuration and optimization of planning parameters.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to independently communicate supply risks, mitigation plans, and planning insights to cross-functional stakeholders.
Ability to manage competing priorities across multiple materials and plants while balancing service levels, cost, and inventory exposure.
Ability to operate independently with minimal supervision.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including evaluating planning data, identifying root causes of supply disruptions, and implementing corrective actions.
Strong attention to detail and analytical judgment to align planning parameters, order quantities, and inventory strategies with operational realities.
Solid understanding of supply chain planning principles, including inventory management, supplier constraints, replenishment strategies, and production scheduling impacts.
Advanced ERP/MRP system user able to troubleshoot planning exceptions, analyze system outputs, and recommend improvements to planning parameters and system usage.
Strong Excel and planning analytics capability, including the ability to build structured analyses and use reporting platforms to improve planning visibility and decision-making.
Strong cross-functional collaboration and ability to influence operational decisions and coordinate with procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and quality teams.
Ability to identify opportunities to improve planning workflows, data accuracy, and inventory performance and to support or lead improvement efforts.
Ability to mentor junior planners, share best practices, and strengthen planning discipline across the team.

Nice To Haves

Experience using data visualization tools such as Power BI.
APICS coursework or certifications, such as CPIM.
Familiarity with Lean concepts or Lean Six Sigma training.

Responsibilities

Independently manage end-to-end planning for defined material portfolios across multiple plants, balancing service, inventory, and cost objectives.
Analyze MRP outputs, identify systemic demand and supply risks, and adjust ordering logic, timing, and quantities.
Manage purchase orders and material replenishment decisions, adjusting order timing, quantities, and sourcing logic to optimize supply continuity.
Anticipate shortages and lead mitigation planning with suppliers, sourcing, logistics, and manufacturing teams.
Manage materials planning readiness for new product launches, identify constraints, and coordinate supply readiness with sourcing operations.
Own KPI performance for assigned material portfolios and drive improvements in service levels, inventory turns, and shortage prevention.
Evaluate consumption trends, safety stock levels, and replenishment frequency to optimize inventory performance.
Analyze root causes of inventory risks and implement corrective planning adjustments.
Provide insights into forecast variability, supplier constraints, and material risks to improve planning accuracy.
Recommend improvements to MOQ alignment, safety stock logic, and replenishment cadence within assigned scope.
Coordinate with suppliers for assigned materials, resolve supply disruptions, and collaborate with procurement to improve supplier reliability.
Ensure purchasing execution aligns with supplier capacity constraints, contractual commitments, and production priorities.
Provide planning insights for supplier scorecards and participate in operational performance reviews.
Troubleshoot ERP/MRP planning data issues, improve reporting visibility, identify master data inaccuracies, and coordinate corrective updates.
Support planning configuration reviews and system enhancements with IT and continuous improvement teams.
Develop reporting tools to improve visibility into planning KPIs and inventory health.
Communicate risks, mitigation plans, and planning insights to cross-functional stakeholders to support operational decisions.
Represent planning in operational planning forums and collaborate with partners to resolve supply risks.
Lead resolution of moderately complex planning issues using structured root cause analysis, identifying systemic drivers and recommending process improvements.
Mentor junior planners on planning processes, troubleshooting methods, documentation standards, and backup discipline.
Lead process improvements within assigned scope to improve planning accuracy and efficiency.
Contribute to process documentation, promote consistent planning practices, and lead Kaizen or structured improvement efforts within the planning function.