Supply/Demand Planner

ITW•Houston, TX

23h

About The Position

ITW Car Care, a division of Illinois Tool Works specializing in automotive aftermarket products, is hiring two Supply/Demand Planners at either Planner I or Planner II level, depending on experience. The roles balance Finished Goods (FG), Semi-Finished Goods (SFG), and Raw Materials (RM) with customer demand through forecasting, supply planning, purchasing, and cross-functional collaboration. Planners work with suppliers, manufacturing sites, and sales teams to meet service, inventory, and Months on Hand (MOH) targets. Planner II employees additionally own end-to-end material planning for an assigned product portfolio and provide guidance to less experienced planners. The position is performed primarily in an office setting, with periodic visits to manufacturing and warehouse facilities. Occasional travel may be required to manufacturing sites, supplier locations, or company meetings. Appropriate personal protective equipment may be required during plant visits.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business, or a related field.
Planner I: 0–3 years of experience in supply chain, procurement, or supplier coordination.
Planner II: 3–6 years of experience, including a track record of independently managing sourcing or planning projects.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to work effectively with large data sets.
Experience with ERP systems and MRP processes.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, XLOOKUP/INDEX-MATCH, advanced formulas, and data modeling.
Ability to build Power BI dashboards and reports for inventory, forecast, and service metrics.
Ability to run MRP in ERP systems and maintain planning parameters.
Knowledge of maintaining MRD calculations and updating MRD systems.
Knowledge of statistical forecasting methods and tools.
Analytical thinking and attention to detail.
Clear communication with suppliers, manufacturing sites, and commercial teams.
Ownership and follow-through.
Continuous improvement mindset.

Nice To Haves

Experience in manufacturing or production planning.
Familiarity with Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) or Integrated Business Planning (IBP).
Familiarity with the 80/20 methodology.
APICS/ASCM certification, such as Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM) or Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP).

Responsibilities

Build and maintain statistical demand forecasts.
Track Point of Sale (POS) data and adjust forecasts to reflect changes in demand.
Bring forecast inputs to demand planning meetings with Sales and Marketing.
Run long-term and short-term planning for Finished Goods (FG), Semi-Finished Goods (SFG/SM), and Raw Materials (RM).
Purchase FG, SFG, and RM, and coordinate supplier deliveries to ensure products arrive on time.
Calculate supplier Market Rate of Demand (MRD) requirements and maintain the MRD system using Run Rates (RR), Lead Times (LT), and batch sizes.
Run Material Requirements Planning (MRP) in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to plan material and production needs.
Plan manufacturing production with plants, including schedules and capacity.
Calculate and report planning metrics including MOH, OSMI, OTIF, RR, SS, MOQ, and OEE.
Analyze inventory data and recommend actions to improve MOH.
Recommend and make planning parameter changes, including lead times, minimum inventory, lot sizes, and order policies.
Build and maintain Power BI dashboards and Excel reports to track inventory and service performance.
Participate in supplier and manufacturing site meetings and support the monthly Inventory Management meeting.
Apply 80/20 principles to focus planning effort on the products and customers that matter most.
Planner II: Independently own the full MRD and MRP process for an assigned product portfolio.
Planner II: Train and mentor Planner I team members.
Planner II: Lead small improvement projects in planning and sourcing.