Position Overview
The Supply Planner is responsible for managing regional supply planning activities to ensure the right inventory is available at the right time while balancing customer service, cost, and working capital objectives.
This role translates demand forecasts into actionable supply and replenishment plans, manages consignment and safety stock levels, and works closely with Demand Planning and manufacturing teams to align production with customer requirements. The Supply Planner also leads priority and hotlist discussions, identifies supply risks, and drives solutions that improve delivery performance while reducing excess inventory and expedite costs.
Success in this role will be measured by strong On-Time In-Full (OTIF) performance, effective Total Working Capital (TWC) management, healthy inventory levels, and consistent supply plan execution.
Key Responsibilities
Supply Planning
- Lead daily and weekly supply planning activities across the region.
- Convert demand forecasts into executable supply and replenishment plans.
- Balance customer service requirements with inventory, capacity, and cost objectives.
- Monitor material availability, capacity constraints, and supply risks and adjust plans proactively.
- Communicate supply challenges, recovery plans, and potential customer impacts to key stakeholders.
Inventory Management
- Manage consignment inventory and ensure appropriate stock levels at customer and partner locations.
- Establish and maintain safety stock targets based on demand variability, lead times, and service expectations.
- Develop regional replenishment strategies to position inventory where and when it is needed.
- Monitor inventory health, including slow-moving and excess inventory, and drive actions to reduce working capital.
- Support Days on Hand and other inventory performance targets.
Demand and Supply Alignment
- Partner closely with Demand Planning to understand forecast changes, customer demand, and potential risks.
- Translate demand signals into short- and long-term supply requirements.
- Maintain alignment between demand forecasts, inventory strategies, and production plans.
- Provide supply insights, constraints, and recommendations to support S&OP processes.
Manufacturing Coordination
- Partner with manufacturing locations to ensure supply plans align with production capabilities and capacity.
- Participate in plant scheduling discussions and help prioritize production based on customer requirements and business priorities.
- Communicate demand changes, inventory requirements, and supply risks to manufacturing teams.
- Coordinate across demand, supply, and production functions to ensure effective execution.
Priority and Hotlist Management
- Lead hotlist and priority-order discussions for critical customer requirements.
- Track high-priority orders, identify potential delays, and coordinate recovery actions.
- Partner with manufacturing and logistics teams to expedite or reprioritize orders when necessary.
- Provide stakeholders with clear visibility into risks, status updates, and recovery plans.
Continuous Improvement
- Identify opportunities to improve supply planning processes, data quality, and planning accuracy.
- Reduce expedite costs through stronger inventory positioning and proactive supply management.
- Support planning system improvements, analytics initiatives, and digital transformation efforts.
- Develop reporting and analysis to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
Key Performance Indicators
- On-Time In-Full (OTIF) performance
- Total Working Capital (TWC)
- Inventory Days on Hand
- Inventory accuracy and health
- Forecast adherence
- Supply plan stability
- Expedite and premium freight costs
- Service-level performance
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or a related field preferred.
- 5+ years of experience in supply planning, production planning, inventory management, or a related supply chain function.
- Experience working within a manufacturing environment and understanding production planning and scheduling processes.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Proficiency with Excel and supply chain or ERP planning systems.
- Power BI experience is a plus.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across Demand Planning, Manufacturing, Logistics, Sales, and other functions.
- Ability to manage competing priorities and make informed decisions in a fast-paced environment.