Inventory and Materials Planner

About the position

Position in the Organisation:
1st Line Manager - Production planning manager
2nd Line Manager - Head of production
Direct Subordinate(s) - Inventory Assistant and Warehouse Team Leader

Overall Purpose of the Job
Purpose Statement
To oversee the entire Raw Materials & Packaging Materials (Primary/Secondary/Tertiary/ Consumables) portfolio to satisfy factory demand, while meeting the business's overall desired inventory levels, Cash landing and procurement strategy.

Education (Formal Qualification Required)
Minimum

• A degree or equivalent tertiary qualification (Preferably in Operations/ Logistics Management or in one or more of the numerical sciences) B-Tech or University Degree.
• SAP experiences essential

Experience (Experience Required and indication of time spent to gain that experience)
Describe the required experience, i.e. gained in what previous job/s or work area/s, doing what work?

• 3 years' experience in materials or production planning within a manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency in SAP for scheduling and inventory control.
• Proven ability to manage inventory levels, lead times, and optimise stock usage.
• Experience coordinating with suppliers and internal teams to ensure on-time material delivery.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to interpret data and make sound planning decisions.
• FMCG/Manufacturing experience - 3 Years' +

Position Description
Material Planning & Scheduling

• Achieve a constant flow of raw materials to satisfy the production requirements and ensure that forecasts are sent to suppliers to secure materials.
• Schedule the supply of materials/components to meet production requirements and minimum stock levels.
• Day-to-day order management and management of deliveries
• Develop and maintain accurate material requirement plans for Raw Materials based on the MPS.
• Highlight variations in mix that could drive OOS & High Stock cover
• Analyse material usage trends and adjust planning parameters to improve forecasting accuracy.
• Organize and schedule raw material procurement in a timely and systematic manner
• Analyse and react to business demand planning data

Procurement & Supplier Management

• Manage the raw and packaging material procurement to meet new product launches or new market openings.
• Orders for Raw materials to be placed via Factory SAP once contracts are set up and created.
• Liaise with the Commercial team/KAM to set up and manage supplier contracts, procurement plans and KPI's.
• Track & compare Raw material orders vs delivery QTY's to ensure supplier performance is measured & possible risk is highlighted
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers
• Support sustainability initiatives by sourcing from ethical and sustainable suppliers
• Develop contingency plans for supply disruptions (e.g., ingredient shortages, supplier non-compliance, etc.).
• Identify and qualify secondary suppliers where possible.

Inventory & Cost Management

• Track and report key functional metrics to reduce expenses, improve effectiveness, quality and to minimize risk.
• Minimise obsolete stock and ensure business is left with minimum liability.
• Develop and Report on the Raw material portfolio KPI's and provide inventory analysis on entire portfolio.
• Procure the correct levels of materials to ensure no risk of stock out or obsolescent stock.
• Forecast & accountability for Period end/Year End cash landing for entire Raw material portfolio.
• Ensure data accuracy in ERP systems

Issue Resolution & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Resolve issues related to material shortages, delivery delays, and quality discrepancies
• Liaise with the Production Planner and Factory Operations team daily
• Coordinate with quality assurance/laboratory to ensure materials meet required standards.
• Liaise with the Raw Material and Packaging Warehouse Manager daily
• Participate in cross-functional meetings to discuss and resolve material planning and supply chain issues
• Liaise with the Raw Material and Packaging Warehouse Manager daily
• Communicate with Customer Service team Individual Market risks or opportunities.

Continuous Improvement & Systems Development

• Take initiative for building new processes and systems for improvement and implement new ideas for efficiency, accuracy, and cost control.
• Conduct regular audits of planning system parameters to prevent planning errors

Competencies (Knowledge, Skills and Behavioural Attributes)
Production process and quality control
Skills

• Excellent team and leadership management skills

Behavioral Attributes

• Respect

Technological proficiency
Skills

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills

Behavioral Attributes

• Commitment

Financial Acumen
Skills

• Analytical thinking and problem solving

Behavioral Attributes

• Trust

Supply Chain and Inventory knowledge
Skills

• Strategic planning and organizational skills

Behavioral Attributes

• Integrity

Regulatory compliance and sustainability
Skills

• Microsoft office

Behavioral Attributes

• Coaching and Mentoring

Vendor management and negotiation
Skills

• Proactive problem-solving
• Critical thinking

Behavioral Attributes

• Agile

Desired Skills:

• +3 years experience in Manufacturing FMCG environment
• Qualification in Logistics
• SAP Expereince essential
• Production planning experience within a manufacturing environment
• Manage inventory levels
• Coordinating iwth suppliers and interanl teams

Desired Qualification Level:

• Degree