Materials Planning Manager

Job Description:

The Materials Planning Manager is responsible for leading and managing the activities of the finished product procured planning team and the material requirements planning team for the Americas Refinish organization.  The Materials Planning Manager is responsible to define, implement, and optimize supply chain strategies in support on business and/or procurement strategies and objectives, as well as evaluating the competitiveness of the supply chain with respect to service, cost and inventory.

The company goals associated with this role are schedule optimization for material requirements planning, creating and maintaining efficient processes and management of their direct reports, forecasting and collaborating with all active vendors and suppliers for raw materials, reporting key metrics and being held accountable for global goals such as Supplier On Time/In Full, escalating concerns or constraints through the supply chain, operations and procurement leadership teams, and presence and representation within IBP (Integrated Business Planning) in the Supply Review. 

The role requires strong collaboration with the Supply Chain Director that they will report to.  This role will also require close collaboration with the Americas Procurement teams, Detailed Scheduler(s), and Production Planners that support the Front Royal MFG plant, as well as active vendors and suppliers for raw materials and procured finished products.

Primary Responsibilities 

• Key interface between Procurement, Operations, and Supply Chain.
• Manages the material requirements planning team and incorporates Axalta Behaviors into everyday work; continue to drive sustainability within the team.
• Agile interpretation of business needs to plant capacity.
• Manage allocation scenarios; provide data updates on business needs to procurement team and supply impact to supply chain team.
• Understands the procurement strategy and translating it into an executable plan in support of the business and functional strategies/COTs.
• Meet business needs through integrated process, systems (SAP), use of technology.
• Represents the risks associated with the procurement strategies and options/contingencies to mitigate them.
• Understands and represents the limitations of IT systems.  (SAP/OMP)
• Understands and makes decisions based upon knowledge of upper quartile performance and the relationship and impact to the supply chain.
• Represents TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) in procurement strategy discussions.
• Understands the various planning time horizons (e.g. frozen, slush, liquid) as it relates to an accurate demand plan to suppliers.
• Managing master data settings to support execution of plan.
• Represents the supply chain capabilities for the short (0-3 months), mid (3-24 months), and long term (5-year plan) horizons.
• Ensure a valid forecast is supplied to vendors in a timely fashion.
• Identifies the appropriate models necessary for supply chain optimization and recommend actions to the Business Team.
• Plays a gatekeeper role between procurement and EH&S requirements to assure product storage, shipment, and supply meets regulatory requirements.
• Analyze demand swings on materials and validate changes and/or lift up issues for corrections to various Supply Chain roles.
• Coordinator for new raw material setups in SAP for product replacements, re-formulations, and new product introductions.
• Support localization of new product launches with regard to marketing strategies.

Key KPI’s

• Supplier Fulfillment On-Time & In-Full
• Inventory (M$)
• Inventory Days Supply (IDS)
• SO & SL (Stock low & Stock outs) 

Qualification & Experience:  

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain Management or related discipline

OR

• Minimum five (5) years of relevant work experience in a planning function for a manufacturing company. 

Essential Skills/Knowledge:

• Sound knowledge of supply chain processes and procedures including manufacturing planning, demand and replenishment processes (MRP & DRP).
• Experience of Planning of batch processes in coatings or related industry strongly preferred
• Experience managing short term projects
• Strong negotiation skills with the ability to reason and influence at all levels.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Strong problem solving and analysis skills.
• Ability to manage complexity and resolve conflicts that arise from balancing multiple priorities.
• Proficient in SAP & planning tools, MS office applications.
• Preferred knowledge of Six Sigma certification & Knowledge of Lean Methodologies

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