Senior Demand Planner

Apptronik is building robots for the real world to improve human quality of life and to help solve the ever-increasing labor shortage problem. Our team has been building some of the most advanced robots on the planet for years, dating back to the DARPA Robotics Challenge. We apply our expertise across the full robotics stack to some of the most important and impactful problems our society faces, and expect our products and technology to change the world for the better.  We value passion, creativity, and collaboration to help us overcome existing technological barriers in the industry to create truly innovative products. 

You will join a team developing state-of-the-art general-purpose robots designed to operate in human spaces and with human tools. It is designed to work alongside humans, mobilize to human spaces, and manipulate the world around it.

The Senior Demand Planner is responsible for planning product demand to ensure optimal inventory levels, on time customer demand fulfillment, and efficient supply chain operations.  This role involves collaborating with other departments to prepare and analyze engineering prototype demand, internal/external customer demand, sales analytics, and company financial goals to create accurate product production plans for our contract manufacturing partner. 

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Supply Planning: Develop, implement, and maintain manufacturing plans that include scheduling, project details, and resource allocation. Ensure all plans align with production goals and business needs.
• MRP Tool Management: Create and support tools and methods to implement strategies using MRP systems. Develop and manage advanced planning workbooks to monitor business exceptions, address supply/demand imbalances, and resolve data integrity issues.
• Demand Forecasting & Supply Planning: Generate demand forecasts and supply plans based on business rules, lead times, customer orders, safety stock levels, and bills of material. Address and escalate shortages and overages to management as needed.
• Material Requirements & Lead Times: Identify and track material requirements, lead times, and potential shortages for NPI (New Product Introduction) to production product lines. Ensure timely material availability to meet production schedules.
• Inventory & Procurement Management: Analyze inventory and usage patterns to determine appropriate procurement quantities. Manage raw material inventories to maintain optimal stock levels.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Develop work statements and coordinate the sequencing of supply chain processes in partnership with internal business stakeholders. Ensure alignment between departments and external suppliers to streamline operations.
• Data Integrity & ERP Management: Maintain and manage product item master attributes. Review and monitor ERP system data integrity to ensure continuous improvement in product delivery timelines and accuracy.
• Compliance & Process Adherence: Ensure adherence to procedures and work instructions, maintaining consistency and operational efficiency.
• Ad Hoc Analysis & Reporting: Provide ad hoc analysis and reporting to leadership, helping to identify material readiness and potential supply chain risks. Support data-driven decision-making.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive continuous improvement initiatives in planning and forecasting processes, optimizing efficiency and accuracy.
• KPI Development & Reporting: Develop, track, and present monthly Planning KPIs to senior management, showcasing performance and areas for improvement.
• Other Duties as Assigned: Take on additional tasks and projects as needed to support the planning and supply chain functions.

 

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• A minimum of 4 years of demand planning experience in an engineering/manufacturing environment, ideally with electro-mechanical products.
• Experience with ERP systems, particularly Microsoft Business Central, is highly desirable.
• Strong background in MRP accuracy, forecasting, and demand creation.
• Proven ability to analyze and interpret technical procedures, including ensuring PLM to ERP data cleanliness.
• Working knowledge of reading and interpreting technical