Materials Planner

Role Overview

The Material Planner ensures that future production demand is supported by accurate material requirements, appropriate planning parameters, and timely visibility of supply risk. This role bridges Production Planning, Purchasing, Inventory Control, Engineering, Quality, and Operations by translating the production plan into clear material requirements and monitoring whether available and incoming supply supports the planning horizon. The Material Planner also coordinates item creation and serves as a planning-data steward for material-related ERP/MRP parameters. This is a planning and coordination role, not a purchasing role.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze production demand, MRP requirements, inventory positions, open supply, allocations, and consumption trends to identify current and future material exposure.
• Maintain a forward-looking material risk view across the planning horizon and communicate shortages or supply gaps to Production Planners before they affect work-order execution.
• Translate production requirements into clear quantities and required-by dates for Purchasing; monitor whether supplier commitments and open PO dates support the production plan.
• Partner with Production Planners on material constraints while preserving the Planner's ownership of work-order readiness, release, and schedule decisions.
• Analyze recurring shortages and recommend systemic corrective actions such as planning-parameter changes, safety-stock adjustments, lead-time updates, or process improvements.
• Review and recommend ERP/MRP material-planning parameters including safety stock, min/max levels, planning lead times, lot sizing/order quantities, make/buy designation, UOM, commodity classification, and other approved planning fields.
• Coordinate new-item creation workflow across requesting functions and required contributors; verify required planning/master-data fields are complete before item activation.
• Perform or coordinate duplicate-item checks and support consistent item descriptions, classifications, commodity codes, and planning attributes in accordance with company governance.
• Monitor open item-creation requests, aging, missing inputs, and handoffs; escalate stalled requests to the appropriate functional owner.
• Analyze historical consumption and future demand to support inventory policy, safety-stock, stocking, and build-ahead recommendations.
• Partner with Inventory Control to validate on-hand visibility, inventory availability, and material-master issues that affect planning signals.
• Partner with Purchasing on supply-risk visibility while leaving supplier selection, negotiation, PO placement, commercial terms, and supplier relationship management with Purchasing.
• Support ERP/MRP implementation, data cleanup, planning-standardization, dashboards, and continuous-improvement initiatives related to material planning.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of material planning, production planning, production control, inventory planning, master-data, or related manufacturing experience preferred.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, high-mix/high-volume job-shop, or other regulated manufacturing environment preferred.
• Working knowledge of ERP/MRP concepts including demand, supply, lead time, safety stock, inventory, BOMs, and item-master data.
• Experience with Epicor, JobBOSS, or comparable manufacturing ERP preferred.
• Strong Excel/data-analysis skills and comfort working with large material, inventory, and demand datasets.
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant manufacturing experience will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environments
• Exposure to AS9100 or other regulated manufacturing standards
• Working knowledge of Epicor ERP
• Familiarity with CNC machining, fabrication, or aerospace assemblies
• Experience supporting production in a growth-stage or startup environment

Additional Requirements

• Must have professional working proficiency reading, writing, and speaking English
• Ability to work in office, lab, and manufacturing environments with occasional exposure to noise, chemicals, dust, industrial equipment, and temperature variations
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while working at a computer workstation
• Frequent use of hands and fingers for data entry, keyboarding, and mouse use
• Ability to view computer screens for prolonged periods
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, by phone, and via email
• Ability to use a computer to complete assignments

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or skills required. Management may modify or assign additional duties as needed.

Job Details

Type: Full-time

Base Salary Range: $75,000-$85,000/yr

Business Hours: Core hours, M-F with availability to work overtime as needed

Base Location: 100% on-site in Ontario, CA

Travel: None