Material Planner

Job Purpose

The Materials Planner is responsible for ensuring the timely availability of raw materials, components, and supplies required for production.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with other members of the Materials team to help them achieve their objectives. 
• Analyze material requirements and initiate appropriate vendor material release schedules 
• Maintain inventory levels to ensure an uninterrupted supply of material while at the same time, operating within established ordering rule constraints 
• Maintain inventory to hit established inventory targets, and fill rates 
• Monitor Customer past dues to ensure the best Customer Service. 
• Analyze and report significant vendor delivery problems to department manager 
• Establish and maintain a professional working relationship with supplier contacts through frequent phone contact and plant visitations 
• Continuously monitor ongoing material requirements versus availability, supplier delivery to schedule, net changes and material rejection or loss 
• Coordinate shipments from suppliers to minimize freight costs 
• Respond to internal customer service inquiries in a timely manner, order acknowledgments, and advanced shipping notices 
• Assist in EDI implementation or external portal use with suppliers for purchase order receipt 
• Communicate material availability information as required to master Customer Service, sales and plant production 
• Identify unresolved problems and communicate to Dana Global Purchasing. 
• Maintain records of material at outside subcontractors or obligation material at vendors 
• Develop, review, and update inventory standards, ordering rules, vendor information and lead times to most efficiently order and manage inventory and measure supplier performance 
• Review excess and obsolete inventories and provide to management recommendations for disposition 
• Participate in implementation of engineering changes and new model introductions.  Monitor the status of new part PPAP 
• Coordinate the phase in of new suppliers or re-sourcing programs 
• Identify quantity and plan any special banks for vendor protection, new model phase-in, special safety stocks, etc 

Education and Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in business or engineering 
• 3-5 years materials/logistics experience preferred 
• SAP experience preferred 
• Good working knowledge of material flow and inventory control 
• Knowledge of ERP, MRP theories and procedures, and Lean Manufacturing preferred 
• Knowledge of concepts and application of materials requirements and inventory planning 
• General understanding of manufacturing activities and shop floor control 
• Understanding of systems functions and transactions 
• Must have excellent computer skills and thorough knowledge of MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel 
• Possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills and must be capable of professionally interacting with an international customer base 
• Must be proactive, detail oriented and have excellent organization, planning and follow-through skills. 
• Committed to tasks and skilled at identifying and solving a variety of problems of broad scope and complexity with little to no supervision 
• Must be able to work flexible hours