Materials & Supply Planning Expert

Position Description:

The Planning & Scheduling Specialist (SC) works closely with Forecasting, Operations Planning, and Procurement Planning functions, reviewing and adjusting demands at a global and local level, compiling long and short-term capacity plans, and ensuring Supply Chain planning designs are set to achieve global service and inventory objectives.

Essential Functions:

• Create operational schedules based on throughput, customer service, and all other company and/or departmental goals
• Use SAP APO or other scheduling software techniques to optimize production schedules
• Analyze planned orders, requirements, and system designs with a view to global MilliporeSigma supply chain impact; convert planned orders to purchase requisitions or process orders as necessary
• Identify scheduling constraints and test various methods and strategies in order to reduce or eliminate those constraints (i.e. bulk size, availability, fill time, warehouse space)
• Develop SAP generated reports various performance measures to identify opportunities for refinement of strategies, process improvement, and testing
• Ensure a balanced load of work for production while allowing for flexibility with Bulk/Spec orders and minimizing WIP to ensure low cycle times
• Manage SAP exception messages and act on recommended plan changes including expediting or rescheduling process orders and purchase orders
• Schedule and maintain Top products to 99% service level
• Work closely with purchasing and production to ensure bulk availability and packaging requirements including supplies
• Work with global planning teams as needed to ensure planning designs and requirements are coordinated across the entire supply chain
• Analyze inventory and forecast status in order to provide superior customer service
• Analyze reports and participate in projects to eliminate backorders, optimize inventory and increase customer service
• Evaluate, test, recommend and/or implement changes that could improve service, cycle time, throughput efficiency, inventory levels, etc.
• Enforce inventory approval policies
• Manual data entry of forecast and demand information to GRASP and Access databases
• Communicate effectively with multiple levels of management and with Sales and Marketing departments
• Frequently explain SAP Planning policies and functions including how and why requirements are generated to personnel not necessarily familiar with that part of business
• Maintain and audit key SAP planning master data. Including, lot size, lead time, MRP controllers, special procurement keys, schedule margin key and purchasing type
• Support business unit objectives
• Must develop excellent understanding of complex processes from beginning to end and all steps in detail in order to perform trouble shooting and process improvement effectively.
• Miscellaneous duties and tasks as assigned

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor s degree in Business or equivalent work experience
• Minimum of 1 year experience in supply chain, forecasting and/or planning/scheduling
• Minimum of 2 years experience in moving material through the product delivery cycle
• APICS certification preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite
• Proficient in spreadsheets and databases, data analysis
• Working knowledge of SAP strongly preferred
• Basic scheduling techniques
• Basic material requirements planning knowledge and experience
• Knowledge of ISO standards in documentation preparation