Materials Planner

We are a global leader in food & beverage ingredients. Pioneers at heart, we operate at the forefront of consumer trends to provide food & beverage manufacturers with products and ingredients that will delight their consumers. Making a positive impact on people and planet is all part of the delight. With a deep-rooted presence in the countries where our ingredients are grown, we are closer to farmers, enabling better quality, and more reliable, traceable and transparent supply. Supplying products and ingredients at scale is just the start. We add value through our unique, complementary portfolio of natural, delicious and nutritious products. With our fresh thinking, we help our customers unleash the sensory and functional attributes of cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts and spices so they can create naturally good food & beverage products that meet consumer expectations. And whoever we're with, whatever we're doing, we always make it real . Position Summary Reporting to the Operations Process Manager, the Planner will work cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Production and Finance to support the organization to achieve economic targets, ensure inventory levels are appropriate to maintain production and maximize inventory turnover. They are responsible for day-to-day purchasing of packaging and operating supplies (MRO) and Capex materials and ensure they meet quality standards and are competitively priced. They will focus on managing supplier relationships, also be accountable for supplier management, drive cost-savings initiatives and efficiencies and support the development of supplier quality management scorecard and ensure there is a consistent flow of materials/products/parts to enable uninterrupted production and efficient use of working capital. Position Responsibilities Inventory and Material Management

• Create and manage purchase orders to ensure timely and accurate material receipts.
• Monitor consumption of materials and ingredients against supply plans, investigating any variations and communicating potential risks.
• Develop and update inventory levels (Weeks/Days on Hand) based on current trends and item changes.
• Coordinate with suppliers to manage item revisions and running changes to avoid obsolescence.
• Issue and manage purchase orders to vendors, ensuring no orders are past due and preventing stock-outs.
• Collaborate with plant operations and maintenance to ensure optimal inventory levels.
• New material code creation.
• Identify and manage obsolete or excess inventory, coordinating with suppliers and other teams for disposal solutions.

Forecasting and Planning

• Analyze usage, lead times, and shelf-life to determine order frequency and maintain a lean inventory system.
• Collaborate with the sales team to create a demand plan for material purchases.
• Support production planning as needed.

Supplier and Sourcing Management

• Collaborate with the strategic sourcing team to identify and lead cost-saving initiatives.
• Maintain strong supplier relationships, including negotiation and timely issue resolution.
• Conduct quarterly business reviews and develop a supplier scorecard to measure accountability and ensure performance meets company requirements.
• Analyze and report significant vendor delivery problems to the department manager and strategic sourcing team.

Data and Process Improvement

• Maintain and update item master data with a cross-functional team.
• Develop and maintain an accurate system for monitoring purchase orders.
• Create and manage a purchasing approval flow matrix to ensure adherence to best practices.
• Support internal customers with purchase order assistance.
• Research and resolve discrepancies related to purchasing, billing, receiving, and delivery.
• Develop and maintain reports for historical usage, forecasting, and management.
• Perform "What if" analyses and create financial models to support strategic decisions on sourcing, costs, and inventory changes.

Additional Responsibilities

• Assist with the procurement of materials as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

• High school diploma or state-issued equivalency certificate plus nine (9) years of experience in purchasing or supplier management or a bachelor's degree in supply chain, business administration or similar equivalent plus five (5) years of experience.
• Advanced MRP/ERP knowledge, as well as a working knowledge of supplier contract maintenance and sourcing techniques is highly preferred.
• Strong leadership skills and effective oral and written communication skills required.
• Experience in SAP system software is a plus.
• Effective negotiation and problem-solving skills preferred.
• Demonstrate teamwork and the ability to operate on diverse project teams is required.
• Ability to understand and use continuous improvement tools is required.
• Previous experience in food manufacturing is preferred.
• Experience in production, inventory control, production reporting, physical inventory, reconciliation and database control is preferred.
• Excellent ability to communicate effectively, both written and verbal, with all levels of employees and customers.
• Ability to solve complex problems and present effective and efficient solutions in a clear and concise manner to management is required.
• T horough understanding of company products and logistics is required.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills required.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Excel, PowerPoint & Word.
• SAP experience strongly preferred.

The pay for this role in the state of California ranges from $68,000 to $91,000 and is based on the position responsibilities and geographic location. Actual pay within that range may be determined based on candidate experience, qualifications and/or other determining factors. Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization. ofi provides equality of opportunity for all persons with respect to hiring without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. All employment will be decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us for support at: ... At ofi, we celebrate our diversity. Olam Americas Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.