Materials Planner.

A Materials Planner is required for our client, a biopharmaceutical company based in Cork. The successful candidate will ensure the availability of raw material components to support Drug Substance, Drug Product and Finished Goods Packaging operations. The role involves planning, purchasing and monitoring material release in SAP in line with the Master Production Schedule, developing effective planning processes and supporting product launches.

Responsibilities

• Manage Material Requirements Planning (MRP) in SAP to ensure raw material availability in line with the Master Production Schedule.
• Convert purchase requisitions into purchase orders and manage supplier invoice payments.
• Monitor material release status and complete planning scenarios to maintain production schedules.
• Maintain accurate material master data in SAP.
• Manage inventory end to end, including pricing, Purchase Info Records, Purchase Price Variance (PPV), reserves, expiry, FIFO/FEFO, safety stock and lead times.
• Issue quarterly supplier forecasts and ensure supplier open order books are aligned with SAP weekly.
• Generate and communicate material readiness reports and heatmaps, participating in weekly readiness reviews.
• Develop, maintain and report supplier performance KPIs, including On Time In Full (OTIF).
• Resolve ageing receipts and material supply issues, identifying root causes and corrective actions.
• Support Short Term Exception Management (STEM) and work with stakeholders to resolve scheduling conflicts.
• Contribute to monthly Supply Chain Reviews, Global Category Forums, Quarterly Business Reviews and Single Use Application strategy meetings.
• Participate in daily cross-functional meetings and weekly Sales and Operations Execution (S&OE) meetings to maintain Adherence to Schedule (ATS) and Adherence to Plan (ATP).
• Support change requests, CAPAs, deviations and Supplier Change Notifications within the Quality Management System.
• Participate in end-of-campaign reviews, comparing planned and actual requirements to improve future planning.
• Support operational readiness programmes and product launch activities.
• Apply Lean and Six Sigma practices to improve safety, quality, SOPs, planning processes, cost performance and sourcing strategies, including dual sourcing.
• Facilitate Tier 1 Purchasing meetings and participate in functional process teams and Material Planner Standard Work activities.
• Engage suppliers ethically and compliantly, maintaining a patient and customer focus.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree in Supply Chain Management or a related business discipline is essential.
• Minimum two years’ relevant supply chain management experience.
• Minimum one year’s experience working in a GMP environment.
• SAP experience is essential.
• Planning or purchasing experience within a pharmaceutical environment, supported by a strong technical and systems background, is desirable.
• Proven track record of leading and managing a direct material category from end to end.
• Experience managing chemicals and Single Use Technologies (SUTs) is highly desirable.
• Supply chain certification, such as APICS, is preferred.
• Project Management or Lean certification is desirable.
• Knowledge of Power BI or similar visual data analytics tools is desirable.
• Project management experience focused on value creation and waste reduction programmes is highly desirable.