What are the responsibilities and job description for the Materials Planner position at Kidde-Fenwal LLC?
Materials Planner
KiddeFenwal
400 Main Street, Ashland, MA- Hybrid
Company Overview
KiddeFenwal is a global leader in the design and manufacture of innovative industrial and commercial fire suppression systems and safety controls. Our proprietary, fully certified solutions save lives, protect property, and minimize business disruption.
Our trusted brands—Kidde Fire Systems and Kidde Fire Protection—deliver highly engineered fire suppression, detection, and control systems for industrial, commercial, and marine applications. Fenwal Controls supports OEMs with advanced gas ignition, temperature control, and overheat detection products.
Headquartered in Ashland, Massachusetts, KiddeFenwal operates worldwide with facilities in the United States, United Kingdom (KFI-UK), and India (KTI-India). Learn more at KiddeFenwal.
Our Purpose
We protect lives, livelihoods, and iconic assets through innovative solutions, strong partnerships, and exceptional customer experiences. Built on a foundation of integrity and safety, we drive results with speed and excellence while fostering innovation and teamwork.
Position Summary
The Materials Planner is responsible for supporting supply and demand planning activities to ensure timely material availability, production continuity, and customer delivery performance. This role participates in the Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SI&OP) process and collaborates cross-functionally with manufacturing, procurement, product development, sales, and logistics teams to optimize inventory, capacity planning, and material flow.
The ideal candidate is an established planning professional who works independently with limited supervision, analyzes complex planning issues, and contributes to continuous improvement initiatives within materials planning and SI&OP processes.
Key Responsibilities
- Support materials planning and SI&OP strategies to align supply capabilities with customer demand and business objectives.
- Create, maintain, and manage planning data for purchased parts, subassemblies, finished goods, and other materials as required.
- Participate in developing standardized planning processes to optimize business resources and improve delivery performance.
- Monitor and manage material availability, inventory levels, and production schedules to support manufacturing operations.
- Support capacity planning activities and identify potential short- and long-term supply constraints.
- Assist in developing monthly production plans based on forecasts, customer orders, inventory position, and manufacturing capacity.
- Collaborate with sales, marketing, and product development teams to support demand forecasting and planning activities.
- Analyze market trends, demand patterns, and supply risks to improve planning accuracy and responsiveness.
- Coordinate transportation, shipment tracking, and inter/intra-plant material flow to ensure on-time delivery.
- Expedite critical material shortages and support resolution of supply chain disruptions.
- Participate in continuous improvement initiatives and support implementation of new planning technologies, systems, and tools.
- Track and report key performance metrics related to inventory, delivery performance, forecast accuracy, and planning effectiveness.
- Support development of processes that improve supply reliability, sustainability, and operational efficiency.
- Maintain accurate master data and planning parameters within ERP/MRP systems.
- Work cross-functionally to resolve planning and fulfillment challenges while ensuring customer expectations are met.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or related field.
- Experience in materials planning, production planning, supply chain, or SI&OP within a manufacturing environment.
- Knowledge of inventory management, forecasting, MRP/ERP systems, and production planning concepts.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently with limited supervision.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other planning/reporting tools.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with SAP or other ERP systems.
- APICS/CPIM certification or equivalent supply chain certification.
- Experience in capacity planning and demand forecasting.
- Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing or continuous improvement methodologies.
Competencies
- Supply & Demand Planning
- Inventory Management
- Capacity Planning
- Forecasting & Analytics
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Continuous Improvement
- Problem Solving
- Process Optimization
- Customer Focus
- Data Accuracy & Attention to Detail
Working Conditions
- Office and manufacturing environment.
- May require interaction with suppliers, manufacturing plants, and distribution operations.
- Occasional travel may be required based on business needs.
KiddeFenwal is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
Salary : $85,000 - $100,000