What are the responsibilities and job description for the Material Planning and Scheduling Manager position at The Vollrath Company?
The Manager of Material Planning and Scheduling is responsible for the end-to-end orchestration of inventory flow and production alignment. You will lead a team of planners and schedulers to ensure that raw materials are available for production while maintaining lean inventory levels. This role requires a strategic approach to Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), ensuring that the Master Production Schedule (MPS) aligns with both market demand and plant capacity.
Key Responsibilities
Take Ownership: Our intention is to match our actions with our words, building trust with others. We are united in taking responsibility for the success of Vollrath as a whole.
Empower Action: Our intention is to create a workplace where every member can thrive in their growth and contributions with excitement, confidence, and psychological safety. We support each team member with resources and tools to strengthen collaboration and performance.
Treat All People With Respect: Our intention is to recognize the diverse experiences, styles, and backgrounds of others, treating everyone with dignity. We aim to foster an inclusive culture where all team members can be their authentic selves and feel safe in voicing their perspectives.
Life Beyond Work: Our intention is to care for the well-being of every individual we engage with, understanding them as a whole person. We strive to keep people mentally and physically safe, sending each person home in a condition to build a fulfilling life beyond work. We encourage balance, allowing our colleagues to pursue their passions.
Commitment to Those Who Count on Us: Our intention is to drive innovation and practical solutions through understanding the needs of our coworkers, customers, owners, and communities. We are dedicated to proactively addressing those needs and delivering results.
Key Responsibilities
- Production Strategy: Develop and oversee the Master Production Schedule (MPS) and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) to ensure 100% on-time delivery to customers.
- Inventory Management: Establish and monitor safety stock levels, reorder points, and lead-time accuracy to optimize working capital and minimize obsolescence.
- Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Material Planners and Schedulers, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as the primary liaison between Procurement, Production, Sales, and Logistics to resolve bottlenecks and align on demand forecasts.
- System Optimization: Serve as the functional expert for the ERP/MRP system (e.g., SAP, Oracle, JDE), ensuring data integrity and leveraging system automation for scheduling efficiency.
- Supplier Alignment: Partner with the Purchasing team to communicate rolling forecasts to suppliers, ensuring a stable incoming pipeline of critical components.
- KPI Tracking: Define and report on departmental metrics including Schedule Attainment, Inventory Turns, Excess/Obsolete (E&O) levels, and Material Shortage impacts.
- Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
- Experience: 5–7 years of experience in material planning, production scheduling, or supply chain operations, with at least 2 years in a leadership or supervisory capacity.
- Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in ERP systems and Microsoft Excel (data modeling, pivot tables, XLOOKUPs).
- Certifications: APICS certification (CPIM or CSCP) or Six Sigma Green/Black Belt is highly preferred.
- Analytical Thinking: Ability to translate complex data sets into actionable production plans.
- Agility: A proven track record of managing supply chain disruptions with calm and effective pivot strategies.
- Communication: Strong interpersonal skills to negotiate priorities between sales demands and manufacturing constraints.
Take Ownership: Our intention is to match our actions with our words, building trust with others. We are united in taking responsibility for the success of Vollrath as a whole.
Empower Action: Our intention is to create a workplace where every member can thrive in their growth and contributions with excitement, confidence, and psychological safety. We support each team member with resources and tools to strengthen collaboration and performance.
Treat All People With Respect: Our intention is to recognize the diverse experiences, styles, and backgrounds of others, treating everyone with dignity. We aim to foster an inclusive culture where all team members can be their authentic selves and feel safe in voicing their perspectives.
Life Beyond Work: Our intention is to care for the well-being of every individual we engage with, understanding them as a whole person. We strive to keep people mentally and physically safe, sending each person home in a condition to build a fulfilling life beyond work. We encourage balance, allowing our colleagues to pursue their passions.
Commitment to Those Who Count on Us: Our intention is to drive innovation and practical solutions through understanding the needs of our coworkers, customers, owners, and communities. We are dedicated to proactively addressing those needs and delivering results.