Manufacturing Materials Planner
Lincoln Electric is the world leader in the engineering, design, and manufacturing of advanced arc welding solutions, automated joining, assembly and cutting systems, plasma and oxy-fuel cutting equipment, and has a leading global position in brazing and soldering alloys. Lincoln is recognized as the Welding Expert™ for its leading materials science, software development, automation engineering, and application expertise, which advance customers' fabrication capabilities to help them build a better world. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Lincoln Electric is a $4.2B publicly traded company (NASDAQ:LECO) with over 12,000 employees around the world, with operations in 71 manufacturing and automation system integration locations across 21 countries and maintains a worldwide network of distributors and sales offices serving customers in over 160 countries.
Location: Gainesville
Req ID: 28496
Summary
The Manufacturing Materials Planner is responsible for end-to-end production materials planning for the Harris Products Group Gainesville manufacturing facility. This role ensures the right materials are available at the right time by optimizing direct and indirect inventory levels, executing timely purchase orders, and actively managing supplier performance. Operating in a hybrid Make-to-Order (MTO) and Make-to-Stock (MTS) environment, the planner balances customer service, inventory health, and cost while supporting safe, efficient manufacturing operations.
Key Responsibilities
- Establish, maintain, and continuously improve material planning parameters within the ERP system
- Ensure material availability to meet production schedules and customer demand
- Create, manage, and maintain accurate purchase orders in ERP
- Proactively expedite and follow up on open purchase orders to prevent stockouts
- Track inbound supply and maintain accurate delivery commitments in ERP
- Monitor supplier performance, on-time delivery, and SCAR turnaround times
- Resolve supplier quality issues and invoice discrepancies in a timely manner
- Partner with Procurement and Strategic Sourcing on supplier performance and improvement initiatives
- Analyze inventory, supply, and planning issues to identify root causes and implement corrective actions
- Manage excess and obsolete (E&O) inventory, including oversight and disposition
- Ensure accuracy of planning master data in ERP to drive effective system usage
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Production Planning, Customer Service, Quality, Engineering, Sales, and Finance
- Identify and lead cost savings, process improvement, and supplier optimization projects
Key Performance Metrics
- Environment, Health, and Safety metrics
- Customer Service (OTIF- On Time, In Full)
- Inventory Days of Supply (DSI)
- Inventory Excess and Obsolescence (E&O)
- Inventory Stockout
- Supplier On-Time Delivery
- Supplier Corrective Action Request (SCAR) turnaround time
- Aged Open Purchase Orders
- Aged Unpaid Supplier Invoices
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, or a related field
- 3–5+ years of materials planning, purchasing, or inventory experience in a manufacturing environment OR combination of experience and education will be considered
- Purchasing, Scheduling, or Inventory Management experience, APICS Certification, Six Sigma or Lean implementation experience preferred
Skills and Competencies
- Strong working knowledge of MRP systems; SAP ECC or S/4HANA preferred
- Working knowledge of APICS principles and inventory planning best practices
- Comprehensive knowledge of purchasing processes and supplier management
- Advanced Excel skills (e.g., Pivot Tables); familiarity with analytics tools such as Tableau or Power BI preferred
- Analytical, proactive, and hands-on problem-solving mindset
- Ability to build effective, collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers
- Continuous improvement and customer-focused orientation
Lincoln Electric is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to promoting equal employment opportunity for applicants, without regard to their race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including, but not limited to, lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, and any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.
Nearest Major Market: Gainesville GA
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Industrial, Material Planner, ERP, Welding, Manufacturing, Technology