Material Planner

Relocation Assistance Offered Within Region
Job Number # Castiglione delle Stiviere, Lombardia, Italy

Who We Are

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specialising in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name

Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.

Job Summary:

As a Material Planner at Hill's Pet Nutrition, you fulfill a pivotal function within our Planning Tower.  You are charged with orchestrating the flow of raw and packaging materials to adequately fulfill production demands and customer service objectives.  This role demands proactive management of Raw and Packaging Materials, nurturing supplier relationships, and helping define inventory levels for materials within the manufacturing site.  The Material Planner engages closely with Production Planners, Procurement, and other key stakeholders to refine the supply chain, manage costs, and strategically navigate risks.  By supporting our weekly and monthly executional processes, you will contribute to the alignment of our supply chain strategies with our overarching goal of providing world-class service to our customers.

Core Responsibilities:

• Manage the inbound pipeline for raw and packaging materials to the manufacturing site

• Ensure that material requirements plans maintain safety stock levels established by the Supply Chain Synchronization Lead utilizing Multi-echelon Inventory Optimization (MEIO) 

• Proactively engage with suppliers to articulate forecasted needs, securing alignment with production schedules and inventory requirements

• Lead Supplier Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning (SIOP) meetings to assess performance, forecast accuracy, and strategize for future requirements

• Address and resolve escalations from the plant regarding material shortages, formulating corrective actions to prevent future occurrences

• Partner with procurement on supplier performance evaluation, contract management, budget and quota arrangements, invoicing management, and continuous improvement initiatives

• Ensure accountability for the health of raw and packaging inventory within the plant, by overseeing levels, turnover rates, and obsolescence

• Support the Inventory accrual and write off process for any obsolete inventory

• Craft and execute sourcing strategies to procure ingredients, packaging, and indirects based on forecasted demand and production requirements

• Process and oversee purchase orders, ensuring accurate order status information is up-to-date in our planning systems

• Coordinate material order releases to guarantee timely & complete delivery to the plant

• Escalate significant material shortages or long term material disruptions to the Production Planner as part of the weekly to Sales & Operations Execution (S&OE)

• Own master data inputs that drive material requirements planning in our planning systems

• Responsible for ensuring the delivery of business results for supplier performance to include inbound materials delivered on time, in full, and in spec per our contractual agreements

• Utilize scenario planning and control tower capabilities to proactively identify disruptions in the production plan and provide solutions to resolve alongside anticipated impacts 

• Champion continuous improvement initiatives in process efficiency, collaboration, and supply chain management

• Conduct regular meetings, manage orders, materials exceptions with internal stakeholders to align on projected manufacturing needs and timely delivery.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Economics, Engineering, or a related discipline

• 3-5 years of experience in supply chain planning, with a working knowledge of planning, sourcing, or manufacturing operations.

• Strong understanding of supply chain and manufacturing processes

Expected Areas of Skills:

• Proficiency with ERP systems such as SAP ECC/ SAP S4Hana 

• Proficiency with Advance Planning Solutions such as SAP APO, Kinaxis, etc. 

• Strong supply chain acumen with holistic understanding of end to end supply chain connectivity 

• Understanding of core planning master data and their interdependencies 

• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to navigate through ambiguity and drive data backed decisions 

• Effective time management and prioritization skills to meet deadlines

• Capacity to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

• Independence and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Working Relationships:

• Sits within the Planning Tower, reports to Production Planning Manager and closely collaborates with Production Planners

• Collaborates closely with suppliers, operations, and quality

• Provides feedback and shares information with Corporate Procurement and Network Operations for continuous improvement

Travel Requirements:

• Up to 10% travel may be required.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to work in a standard office environment and occasionally visit the plant floor and warehouse areas.

No VISA sponsored

Our Commitment to Inclusion
Our journey begins with our people—developing strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives  to best serve our consumers around the world and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring that each individual can be their authentic self, is treated with respect, and is empowered by leadership to contribute meaningfully to our business.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.

Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.

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