Material Planner in Mount Juliet, Tennessee at Sunrise Medical

POSITION SUMMARY: Responsible for planning and purchase of materials, components and/or services consistent with the specified levels of quality, delivery, price and total cost, exercising judgment within defined procedures and practices to determine appropriate action in performing these duties. Manages approved supplier performance on a day-to-day basis, insuring that price, quantity and timing meet or exceed Sunrise requirements. Analyzes demand on assigned part numbers and adjusts ordering frequency or process to insure appropriate stocking levels at the lowest total cost.

PRINCIPAL JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintains commodity responsibility from receipt of requisition, placement of order, order changes, receipt of goods, acceptance of goods, and disposition of discrepant goods, through consumption of goods during material or products life cycle.
• Ongoing analysis of material usage, trends and lead-times to support forecasted and actual demand. Adjust orders and/or optimize Kanban flow to avoid material shortages or overstock/obsolescence.
• Expedites delivery of critical materials as required.
• Performs required purchasing tasks to procure assigned components, materials, supplies, equipment and services required for operation of business at agreed upon price.
• Works with the Commodity Manager to obtain and evaluate quotations, and assist in supplier negotiations and contract development as required for material and service agreements. Works directly with supplier to insure that standard pricing is maintained or improved.
• Works with cross-functional teams on projects and issues related to development of new products, new suppliers or technologies and to reduce the material and processing costs of targeted assemblies, products, commodities, or support of projects.
• Serves as liaison between appropriate company personnel and supplier representatives to ensure suppliers are equipped with the needed tools, materials, and specifications to obtain valid quotations or solutions to problems

• Drives continuous improvement through optimization of on-hand inventories, insuring supplier accountability and innovation of more efficient ordering and / or communication processes with vendors.
• Reviews AP Exception report; identifies and resolves invoice vs. purchase order discrepancies and purchase orders that need receipts

• May work on special projects/assignments upon request.
• Keep inventories at target levels and avoid out of stock situations.

REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Supply Chain, Logistics or related discipline or equivalent combination of education and related experience required.
• 3 years’ experience in planning and purchasing components or commodities in support of a complex manufacturing operation and knowledge and experience in Purchasing Law, long term agreements and contracts.
• Advanced user level experience with MS Office (Excel, Word).
• Demonstrated familiarity with Kanban, SIOP/S&OP forecasting planning and management processes preferred.
• Receipt of NACM Certification as Purchasing Manager (CPM) or APICS Certification in Production Inventory Management (CPIM) desirable.
• Ability to read and understand engineering drawings, tolerances and technical specifications.
• Knowledge of good purchasing practices and policies, Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), purchasing and contract law and negotiation skills.
• Practical experience with, and understanding of JD Edwards ERP/MRP material planning systems, or similar system preferred.
• Regular, onsite attendance at the production is required. Must be able to work overtime as required.

COMPETENCIES:

• Analytical Thinking – Approaching a problem by using a logical, systematic, sequential approach.
• Strategic Thinking – Analyzing our competitive position by considering the market and industry trends, our existing and potential customers, and our strengths and weaknesses as compared to competitors.
• Results Orientation – Focusing on the desired end result of one’s own or one’s unit’s work; setting challenging goals, focusing effort on the goals, and meeting or exceeding them.
• Decisiveness – Making difficult decisions in a timely manner.
• Attention to Communication – Ensuring that information is passed on to others who should be kept informed.
• Fostering Teamwork – As a team member, the ability and desire to work cooperatively with others on a team; as a team leader, interest, skill, and success in getting groups to learn to work together cooperatively.
• Building Collaborative Relationships – Developing and maintaining partnerships with others.
• Customer Orientation – Demonstrated concern for satisfying one’s external and/or internal customers.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Mathematical Reasoning – The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem. Ability to apply mathematical and statistical concepts to predict material requirements, lead-time off sets, economic order quantities, minimum lot quantities, carrying costs, pricing, overall costs and to determine statistical trends related to supplier quality.
• Deductive Reasoning – The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning – The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions. Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Oral Comprehension – The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression – The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Perceptual Speed – The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other.
• Problem sensitivity – The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Visualization – The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
• Written Comprehension – The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Must be able to read, analyze, and interpret common technical journals, financial reports, engineering drawings, tolerances, technical specifications, and legal documents.
• Written Expression – The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Vision – Requires close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Lifting - Required to lift and/or move up to 15 pounds.