Material Planner at Antenna Research Associates Inc – Laurel, Maryland

Company Overview

ARA is a leading C5ISR company that designs, manufactures, tests and installs innovative technologies that provide the national security community with unparalleled situational awareness, threat detection, and communications capabilities.

Our disruptive, integrated solutions, assemblies and subsystems rise to the challenging demands of discerning, mission-critical customers.

We leverage our capabilities to meet and exceed the requirements of our customers and empower them to remain ahead of evolving threats and complexities in a dynamic security landscape.

Job Summary

The Materials Planner will be responsible for supporting the material acquisition plans and must have the ability to work with the programs stakeholders in generating material requirements and providing the necessary support of acquisition plans from start to finish. The Material Planner works closely with internal teams, including production, logistics, procurement and finance, to align procurement planning activities with business needs and resolve issues related to quality, delivery, or payment.

This position is considered Clearance eligible and applicants should be able to meet this requirement if necessary.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams such as production, logistics, and finance to forecast needs and adjust procurement strategies accordingly
• Coordinate forecasts, workload, expediting, and acquisition priority working with broader supply chain organization
• Manage inventory levels in coordination with internal teams to meet production and operational demands
• Audit and monitor stranded materials using inventory aging reports, forecasts, and engineering change notices.
• Initiate procurement requirements/requests and track the status of deliveries to ensure on-time receipt
• Collaborate with procurement to research, evaluate, and select suppliers based on quality, cost, service, and reliability
• Interact with vendors to achieve favorable outcomes on procurements
• Maintain accurate procurement records including purchases, pricing, and vendor performance data
• Resolve supplier issues related to delivery delays, quality discrepancies, or invoice/payments
• Ensure compliance with company policies, industry regulations, and contractual obligations
• Coordinate warranty issues and communicate with manufacturers regarding replacements or repairs
• Monitor market trends, supplier innovations, and cost drivers to identify opportunities for process or cost improvement

Position Qualifications

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Competency Statements

• Adaptability - Adapts to change, open to new ideas and responsibilities
• Communication - Ability to communicate thoughts clearly, both oral and written in an honest, open and timely manner
• Job Knowledge - Understands facets of job, aware of duties and responsibilities, keeps job knowledge current
• Technical Skill - Possesses the knowledge and skills needed to perform a job or role effectively
• Dependability - Meets deadlines, works independently or in a team environment, is accountable, maintains focus, good attendance record
• Quality - Strives to eliminate errors, accurate work is a priority, seeks opportunities to improve products
• Ethics - Honest, accountable, maintains confidentiality
• Initiative / Take Ownership - Takes action, seeks new opportunities, strives to see projects to completion, meaning own your job and see it through
• Decision Making – Problem solve and critical thinking skills, be able to reach a decision, takes thoughtful approach when considering options, seeks input from others, makes difficult decisions
• Customer Focus - Understands and can meet the needs in a customer-centric (Internal and External) environment and build strong relationships. Promotes a positive image of the company and strives to solve issues raised by customers

Experience and Skills

• Experience in procurement, supplier management, or supply chain operations within a manufacturing environment; DoD experience preferred.
• Proficiency in procurement software or enterprise systems (e.g., CostPoint preferred, Oracle).
• Strong understanding of procurement processes, supplier development, and risk mitigation strategies
• Experience in supplier relationship management, supply-base diversity, and cost optimization
• Strong communication and analytical skills to influence stakeholders and develop solutions to ambiguous or multifaceted problems
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and work across multiple systems simultaneously
• Attention to detail
• Maintain and analyze data within enterprise systems (Costpoint preferred, Oracle or similar ERP).
• Interpret engineering drawings and Bills of Material (BOMs) to support material planning and procurement decisions.
• Utilize Microsoft Office tools, particularly Excel, to analyze data and generate reports
• Demonstrate strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills while managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Education

Antenna Research Associates, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to a policy of non-discrimination and affirmative action. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.