Lead Material Planner

The Opportunity Join Hitachi and take ownership of a critical supply chain function where your expertise will directly support manufacturing excellence. As a Lead Material Planner, you will drive material availability, optimize inventory performance, and enhance supply chain efficiency within our Transformer business, while leading a small team and contributing to the success of a global technology leader. How You Will Make An Impact Develop and execute material planning strategies to support production schedules and business objectives. Analyze demand forecasts, production plans, inventory levels, and material availability to determine procurement requirements. Create and manage purchase requisitions and material replenishment plans through SAP. Ensure timely availability of raw materials, components, and consumables to avoid production disruptions. Collaborate closely with Procurement, Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to align material requirements and delivery schedules. Monitor supplier performance, lead times, material shortages, and potential supply chain risks; implement mitigation plans as required. Manage inventory parameters including safety stock, reorder points, excess inventory, and obsolescence reduction initiatives. Drive inventory optimization and working capital improvement while maintaining required service levels. Utilize SAP MM (Materials Management) for material planning, inventory control, purchasing transactions, and reporting. Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on planning accuracy, supply chain efficiency, and cost reduction. Prepare and present material planning KPIs, inventory reports, shortage analysis, and performance dashboards to management. Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 2 material planners, ensuring effective workload allocation and performance management. Establish best practices, standard operating procedures, and governance within the material planning function. Your background Bachelor's Degree in Engineering with specialization in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Industrial Engineering, Operations, or a related field. 7-10 years of experience in Material Planning, Supply Chain Planning, Inventory Management, or related functions within the Transformer (TR) industry with 2-3 years of prior people management experience. Strong expertise in material planning, demand planning, inventory control, MRP execution, and supplier coordination within a manufacturing environment. Mandatory hands-on experience with SAP MM. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and reporting tools. Demonstrated capability in coaching, mentoring, performance management, and team development. APICS CPIM, CSCP, or other relevant Supply Chain certifications are preferred. Experience working in global manufacturing organizations. Knowledge of inventory optimization, lean supply chain principles, and continuous improvement methodologies. Publication date : 2026-10-19 Show more Show less