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The Material Planning Engineer ensures that all materials—raw materials, components, subassemblies, and consumables—required for the manufacture of submersible pumps and motors are available reliably, in the right quantity, quality, and at the right time, at minimal cost and minimal inventory risk. This role works closely with Procurement, Production, Quality, Engineering, Warehouse and Logistics to plan, forecast, monitor inventory and coordinate with suppliers to meet production schedules.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Demand Forecasting & Material Requirement Planning (MRP)
- Work from production schedule / forecasts / order backlog to generate material requirement plans.
- Use BOMs (bill of materials), lead times, safety‐stock levels, usage history, demand variability to derive raw material/component needs.
- Maintain and update BOMs, routing data and ensure accuracy so that MRP outputs are reliable.
Inventory Management
- Define optimal inventory levels (e.g., safety stock, reorder point, minimum / maximum stocks) for various categories (core components, fast movers, slow movers).
- Monitor on-hand inventory, stock aging, obsolescence, excess and shortages.
- Reconcile inventory records regularly with warehouse counts.
Supplier & Procurement Coordination
- Communicate material requirements to procurement/purchasing: issue purchase requisitions in time.
- Follow up with suppliers on delivery schedules; track supplier performance (delivery on time, quality, lead time adherence).
- Identify alternate suppliers for critical components to mitigate supply risks.
- Factor in transportation / logistics time, customs (if any), quality inspection delays.
Scheduling & Production Coordination
- Coordinate with production planning / manufacturing engineer to align material supply with production schedules.
- Track material availability / shortages and feed back into production planning to adjust schedules or propose contingencies.
- Ensure critical path materials are prioritized (e.g. impellers, shafts, windings, seals, motor housing).
Data Management & Systems
- Use ERP/MRP system (e.g. SAP MM/PP, Oracle, or comparable system) effectively to generate MRP runs, review alerts, exceptions.
- Maintain material master data, lead times, vendor data, lot sizes, safety stock settings.
- Produce reports: inventory turnover, material shortage impact, supplier lead time performance, material‐usage variances.
Cost Control & Optimization
- Analyze and control material costs; find opportunities to reduce cost via better vendor negotiation, bulk purchase, alternate materials, local sourcing.
- Minimize holding costs and avoid overstocking.
- Monitor waste, rejects, scrap related to material issues.
Risk Management & Contingency Planning
- Identify potential risks: supplier issues, long lead times, price volatility, quality noncompliance, logistics delays.
- Develop backup plans: alternate suppliers, safety stock adjustments, early orders.
- Monitor material availability for new orders, product modifications, engineering changes.
Continuous Improvement
- Suggest and lead improvement initiatives: reduce lead times, streamline ordering/replenishment cycle, improve supplier performance.
- Improve processes in material planning: forecasting accuracy, planning vs actual variances.
- Implement best practices like ABC/XYZ analysis, classification, perhaps VMI, JIT where viable.
Cross-Functional Communication & Reporting
- Communicate material status (availability, shortages, delays) to production, procurement, engineering, management.
- Prepare periodic reports: weekly/monthly material planning status, cost variances, inventory metrics.
- Participate in meetings (production review, supplier review, new product introduction).
Skills and Abilities.
- Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems (SAP MM/PP, Oracle, or others).
- Strong skills in Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, forecasting models, dashboards).
- Good understanding of BOMs, lead time estimation, vendor capacity.
- Ability to analyze data: inventory turnover, usage trends, material variances.
- Strong organizational and planning skills; ability to coordinate multiple tasks and follow up meticulously.
- Good communication and negotiation skills (with internal stakeholders and suppliers).
- Analytical mindset, problem solving, ability to foresee issues.
- Teamwork: coordinate with production, engineering, quality, procurement.
- Adaptability and ability to act under pressure: e.g., sudden urgent order, supply disruption.
Education and Experience
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical / Electrical / Industrial / Production / Materials Engineering, or equivalent.
- Experience: 5-8 years in material planning, materials management, inventory control, procurement coordination, ideally in manufacturing of rotating equipment such as pumps, motors or similar heavy machinery. Experience with submersible pumps or motors is a strong plus.
- Hands-on Experience: Experience in purchasing castings, bought-out items, machining parts, and plastic parts.
Franklin Electric is a global leader in water and energy systems, committed to continuous improvement and innovation to meet the diverse needs of our customers. Our founders in 1944 named the company after America’s pioneer electrical engineer, Benjamin Franklin, which lives on today in our culture to drive us to push boundaries and create meaningful change. We offer a comprehensive range of pumps, motors, drives, and controls for residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, and municipal applications.
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At Franklin Electric, we believe that everyone deserves to be treated fairly and respectfully, and that our diversity of thought, culture and experience makes us a stronger company. Our commitment to social responsibility is evident in programs like the Franklin Women's Network and our philanthropic efforts through the Franklin Wells for the World Foundation. Through these endeavors, we've provided clean water to over 284,000 people in 12 countries, addressing the global water crisis head-on,
Locally in our communities, the Franklin Electric Charitable and Educational Foundation (FECEF) supports causes close to our hearts, such as United Way, Boys & Girls Club, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Our dedication to excellence extends beyond our products and services, shaping a brighter future for both our employees and the communities we serve. Join us in driving meaningful change and making a difference with Franklin Electric.
