What does a materials planning manager do?
Materials planning managers are management professionals who are responsible for developing material planning processes to enable operational and production continuity in a manufacturing firm. These managers must ensure that the supply of materials is available so that they can meet and satisfy production requirements. They must manage and develop a team that meets objectives and delivers best practice results and continuous improvements. Material planning managers must also collaborate with the purchasing team to evaluate the performance of suppliers and provide resolution about their concerns.
Materials planning manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real materials planning manager resumes:
- Manage both domestic and international logistics to support just in time production environment.
- Support successful ISO 9002 plant certification process
- Represent department during ISO certification drive and subsequent audits.
- Demonstrate logistics expertise by identifying and researching inventory and production issues, and promptly devising a plan for resolution.
- Direct all in-house manufacturing/machining work orders and processing from engineering BOM release through post machining processes by coordinating with machining manager.
- Direct process and production improvement activities in an FDA regulate work environment.
Materials planning manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 7% of Materials Planning Managers are proficient in Material Planning, Logistics, and Continuous Improvement. They’re also known for soft skills such as Negotiating skills, Analytical skills, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Materials Planning Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Material Planning, 7%
Assisted in the development and implementation of a computer-based material planning and inventory tool.
- Logistics, 7%
Demonstrated logistics expertise by identifying and researching inventory and production issues, and promptly devising a plan for resolution.
- Continuous Improvement, 7%
Implemented continuous improvement processes in manufacturing facility utilizing 9 steps and MDI board Processes.
- Inventory Control, 5%
Inventory Control Management; cycle counting program execution and monitoring; inventory adjustments and corrective action execution process.
- Materials Management, 5%
Created tools to improve efficiency for materials management.
- On-Time Delivery, 5%
Led supply and demand alignment, forecast, on-time delivery, customer past due, and inventory of aftermarket parts.
Most materials planning managers use their skills in "material planning," "logistics," and "continuous improvement" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential materials planning manager responsibilities here:
Negotiating skills. The most essential soft skill for a materials planning manager to carry out their responsibilities is negotiating skills. This skill is important for the role because "purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents often must negotiate the terms of a contract with a supplier." Additionally, a materials planning manager resume shows how their duties depend on negotiating skills: "reduced material costs by 5% by negotiating cost reductions with key vendors. "
Analytical skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling materials planning manager duties is analytical skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "when evaluating suppliers, purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents must analyze their options and choose a supplier with the best combination of price, quality, delivery, or service." According to a materials planning manager resume, here's how materials planning managers can utilize analytical skills in their job responsibilities: "implemented practices to instill system data integrity, executed training programs, developed sop's for all materials management functions. "
Math skills. This is an important skill for materials planning managers to perform their duties. For an example of how materials planning manager responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "purchasing managers and buyers and purchasing agents must possess math skills." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a materials planning manager: "performed accurate demand planning based on various metrics, statistics and trend analysis. ".
The three companies that hire the most materials planning managers are:
- Raymond32 materials planning managers jobs
- Honeywell4 materials planning managers jobs
- Anheuser-Busch4 materials planning managers jobs
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Compare different materials planning managers
Materials planning manager vs. Supply officer
A procurement officer is primarily in charge of overseeing the procurement of supplies and equipment for an organization, prioritizing cost-efficiency and quality. It is their duty to manage the company's supply inventory, compile and analyze procurement requests, develop purchase plans, handle purchase procedures, and maintain records of all transactions, producing reports regularly. They must also liaise and negotiate with vendors and suppliers, building positive relationships with them. Furthermore, as a procurement officer, it is essential to lead the procurement team, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between materials planning managers and supply officer. For instance, materials planning manager responsibilities require skills such as "material planning," "logistics," "continuous improvement," and "materials management." Whereas a supply officer is skilled in "logistics support," "financial management," "food service," and "property accountability." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Supply officers tend to reach lower levels of education than materials planning managers. In fact, supply officers are 7.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Materials planning manager vs. Procurement officer
A supply chain consultant specializes in performing research and analysis to develop strategies for optimal services. Typically working in the manufacturing industry, their responsibilities revolve around monitoring the inventory and supply flow of materials, liaising with vendors and suppliers, coordinating with different departments to gather necessary data, identifying strengths and weaknesses in the operations, and suggesting actions on areas needing improvement. Furthermore, as a supply chain consultant, it is essential to create and recommend business plans, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that materials planning manager responsibilities requires skills like "material planning," "continuous improvement," "materials management," and "lean manufacturing." But a procurement officer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "purchase orders," "purchase requisitions," "contract management," and "procurement procedures."
Procurement officers earn a lower average salary than materials planning managers. But procurement officers earn the highest pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $74,267. Additionally, materials planning managers earn the highest salaries in the automotive with average pay of $104,849 annually.In general, procurement officers achieve lower levels of education than materials planning managers. They're 6.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Materials planning manager vs. Supply chain consultant
The responsibilities of a procurement director revolve around ensuring the efficient and smooth flow of supplies within the company, developing procurement strategies for optimal services and operations, assessing risks, and overseeing the implementation of new policies and regulations in the company. It is essential to coordinate with analysts to identify areas with potential opportunities or those needing improvements. Moreover, a director, procurement may directly communicate with stakeholders or higher-ranking officials, participate in recruiting new members of the workforce, and create programs for profit growth and significant results.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, materials planning managers are more likely to have skills like "material planning," "lean manufacturing," "material flow," and "otd." But a supply chain consultant is more likely to have skills like "supply chain," "strong problem-solving," "project management," and "order management."
Supply chain consultants earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $88,578. Materials planning managers earn the highest pay from the automotive industry, with an average salary of $104,849.supply chain consultants typically earn similar educational levels compared to materials planning managers. Specifically, they're 3.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Materials planning manager vs. Director, procurement
Types of materials planning manager
Updated January 8, 2025
