Materials Planner presso Morton Salt

Morton Salt is an iconic company with a strong heritage and a bright future. Since 1848, we have been improving lives and enhancing everyday moments – at home, at work and virtually everywhere in between. We help unlock the flavors in food, make roads and sidewalks safer, improve the water in baths, pools, and homes, and keep businesses and industries running. We are a dedicated team who constantly strives to do better together, and we are passionate about building a sustainable future for our company, the communities in which we operate, and the world around us. By joining our team, you will contribute to producing and delivering every form of salt that enhances everyday life. 

Job Summary 

The Centralized Materials Planner is responsible for ensuring the timely and accurate flow of packaging materials and ingredients to support production across the network. This role manages lead times, transitions (including artwork and packaging specifications), and prioritizes critical materials to meet dynamic supply needs.+

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Plan and manage the flow of packaging materials and ingredients to support production across the network, ensuring timely availability while minimizing obsolete inventory.
• Identify opportunities to shift materials between locations in urgent or constrained situations, helping ensure continuity of supply across the network.
• Place and manage purchase orders to avoid shortages, considering capacity, lead times, and receiving constraints.
• Collaborate with vendors to maintain appropriate stock levels and escalate performance-related issues to the Sourcing Manager to ensure resolution and best-in-class service.
• Partner with Supply Planning and Sourcing to align material availability with production needs and customer demand.
• Attend weekly supply planning meetings to stay informed of updates and adjust plans accordingly.
• Support cross-functional initiatives—including packaging transitions, artwork updates, new product launches, and seasonal events—by managing timelines and ensuring material readiness, while minimizing excess inventory.
• Maintain and optimize safety stock levels across the network by updating key planning parameters in MRP systems—such as reorder points and supplier output modifiers—and analyzing material needs to prioritize critical items based on customer demand, margin impact, and storage capacity.
• Oversee the disposition of obsolete, defective, or rejected materials in coordination with relevant stakeholders, actively supporting the SLOB process and identifying alternative solutions to minimize scrapping and reduce waste. Monitor forecasts and demand signals to proactively adjust material plans and prevent disruptions.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve cost efficiency, order quantities, and service levels across the supply chain.
• Proactively identify risks related to material availability and collaborate with Sourcing Managers to address potential delays or shortages. Monitor vendor performance, track KPIs, and report ongoing issues to help assess risk and recommend vendor changes when necessary.

Knowledge, Skills and Abillities 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations Management or an equivalent functional area.
• Minimum of 2-3 years experience in inventory planning
• Strong understanding of supply chain dynamics.
• Working knowledge of Material Management systems such as SAP (MRP) required
• Demonstrated understanding and experience with ERP Supply Chain Planning software.
• Strong computer/systems skills including basic MS Office programs.
• Ability to learn and adapt to new systems and operations.
• Common sense and diplomacy, with an elevated level of interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Effective problem identification, solving and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of key supply chain and inventory performance metrics, turns, margin contributions, etc.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities as well as attention to detail
• Ability to make key decisions on a daily basis independently.
• Ability to lead cross-functionally, work in a team environment and collaborate with internal process partners.
• Advanced organization and time management skills with ability to manage stress, work under pressure, multi-task and meet deadlines.
• Excellent verbal / written communication skills and ability to make presentations to small groups.
• Knowledgeable, active member of the Supply Chain team
• APICS or other Supply Chain / Logistics Certification encouraged but not required.

At Morton Salt, we work best when we work as a team, when we treat one another with dignity and respect, and value the unique contributions of others. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, national origin, sex, religion, color, disability, marital status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law.