Summary:
A Senior Material Planner is required for our client, a biopharmaceutical company in Cork.
The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the availability of raw material components to support Drug Substance, Drug Product, and Finished Goods Packaging operations.
This role will focus on planning, purchasing, and releasing materials in SAP in line with the Master Production Schedule, while supporting product launches and ensuring optimal material coverage.
The role will also contribute to cross-functional alignment, operational readiness, and continuous improvement within the supply chain function.
Responsibilities:
Manage Material Requirements Planning (MRP) in SAP to ensure raw material availability in line with the Master Production Schedule
Maintain and ensure the accuracy of material master data within SAP
Convert purchase requisitions into purchase orders and manage supplier invoicing processes
Monitor material release status and ensure alignment with production schedules
Manage inventory end-to-end, including pricing, PPV, expiry, safety stock, lead times, FIFO/FEFO and reserve processes
Generate and communicate material readiness reports and heatmaps to site stakeholders
Represent the function in cross-functional forums, including S&OE meetings, material readiness forums, and Supply Chain Review (SCR) meetings
Support supplier management activities, including forecasting, open order book alignment, and supplier performance tracking (OTIF)
Identify and resolve material supply issues, including ageing receipts and root cause analysis
Support Short Term Exception Management (STEM) and proactively resolve scheduling conflicts with stakeholders
Participate in daily and weekly cross-functional meetings to ensure adherence to schedule (ATS) and plan (ATP)
Support change control, CAPA, deviations, and supplier change notifications within the Quality Management System
Communicate delivery schedules and associated risks to production, warehouse, and quality teams
Support end-of-campaign reviews (Plan vs Actual) to improve future planning accuracy
Participate in operational readiness and cross-functional planning discussions
Develop and maintain KPIs for supplier performance and material planning activities
Lead or support continuous improvement initiatives across safety, quality, SOPs, metrics, cost savings, and sourcing strategies
Provide backup support to the Material Planning Lead as required
Facilitate Tier 1 Purchasing meetings and contribute to functional process teams
Qualifications & Experience:
Degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, or related discipline (NFQ Level 8 or equivalent)
Supply Chain certification (e.g. APICS) desirable
Lean, Six Sigma or Project Management certification desirable
Minimum 7 years' experience in supply chain planning or purchasing roles
Experience in a pharmaceutical or GMP-regulated environment preferred
Strong experience with SAP is essential
Proven experience managing direct material categories (e.g. chemicals, single-use technologies)
Experience with data analytics tools such as Power BI is desirable
Experience in inventory management, supplier engagement, and planning processes
Strong understanding of GMP requirements and supply chain compliance
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