Job Purpose

The Upstream Planner is responsible for planning and managing supply from suppliers through production readiness to ensure uninterrupted material availability for manufacturing. The role focuses on supplier capacity planning, production supply alignment, and optimal inventory of raw materials and components while balancing cost, service, and risk.

Key Responsibilities:

Supply & Production Planning

- Develop and execute upstream supply plans for raw materials, components, and sub-assemblies in line with demand and production plans.

- Convert demand and production requirements into material requirements plans (MRP).

- Ensure supply readiness to support manufacturing schedules and customer commitments.

Supplier & Capacity Management

- Collaborate with procurement and suppliers to align capacities, lead times, and replenishment strategies.

- Monitor supplier performance and highlight risks related to capacity, lead time, or supply continuity.

- Support dual sourcing, alternate material, and risk mitigation strategies.

Inventory Management

- Manage inventory levels for raw materials and components, ensuring optimal safety stock and coverage.

- Identify and address risks of shortages, excess, and obsolescence.

- Drive inventory optimization initiatives across upstream nodes.

Execution & Coordination

- Work closely with manufacturing, procurement, quality, and logistics teams to ensure smooth execution of upstream plans.

- Manage material allocation and prioritization during supply constraints.

- Support new product introduction (NPI), phase-in, and phase-out planning from an upstream perspective.

Performance & Analytics

- Track and analyze KPIs such as material availability, plan adherence, inventory turns, supplier OTIF, and lead-time adherence.

- Conduct scenario analysis to assess the impacts of demand changes, supplier disruptions, or capacity constraints.





- Prepare regular supply and inventory performance dashboards and reports.

Systems & Continuous Improvement

- Use ERP and APS systems (e.g., SAP MM/PP, SAP IBP/APO, Oracle, Kinaxis, O9) for supply and material planning.

- Drive continuous improvement in upstream planning accuracy, responsiveness, and end-to-end visibility.

- Actively contribute to S&OP; / IBP cycles with explicit supply and material risk assessments.

Key Interfaces

- Procurement / Strategic Sourcing

- Manufacturing & Production Planning

- Demand Planning

- Quality & Engineering

- Logistics & Warehouse Operations

- Finance

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

- Material Availability / Line Fill Rate

- Production Plan Adherence

- Inventory Turns & DOS (Raw & WIP)

- Supplier OTIF & Lead Time Adherence

- Shortage & Expedite Reduction

Qualifications & Experience:

Education

- Bachelors degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field

- MBA / Postgraduate degree in Supply Chain or Operations (preferred)

Experience

- 4-12 years of experience in upstream planning, supply planning, or materials planning

- Exposure to complex supply networks, long lead-time components, or multi-supplier environments preferred

Skills & Competencies

- Strong understanding of upstream and manufacturing supply chains

- Hands-on experience with ERP / advanced planning systems (SAP preferred)

- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and scenario-planning skills

- Advanced Excel skills; Power BI or similar analytics tools are a plus

- Ability to manage uncertainty, constraints, and cross-functional dependencies

- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills

Behavioral Expectations

- High sense of ownership and accountability

- Proactive risk identification and mitigation mindset

- Structured, data-driven, and execution-focused

- Collaborative and resilient under pressure.

📌 Material Planning (Upstream Planning) (Karnataka)
🏢 BVR People Consulting
📍 Karnataka