About the RoleWe are looking for a proactive and analytical Assistant Manager Material Planning to manage end-to-end material planning for key business accounts. The role is responsible for ensuring timely availability of raw materials, optimizing inventory levels, coordinating with cross-functional teams, and supporting uninterrupted production while maintaining cost efficiency.Designation: Asst Manager- Material PlanningLocation – GandhinagarKey Responsibilities

- Own material planning for assigned strategic customer accounts.

- Develop material requirement plans based on customer forecasts, sales orders, and production schedules.

- Ensure timely procurement and availability of raw materials, textiles, printing media, hardware, inks, packaging materials, and other production inputs.

- Coordinate closely with Sales, Production Planning, Procurement, Warehouse, and Operations teams to ensure seamless execution.

- Monitor inventory levels and maintain optimum stock to minimize shortages and excess inventory.

- Analyze demand trends and recommend stocking strategies for fast-moving and critical materials.

- Track supplier lead times and proactively mitigate supply risks.

- Identify material shortages and develop contingency plans to avoid production delays.

- Review material consumption, inventory ageing, and slow/non-moving inventory.

- Drive inventory optimization initiatives while maintaining desired service levels.

- Prepare daily, weekly, and monthly planning reports and KPIs.

- Participate in S&OP; (Sales & Operations Planning) meetings and support demand planning activities.

- Continuously improve planning processes through data analysis and system enhancements.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)





- Material availability for production (%)

- Production line stoppages due to material shortages

- Inventory accuracy

- Inventory turnover

- Inventory carrying cost

- Forecast accuracy

- OTIF (On-Time In-Full) support

- Supplier lead-time adherence

- Inventory ageing and obsolete stock reduction

Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Business Administration, or a related field.

- MBA/PGDM in Operations or Supply Chain is preferred.

Experience

- 5–8 years of experience in Material Planning, Production Planning, Supply Chain, or Inventory Management.

- Experience in manufacturing industries such as signage, textiles, printing, packaging, or related sectors will be preferred.

- Experience handling large customer accounts and high-SKU environments is an advantage.

Technical Skills

- Strong knowledge of Material Requirement Planning (MRP).

- Experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or equivalent).

- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, dashboards, formulas).

- Strong analytical and forecasting abilities.

- Understanding of inventory management techniques and production planning.

Competencies

- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.

- Strong planning and organizational abilities.

- Effective communication and stakeholder management.

- Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities.

- Data-driven decision-making.

- High attention to detail.

- Robust ownership and accountability.

- Cross-functional collaboration.

Preferred Industry Experience

- Signage Manufacturing

- Textile Manufacturing

- Digital Printing

- Large Format Printing

- Packaging

- Custom Manufacturing

📌 Assistant Manager - material Planning - PPC (Gandhinagar)
🏢 Caterpillar Signs
📍 Gandhinagar