Material Planner (Hybrid)

Vitamix is unquestionably the premium brand of high-performance “blenders,” and known for its top-notch company culture and climate. It is an important component of what makes Vitamix unique and successful, and the reason why Vitamix is recognized as a Top Workplace, NorthCoast99 Winner, and Smart Culture Award recipient.

Throughout its 101-year history, Vitamix has encouraged and promoted healthy lifestyles for both its customers and employees. Employees enjoy multiple wellness programs and perks, a free Vitamix machine, and an onsite fitness center. Vitamix also offers a flexible work environment, great work culture, healthy living initiatives like fitness reimbursements, and opportunities for advancement.

For consumers, Vitamix can be found domestically in places like William Sonoma, Sur la Table, Crate & Barrel, Target, Amazon, and at Vitamix.com, and is in over 130 countries around the world.

Ultimately, Vitamix is the Global-leader in high-performance blending solutions for home and commercial use, is preferred by chefs and is found in many of top restaurants around the world. It is relied upon by culinary schools in the U.S. and has been used to train thousands of students and master chefs worldwide. If it is not a Vitamix, it’s just a blender.

Vitamix is seeking a Material Planner that will be responsible for the timely planning and purchasing of materials and products supporting production schedules and inventory changes for major projects and commodities. The Planner will ensure the effective transfer of raw materials to support customer demand. They will be responsible for continuous improvement activities to ensure success within the department and will assist with supporting more junior members of the team. The successful candidate will have previous procurement and/or planning experience.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Generates purchase orders ensuring all orders are complete, valid, and approved in a timely manner. Expedites orders as needed utilizing department resources to ensure continuity of supply.
• Confirms process, quantity, specification and delivery date of each order, and contacts vendors for all orders not received in a timely manner.
• Notifies department immediately of any open orders or order problems such as credit holds or back orders.
• Coordinates and processes raw material returns.

• Supports necessary improvements for department KPIs.
• Coordinates contract price changes at CM discretion and monitors the day-to-day services contracting process.
• Proactively investigates and resolves supplier invoice discrepancies.
• Maintains accuracy of item master records in Oracle EBS to support efficient planning and procurement activities, including, but not limited to, lead times, quantities, safety stock, and item categories.

• Participates in all assigned projects, cost reduction programs, and kaizen events.
• Reviews MRP execution and ensures accuracy of information; reconciles supply and demand; validates master scheduling and/or production requirements. Reviews and ensures proper disposition of Engineering Change Notifications (ECN's). Performs regular system maintenance and audits to ensure system accuracy.

• Attends production meetings and provides status on material shortage commit dates.
• Increases component availability at time of release by performing pre-shortage analysis. Participates in identifying root cause and corrective action reporting
• Recognizes and communicates changes in demand trends to assist proactive adjustments in purchasing and planning activities.
• Collaborates with other purchasing staff to identify and implement purchasing best practices. Interacts effectively with manufacturing, engineering, technical groups, legal, and business teams.

The ideal candidate will also possess:

• Alignment with Vitamix’s culture and Guiding Principles which defines its Purpose, Mission, and Values.
• Expertise around Vitamix competencies: Adapting to Change, Customer Thinking & Focus, Drive for Results, Organizational Skills, Detail Orientation, Critical Thinking

• Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel
• Previous experience using  Oracle EBS software preferred
• Experience with MRP scheduling and procurement systems

• Possesses and displays excellent verbal and written communication skills with ability to convey information to internal and external customers in a clear, focused and concise manner
• Demonstrated ability to interface and maintain effective relationships with all levels of employees in a team-oriented environment
• High level of corporate professionalism, maturity and political savvy

• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment
• Highly reliable, proactive self-starter; can be counted on to complete assignments on time
• Ability to shift priorities, demands and timelines through analytical and problem-solving capabilities

• Has proven leadership skills and always communicates with integrity, understanding and dedication to the Vitamix values.
• 3-5 years procurement planning or related experience
• ISM or APICS certification is a plus
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, or related field

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.