Material Planner - South Africa at Mars

Job Description:

Material Planner – Mars Snacking Johannesburg, South Africa

• As a Material Planner at Mars Snacking, you will be responsible for ensuring the continuous availability of Raw & Pack Materials to our South Africa Plant in line with demand requirements and stock cover policies.
• In this role, you will be fully responsible for planning, controlling, and managing pipeline stock levels - whether at the supplier, in transit, or on-site. You will act as a crucial link connecting production, planning, and procurement to drive efficiency and optimize our supply chain.

What are we looking for?

• A Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Industrial/Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.
• 3 to 5 years of experience in material planning, production planning, supply chain, inventory management, or procurement within a manufacturing environment.
• Practical, hands-on experience with Material Requirements Planning (MRP), material availability monitoring, and production schedule support.
• Strong proficiency with ERP systems for planning and inventory management, preferably SAP S/4HANA or SAP ECC (specifically SAP PP and MM modules).
• A collaborative mindset with excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills to navigate supply chain complexities.

What would be your key responsibilities?

• Pipeline & Stock Management: Maintain Raw & Pack materials stock within target ranges to ensure high flexibility and production availability while actively managing risks and costs (e.g., freight, freshness, and obsolete inventory).
• Supplier & Commercial Partnership: Develop deep knowledge of supplier profiles and capabilities to collaborate effectively with commercial buyers on contracts, performance, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• System Key User Support: Serve as the Inbound Key User for ATLAS, supporting system needs, working closely with site experts, and driving local process improvements.
• Proactive Communication & Escalation: Establish structured ways of working with production planners and buyers, providing clear KPI projections and timely escalation of risks or opportunities.
• Continuous Improvement: Initiate and execute optimization and continuous improvement projects to enhance overall operational efficiency and customer service.