Material Planner - ESI Motion : Job Details

The Material Planner plays a pivotal role in coordinating material availability and flow within a dynamic, high-reliability manufacturing environment. This individual ensures that materials and components are available to meet strict production schedules while maintaining compliance with aerospace and defense requirements. Collaborating closely with program management, engineering, procurement, quality, and production teams, the Material Planner drives forward the production process with a focus on efficiency, traceability, and precision.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience), and 3–5+ years of recent experience in materials planning, preferably in aerospace, defense, or high-tech electronics manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure materials for product manufacturing are forecasted, procured and received onsite to meet order delivery targets
• Develop, manage, and maintain accurate material plans based on MRP, sales forecasts, and program schedules, using forecast projections and sales orders.
• Combine component demand across platforms and products to ensure material procurement at least six months ahead of planned usage, and one year ahead for space components.
• Maintain schedule of key component and high usage material needs, such as list of key PCBAs and radiation-tolerant components.
• Release and track purchase requisitions to procurement; monitor supplier schedules to meet build timelines
• Coordinate with engineering, procurement, and production to ensure timely material availability for builds and new product introductions (NPI)
• Interface with, provide status, and attend meetings to support program managers and production teams to support on-time delivery (OTD) of mission-critical hardware
• Monitor inventory levels; resolve shortages, excess, and obsolescence proactively
• Analyze material usage, lead times, and capacity to optimize planning parameters
• Ensure material availability for open work forecasts and sales orders, including early component kitting, build readiness, and resolution of shortages, to support the Master Production Plan, order deliveries, and manufacturing requirements.
• Forecast material requirements and collaborate with procurement teams to ensure timely component availability
• Support quality and compliance requirements, including ITAR, AS9100, and documentation for government contracts
• Assist in developing and implementing policies for inventory control, material flow, and cost reduction
• Provide timely updates to leadership on material availability, risks, and supply chain constraints
• Other tasks as needed

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Industrial Engineering, or related field — or equivalent experience
• Experience in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability electronics manufacturing is required
• 3–5+ years of experience in materials planning, supply chain, or production planning
• Ability to read BOM, drawings, etc.
• Strong working knowledge of MRP/ERP systems (e.g., pcMRP, JobBOSS, SAP, Oracle, or similar)
• Deep understanding of material compliance standards such as AS9100 and ITAR
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, especially Excel
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across cross-functional teams
• APICS certification (CPIM or CSCP) a plus
• U.S. Person status required (due to government contract work)

Preferred Experience:

• Experience supporting spaceflight or military-grade electronics programs
• Familiarity with high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environments
• Working knowledge of DFARS flow-downs, COTS vs. custom components, and export-controlled material handling
• Experience with ECOs, configuration management, and quality systems
• Understanding of electromechanical assemblies and PCBA workflows

Additional Attributes:

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• A hands-on, get it done attitude
• Strong communication and leadership ability
• Ability to work collaboratively with other departments
• Creativity and self-motivation to solve unique and complex technical problems
• Desire to lead teams and be promoted to higher levels of responsibility
• Knowledge of Microsoft products including Windows 7, Word, Excel, etc.
• Excellent oral and written English skills
• U.S. citizen or resident status

As part of the ESI Motion's commitment to this overall process as an Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) Employer, we will ensure all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, job assignment, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, promotion, transfer, layoff, and termination processes remain free of illegal discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, and protected veteran status. ESI Motion ensures all employment decisions are based only on valid job requirements.