HR Consulting Solutions is a full service HR consulting and executive search firm that has been retained by Premier Candle Corporation to conduct a search for an experiencedPlanning & Procurement Manager to lead manufacturing operations at their facility in Hickory, Kentucky

ABOUT PREMIER CANDLE

Premier Candle is a leading manufacturer of scented candles and home fragrance products. Formerly known as Mayfield Consumer Products, the company has undergone significant transformation and investment in recent years following the devastating tornado that impacted the facility and community in 2021. Today, Premier Candle is focused on rebuilding, modernizing operations, investing in people, and creating a culture centered on accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. The organization operates multiple production lines and continues to invest in automation, equipment upgrades, process improvements, and employee development to support long-term growth.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced planning and procurement leader who thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and enjoys using data, collaboration, and thoughtful planning to improve production performance, material availability, inventory management, customer service, and overall operational efficiency.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting directly to the Plant Manager, the Planning & Procurement Manager will lead all plant production planning, customer service coordination, material procurement, and related systems activities for the Hickory manufacturing facility. This position is responsible for developing and communicating production plans that balance customer requirements with plant capacity, material availability, operational constraints, changeovers, and cost considerations. The Planning & Procurement Manager will oversee material requirements planning (MRP) for both Premier-owned and customer-owned materials, manage the procurement of plant-purchased materials, monitor production performance and attainment, and proactively identify issues that could impact the production plan.

The Planning & Procurement Manager will also serve as a key point of contact with customers regarding production planning and actual performance and will provide leadership and direction to all personnel and activities within the Planning & Procurement Department.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Develop, maintain, and communicate the weekly plant production plan based on customer requirements, material availability, plant capacity, operational constraints, and changeover considerations.
• Utilize thoughtful production planning to improve production performance, increase efficiency, and reduce operating costs.
• Monitor daily production, production performance, and attainment to ensure short-term and upcoming customer requirements can be achieved.
• Identify potential production constraints or scheduling concerns and communicate issues proactively to plant leadership.
• Ensure daily production information is accurately entered into customer systems according to required timing and reporting expectations.
• Lead daily plant and executive team discussions related to production performance, percentage of production requirements achieved (%PR), and attainment.

Capacity Planning & Operational Performance

• Maintain and communicate plant capacity plans to support current and future production requirements.
• Analyze capacity, production performance, material availability, and other operational data to identify potential issues before they impact production.
• Partner with plant leadership to evaluate production constraints and develop solutions that support customer expectations and operational objectives.
• Utilize data from multiple systems to support effective production planning and informed decision-making.

Procurement & Material Requirements Planning

• Manage MRP activities for both Premier-owned and customer-owned materials.
• Ensure materials are available to support production schedules while balancing inventory levels, cash considerations, storage capacity, and operational requirements.
• Manage the ordering of Premier-owned materials necessary to support production, including key raw materials such as wax.
• Monitor material availability and proactively communicate shortages, delays, or other concerns that could impact the production plan.
• Maintain a strong understanding of inventory levels and the financial impact of purchasing and production decisions.

Customer Service & S&OP

• Serve as a key plant representative for customer meetings related to Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), production planning, and customer service.
• Provide customers with accurate and timely information regarding production plans, actual production performance, and potential issues.
• Build strong customer relationships through professional, responsive, and solutions-oriented communication.
• Navigate challenging customer situations effectively while working collaboratively toward solutions.
• Adapt communication and reporting processes to meet the unique requirements of individual customers.

Systems, Item Setup & Data Management

• Oversee system setup activities related to new and existing products, including item setup, Bill of Materials (BOM) creation, and production specifications.
• Maintain a strong understanding of ERP/MRP system functionality, including item setup, BOMs, backflushing, inventory transactions, and production impacts.
• Ensure system information is accurate and supports effective planning, procurement, inventory management, and production execution.
• Utilize manufacturing and warehouse management systems such as MASS, SAP, or similar ERP/WMS platforms.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Production, Logistics, Quality, the Lab, and other departments to support production schedules and customer requirements.
• Coordinate across departments to resolve material, capacity, quality, scheduling, and operational issues.
• Promote effective communication and collaboration between Planning & Procurement and other plant functions.
• Support plant leadership with timely information and analysis necessary for operational decision-making.

Leadership & Team Development

• Provide leadership and direction to all employees within the Planning & Procurement Department.
• Establish clear expectations, priorities, and accountability for departmental performance.
• Train, coach, and develop employees to ensure proficiency in their assigned responsibilities.
• Ensure team members complete required role-specific and plant-wide training.
• Provide ongoing feedback and identify opportunities to improve departmental structure, processes, and performance.
• Build a knowledgeable, collaborative, and results-oriented planning and procurement team.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, Manufacturing, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience within a manufacturing environment.
• 5+ years of experience in a Planning Manager, Procurement Manager, Supply Chain Manager, or comparable leadership role.
• Strong experience with production planning, procurement, inventory management, and material requirements planning (MRP).
• Demonstrated ability to analyze information from multiple systems and translate data into effective production plans.
• Strong understanding of inventory, MRP, and the financial impact of purchasing and production decisions.
• Experience working with ERP, MRP, and/or WMS systems such as MASS, SAP, or similar platforms.
• Working knowledge of item setup, Bills of Materials (BOMs), backflushing, inventory transactions, and related manufacturing system processes.
• Proven ability to lead, develop, train, and hold employees accountable.
• Strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with customers, employees, and plant leadership.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

Experience in one or more of the following is strongly preferred:

• Consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturing
• Liquid filling or related high-volume manufacturing environments
• Production planning and scheduling
• Procurement and material management
• Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)
• Capacity planning
• Inventory management
• MRP/ERP systems
• SAP, MASS, or similar manufacturing systems
• Customer-owned and company-owned material management

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Production Planning & Scheduling
• Procurement & Material Management
• MRP & Inventory Management
• Capacity Planning
• S&OP
• Data Analysis
• ERP/WMS Systems
• Customer Relationship Management
• Operational Problem Solving
• Leadership & Team Development
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Communication
• Organization & Prioritization
• Accountability & Results Orientation

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position is based within a fast-paced manufacturing environment and requires regular interaction with production employees, plant leadership, customers, logistics, quality, laboratory personnel, and other cross-functional teams. The role requires frequent computer and systems usage as well as regular movement throughout the manufacturing facility. The position may require walking, standing, sitting, bending, reaching, climbing stairs, and occasionally lifting and carrying up to 25 pounds.

WHY WORK FOR PREMIER

• Competitive compensation, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Paid vacation and company holidays
• Retirement savings opportunities with company matching
• Professional growth and advancement opportunities
• High-impact leadership position within a growing manufacturing organization
• Opportunity to play a key role in production planning, supply chain execution, customer service, and operational performance
• Collaborative leadership team committed to continuous improvement and operational excellence

QUESTIONS?

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We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. Our company is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants, providing everyone with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions within our organization are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.