Supply Planner (Manufacturing & Tolling)

Job Description

Job Description

OPPORTUNITY

Position: Supply Planner (Manufacturing & Tolling)

Reports to: Planning Manager

Location: Waukegan, Illinois, about 40 miles north of Chicago’s Loop

Salary Range: $65,000-$85,000 (Compensation is based on education, skills, experience and other job-related factors.)

Benefits

• 401k Plan and up to 4% company matching
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement or Health Savings Account
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) - Health, Dependent Care, and Commuter
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Parental Leave
• Bereavement
• Short Term Disability
• Weekly paychecks
• Rewards & Recognition Programs
• Employee Referral Program
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
• Annual Bonus Program

Position Summary:

The Demand & Supply Planner is responsible for translating customer demand into executable production and supply plans across internal manufacturing sites and external tolling partners. This role ensures alignment between forecasted demand, production capacity, material availability, and inventory targets to support high service levels and efficient plant operations.

Working closely with Sales, Operations, Procurement, Quality, and external toll manufacturers, the planner manages the end-to-end planning process including forecasting, production scheduling inputs, material planning, and inventory management. The role also supports the monthly S&OP process and proactively identifies supply risks and mitigation strategies.

Key Responsibilities :

• Production & Supply Planning

• Convert demand forecasts into production plans for internal manufacturing sites and external tolling partners.
• Monitor inventory levels to identify production schedule adjustments
• Balance production capacity, lead times, and inventory targets to maintain service levels while optimizing plant efficiency.
• Coordinate closely with plant operations to ensure feasible production schedules.
• Identify capacity constraints and recommend adjustments to production sequencing or supply sources.

• Tolling & External Manufacturing Coordination

• Plan and manage supply produced through external toll manufacturers.
• Coordinate production volumes, lead times, and material availability with tolling partners.
• Ensure alignment between internal demand requirements and toller production schedules.
• Monitor toller inventory levels and shipments to ensure timely fulfillment of customer orders.

• Materials Planning

• Analyze material requirements and collaborate with Procurement to proactively address potential shortages.
• Plan and track material conversions to maximize production efficiency and minimize stranded inventory expense.

• Inventory Management

• Maintain appropriate inventory levels of finished goods and intermediates to support service targets.
• Track slow-moving, excess, or obsolete inventory and develop mitigation strategies.
• Support warehouse and logistics teams with inventory visibility and planning insights.

• Cross-Functional Coordination

• Work closely with Operations, Quality, Procurement, and Logistics to resolve supply issues.
• Support new product launches, packaging changes, and new part number introductions by integrating them into planning systems.
• Provide clear communication on supply risks, recovery plans, and customer impacts.

• Planning Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain planning data in ERP/MRP systems including forecasts, lead times, and planning parameters.
• Track and report key planning metrics including forecast accuracy, service level, and inventory performance.

Personal Characteristics :

• Results Oriented - Passionate, results-driven, determined, and flexible, with a strong and disciplined work ethic. Sets a quick pace and constantly raises the bar and presses the organization toward higher levels of achievement. Measures and tracks key business results and processes against best competitors or market. Assesses improvements and success in these terms. Promotes superior performance against stretch goals, Entrepreneurial mindset.
• Change Management – Develops a clear case for change to the organization and mobilizes the team accordingly. Creates a sense of urgency and enthusiasm about the future path and where they are going as a team. Communicates frequently with employees and ensures that his/her message to the organization is clear. Perseveres with the ability to lead a team through challenging times. Challenges the status quo and can quickly develop and execute improvement plans.
• Leadership Capability - Has the leadership acumen and credibility to work collaboratively across the entire organization and develop talent with a high level of emotional intelligence (EQ). Should be hands-on, but able to delegate appropriately with the ability to motivate, inspire and commit an organization to a course of action and achieve results. It is important that this individual has the capacity to assume greater responsibilities over time. S/he must have unquestioned integrity and strong values; non-political and non-bureaucratic.
• Commercial – high level of commercial ability with excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively deliver and reinforce consistent messages at all levels. Leverages these capabilities to interact with, and persuade, executives throughout the organization. Excellent listening skills.

Knowledge and Characteristics:

MUSTS:

• Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or related field.

• Experience

• 3–7 years of experience in production planning, supply planning, or demand planning within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience coordinating with contract manufacturers or tolling partners preferred.

• Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Excel and ERP/MRP systems (SAP, Oracle, or similar).
• Understanding of manufacturing processes, production scheduling, and material planning.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Strong cross-functional communication and collaboration skills.

WANTS:

• Experience with S&OP / Integrated Business Planning processes.
• APICS / ASCM certification (CPIM or CSCP) a plus.
• Experience in food, ingredients, chemicals, or CPG manufacturing environments.
• Experience in a family or privately held business

THE COMPANY

Website:

Nielsen-Massey is a leader in the specialty foods world, specifically in the production and marketing of the world’s finest vanillas and flavors. The company operates a branded consumer goods business (CPG/B2C) as well as a business-to-business (B2B) ingredient and flavor business. The portfolio includes various forms of pure and natural vanilla ingredients, extracts, pastes, and powders plus other flavor extracts including: lemon, almond, chocolate, coffee, peppermint, and rosewater to wholesale, culinary, and industrial customers throughout the world. The global headquarters and state-of-the-art production facility are in Waukegan, Illinois, with an additional plant in the Netherlands. The brand is well established with culinary professionals and big branded players as the premiere vanilla brand in the marketplace while the next phase of growth will come from expanding the brand to a broader base of consumers via an aggressive retail and eCommerce strategy as well as diversifying and expanding the ingredient and flavor business.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas (NMV) was founded in 1907 and is still owned by three members of the Nielsen family, who work as senior executives at the company. The fiduciary Board is composed of a majority of independent directors as well as the three family shareholders. The four independent members all have CEO experience in a variety of industries, including CPG, eCommerce and Industrial/ Manufacturing.

The Company is committed to sustaining the plants, people and communities that supply their ingredients. Since 1907, NMV has demonstrated its commitment to civic and social responsibility. The company’s Community Relations initiatives encompass three main objectives: building relationships with the communities in which they live and work; showing their commitment through financial contributions to charities in support of education, youth, veterans and the environment, actively promoting volunteer service among their employees -- and demonstrating as a team that they make a difference.

NMV supports approximately 18 organizations that represent their mission-driven values. They published their first annual “Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibilities Report” in 2018. Some past ESG programs include the funding of a new Malagasy school and the construction of a solar-powered water pump in the Madagascar Village that grows Nielsen-Massey’s fair-trade vanilla.

In 2009, The Nielsen-Massey Foundation was founded with a mission to assist disadvantaged children and adults with education and leadership development, especially in the field of culinary arts. The Foundation also considers requests for assistance in the development of sustainable environmental practices or for programs benefiting people in countries of need. The Foundation’s board of directors consists of Craig, Beth and Matt Nielsen—third-generation owners of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas—and their mother, Camilla.

Throughout its more than 110-year history as a family business, NMV is proudly and fully committed to the ethical manner in it conducts business, including how employees and customers are treated. As a company, NMV remains committed to honesty and integrity, as well as openness and respect for the rights and interests of its employees. Employees are “treated like family,” in particular, with generous health care benefits.