Supply/Demand Planner

Job Description:

About Us:

ITW Car Care is a division of Illinois Tool Works (ITW), specializing in automotive aftermarket products. The division offers a diverse portfolio of brands such as Rain-X wiper blades, visibility enhancing products, and water-repellent treatments, including our 2-in-1 Glass Cleaner. Black Magic to support all your wheel and tire needs including Tire Wet.

Position Summary:

We are hiring two Supply/Demand Planners, with opportunities at either the Planner I or Planner II level based on experience.

These roles are responsible for balancing Finished Goods (FG), Semi-Finished Goods (SFG), and Raw Materials (RM) with customer demand through forecasting, supply planning, and cross-functional collaboration. The planners will partner with suppliers, manufacturing sites, and sales teams to achieve service, inventory, and MOH targets. Planner II candidates will also take ownership of end-to-end material planning and provide guidance to less experienced planners.

Key Responsibilities:

Demand Planning

• Build and maintain statistical demand forecasts.

• Track Point of Sale (POS) data and adjust the forecast to reflect changes in demand.

• Bring forecast inputs to demand planning meetings with Sales and Marketing.

Supply Planning & Purchasing

• Run long-term and short-term planning for Finished Goods (FG), Semi-Finished Goods (SFG/SM) and Raw Materials (RM).

• Purchase FG, SFG and RM, and coordinate supplier deliveries so products arrive on time.

• Calculate Market Rate of Demand (MRD) requirements for suppliers. Maintain and update the MRD system using Run Rates (RR), Lead Times (LT) and batch sizes.

• Run Material Requirements Planning (MRP) in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to plan material and production needs.

• Plan manufacturing production, working with the plants on schedules and capacity.

Inventory & Performance Management

• Calculate and report key planning metrics:

- Months on Hand (MOH)

- Obsolete and Slow-Moving Inventory (OSMI)

- On-Time In-Full (OTIF)

- Run Rate (RR) and Safety Stock (SS)

- Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)

- Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

• Analyze inventory data and recommend actions to improve Months on Hand (MOH).
• Recommend and make planning parameter changes: Lead Times (LT), minimum inventory, lot sizes and order policies.
• Build and maintain Power BI dashboards and Excel reports to track inventory and service performance.
• Take part in supplier and manufacturing site meetings, and support the monthly Inventory Management meeting.
• Apply 80/20 principles to focus planning effort on the products and customers that matter most.

Planner II Scope (in addition to the above)

• Independently own the full MRD and MRP process for an assigned product portfolio.

• Train and mentor Planner I team members.

• Lead small improvement projects in planning and sourcing.

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business, or a related field.
• Planner I: 0–3 years of experience in supply chain, procurement or supplier coordination.
• Planner II: 3–6 years of experience, including a track record of independently managing sourcing or planning projects
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively with large data sets.
• Experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) processes.

Preferred

• Experience in manufacturing or production planning.

• Familiarity with Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) / Integrated Business Planning (IBP) and 80/20 methodology.

• APICS/ASCM certification: Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM) or Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP).

Technical Skills

• Advanced Microsoft Excel: pivot tables, XLOOKUP/INDEX-MATCH, advanced formulas and data modeling.

• Power BI: building dashboards and reports for inventory, forecast and service metrics.

• MRP / ERP systems: running Material Requirements Planning and maintaining planning parameters.

• MRD: maintaining MRD calculations and system updates.

• Statistical forecasting methods and tools.

Key Competencies

• Analytical thinking and attention to detail

• Clear communication with suppliers, manufacturing sites and commercial teams

• Takes ownership and follows through

• Continuous improvement mindset

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Primarily performs work in an office environment with frequent use of a computer, telephone, and other standard office equipment.
• Requires prolonged periods of sitting and working at a computer, including extensive use of a keyboard, mouse, and multiple software applications.
• Frequently communicates with suppliers, manufacturing facilities, sales teams, and other stakeholders via phone, video conference, and email.
• Must be able to review, analyze, and interpret large amounts of data and reports, requiring close visual acuity and sustained concentration.
• Occasionally required to stand, walk, reach, bend, stoop, and move throughout office and manufacturing environments.
• May occasionally lift, carry, push, or pull materials and office equipment weighing up to 15 pounds.
• Ability to travel occasionally to manufacturing sites, supplier locations, or company meetings as business needs require.
• Must be able to operate in both office and plant environments, including exposure to varying noise levels and production activities during site visits.

Work Environment

• Work is performed primarily in a professional office setting with periodic visits to manufacturing and warehouse facilities.
• During plant visits, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required in accordance with site safety policies.
• Position may require flexibility to support multiple manufacturing facilities, suppliers, and time zones to ensure uninterrupted supply chain operations.

ITW is an equal opportunity employer. We value our colleagues’ unique perspectives, experiences and ideas and create workplaces where everyone can develop their careers and perform to their full potential. 

As an equal employment opportunity employer, ITW is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair treatment for employees, beginning with the hiring process and continuing through all aspects of the employment relationship. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.