Demand Planner

Job Description
About Penn Color
We are a privately held organization specializing in the production of color and additive masterbatches, compounds, and liquid dispersions. Penn Color supports a diverse range of end market applications within consumer goods, building and construction, and transportation industries, with manufacturing and R&D sites across the United States, Europe, and Asia. For over 60 years, we have cultivated a legacy of trust with our clients, suppliers, and employees by remaining steadfast to our founding core values and fostering a culture dedicated to consistently exceeding client expectations.
We are uniquely positioned for success with the right culture, global presence, infrastructure, products, services, and capabilities. Most importantly, we have the right teams to excel in our markets. As such, our growth potential over the coming years is greater than at any point in our company’s history.
Job Overview
As an Inventory and Demand Planner at Penn Color, you will play a strategic role in managing the finished goods inventories that support our masterbatch and liquid dispersion operations. You will be responsible for defining, tracking and analyzing demand as well as maintaining optimal inventory levels, balancing supply with demand, and ensuring inventory health across multiple product families, manufacturing processes, and production sites. This role is highly cross-functional and data-driven, requiring advanced analytical capabilities, deep ERP and planning system knowledge, and strong collaboration with stakeholders across Production, Procurement, Quality, and Commercial functions.
Key Responsibilities

Inventory Strategy & Optimization:
Develop and maintain inventory targets for finished goods, accounting for batch sizes, run rates, and lead times.
Track and report inventory levels. Own and maintain all processes necessary to ensure proper finished goods inventories are planned and maintained.
Set and refine planning parameters including safety stock, reorder points, and minimum order quantities.
Optimize inventory to balance customer service levels, production efficiency, and working capital targets.
ERP & Planning Systems Management:
Own master data and planning configuration in ERP and Advanced Planning Systems (APS), ensuring accuracy of planning attributes an.
Create, schedule, and monitor planning-related transactions such as MRP runs, planned orders, and purchase requisitions.
Drive system utilization and planning discipline to increase visibility and reduce reliance on manual processes.
Data Analysis & Reporting:
Analyze consumption trends, forecast accuracy, historical sales, and production output to drive informed inventory decisions.
Monitor and report on key metrics: inventory turns, days on hand, aged/dormant inventory, stockouts, forecast bias, and service levels.
Build and maintain dashboards and analytical tools to identify risks, improve forecast accuracy, and reduce excess/obsolete inventory.
Leverage statistical and analytical tools (e.g., regression, variance analysis, ABC classification) to refine planning models.
Forecasting & Demand Collaboration:
Create, modify and manage statistical forecasts using all tools available, calculate and track forecast accuracy
Partner with Sales, Marketing, and Product Management to align inventory planning with demand forecasts, promotional schedules, and new product introductions.
Support end-of-life transitions and material changeovers to reduce waste and inventory liability.
Ensure timely communication of demand changes to production and procurement teams.
Supplier & Production Coordination:
Collaborate with Schedulers and Buyers to align supply plans with production capacity and material availability.
Support cross-site planning initiatives to balance inventories globally when needed.
Excess & Obsolescence Management:
Identify slow-moving and obsolete materials. Partner with Quality, Sales, and Operations to disposition inventory through rework, reclassification, or usage strategies.
Lead root cause analysis for inventory write-offs and implement preventative actions.
Continuous Improvement & Training:
Identify and implement process improvements in planning workflows, tools, and system utilization.
Participate in cross-functional improvement projects (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen events).
Support training and upskilling initiatives for team members on planning systems, inventory processes, and analytical tools.
Stakeholder Communication:
Act as a central hub for inventory planning updates, risks, and action plans.
Communicate clearly with stakeholders across operations, quality, finance, and customer service functions.
Deliver regular updates on planning KPIs to leadership.
Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Analytics, Operations, Industrial Engineering, or related field
5–10 years of experience in inventory planning, supply chain, or production planning in a manufacturing environment (chemicals, masterbatch, additives, dispersions, or specialty materials preferred)
Advanced proficiency in ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics), MRP/APS tools, and inventory management software
Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, XLOOKUP, macros), with experience in data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau) and planning platforms (Kinaxis, OMP, NetSuite, etc.)
Solid understanding of manufacturing and supply chain processes: batch production, BOMs, lead times, capacity planning
Demonstrated ability to manage complex datasets and draw actionable insights from analysis
Strong problem-solving, prioritization, and communication skills
Experience with S&OP, demand planning, and supply risk management a plus
ASCM/APICS CPIM or CSCP certification preferred
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, PMP, or other project management certification is a plus
Key Competencies

Analytical mindset with attention to detail
Systems-oriented and process-driven
Strong interpersonal and cross-functional collaboration
Customer focus with an operations mindset
Agility in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
Penn Color offers many tangible and intangible benefits to our full-time employees:
Tangible Benefits Include

Highly competitive compensation
A choice between 3 outstanding medical plans
401K with a strong company match
PTO to balance your life
Additional company perks
And More!
Our Intangible Benefits Really Set Us Apart

Unmatched company stability
Long-term career opportunity
True open door, friendly environment
Ability to "own" your role
Company events that bring us all together
If you desire a long-term career, want to work alongside an exceptional group of people, and wish to use your talents to shape a world-class company, then we are your employer of choice!
Penn Color, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We adhere to a policy of making employment decisions without regards to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or any other protected categories. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given an equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors.