Materials Planner

The Materials Planner plans and schedules the delivery of indirect and MRO materials from suppliers to support reliable manufacturing operations. This role monitors material flow, maintains appropriate inventory and safety stock levels, and helps prevent material shortages and production downtime. The Materials Planner collaborates closely with suppliers, production, quality, accounting, and other internal stakeholders to support customer service, inventory, and cost objectives while driving continuous improvement in supply chain performance.

• Procure indirect and MRO materials in a timely and cost-conscious manner to support production needs.
• Review purchase requisitions to confirm quantities, specifications, and delivery requirements before placing orders.
• Select appropriate suppliers from the approved supplier list to support scheduled plant deliveries.
• Assist with onboarding new suppliers and maintain accurate and up-to-date supplier information.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels and safety stock for assigned materials to balance availability and cost.
• Monitor open requirements, supplier performance, and delivery schedules to ensure on-time supply.
• Expedite critical materials when necessary to prevent production disruptions and downtime.
• Proactively identify potential material shortages and support root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Communicate forecasts, replenishment plans, and delivery priorities clearly and regularly to suppliers.
• Partner with production planners when materials cannot be delivered as scheduled to adjust plans and minimize impact.
• Work with Quality Assurance and suppliers to resolve material quality concerns and prevent recurrence.
• Resolve pricing and invoice discrepancies by coordinating with suppliers and accounting.
• Analyze materials for Kanban and supplier-replenishment opportunities to improve flow and reduce inventory.
• Evaluate material and capacity availability to support customer delivery commitments and production schedules.
• Maintain accurate item master data, including supplier information and material lead times, within ERP and related systems.
• Identify supplier cost-reduction, productivity, and cash-flow improvement opportunities.
• Maintain project pipelines and financial records related to productivity and cost-saving initiatives.
• Collaborate with internal departments to resolve delivery, pricing, quality, and material availability issues.
• Support continuous improvement efforts in inventory management, supplier performance, and materials planning processes.

• Experience in planning, scheduling, production planning, or supply chain functions such as buying and purchasing.
• Understanding of inventory planning, material specifications, substitutions, and supplier capabilities.
• Familiarity with Kanban, Just-in-Time (JIT), Material Requirements Planning (MRP), inventory management, and lean manufacturing principles.
• Ability to identify material shortages, prioritize requirements, and resolve supply issues under time pressure.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for effective interaction with suppliers and internal teams.
• Ability to build productive relationships with suppliers, production, quality, accounting, and other stakeholders.
• Strong customer-service orientation with a focus on supporting internal and external customer needs.
• Detail-oriented, organized, and self-motivated approach to managing materials and data.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while maintaining high accuracy and accountability.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Basic mathematical and analytical skills to support inventory, cost, and supply analysis.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including spreadsheets and documentation tools.
• Ability to learn and effectively use ERP and supplier-scheduling systems.
• Associate degree or at least two years of planner, buyer, supply chain, or related manufacturing experience.

• Experience with production planning, supplier scheduling, inventory management, operations, MRP, or lean manufacturing.
• Experience working in a job-shop manufacturing environment.
• Experience with ERP and visual management systems.
• Interest in developing skills in supply chain, materials planning, ERP systems, and manufacturing operations.
• Comfort working within a continuous improvement culture focused on efficiency, productivity, and operational excellence.

This role is fully onsite five days per week, Monday through Friday, with core hours of either 7:00 am to 4:00 pm or 6:00 am to 3:00 pm. The Materials Planner must be onsite by 7:30 am each morning to participate in a daily team meeting at 7:45 am. The position is based in a fast-paced manufacturing environment that requires close collaboration with suppliers, production, quality, operations, and other cross-functional teams. The culture is highly team-oriented and values open communication, accountability, and collaborative problem solving. The organization promotes a continuous improvement mindset with a strong focus on efficiency, productivity, and operational excellence. The workplace emphasizes safety and employee well-being as core values. The role offers the opportunity to work with established brands in security and access solutions and to make a direct impact on manufacturing operations, inventory performance, and customer satisfaction, within a stable organization that supports professional growth and development.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Princeton, IL.

The pay range for this position is $30.00 - $36.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Princeton, IL.

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 1, 2026.

This is a fully onsite position in Princeton,IL.

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.