SAP Architect

Job Title: SAP Supply Planning & Co-Packing Architect – CPG (Food & Confectionery)

Location: New Jersey – Preferably local who can come to the office

Department: Supply Chain / SAP Center of Excellence

Employment Type: Part time or Full-time / Contract

The SAP Supply Planning & Co-Packing Specialist will drive material and production planning excellence across internal and external manufacturing sites for a leading CPG food and confectionery environment. The role ensures that Material Requirements Planning (MRP), co-packing operations, and forecasting processes within SAP are fully optimized to meet service, cost, and quality objectives.

This position bridges commercial demand, production scheduling, and third‑party co‑packer execution—maintaining end‑to‑end visibility from raw materials to finished goods such as lozenges, gums, and candies.

• SAP MRP & Supply Planning
  • Manage and optimize MRP runs (MD01N / MRP Live) to balance raw‑material availability and production capacity across multiple manufacturing and co‑packing sites.
  • Maintain planning parameters (lot sizes, safety stocks, lead times, procurement types) in SAP Material Master for all SKUs.
  • Analyze and resolve MRP exception messages to ensure timely replenishment and eliminate shortages during seasonal peaks.
  • Collaborate with Procurement and Production teams to align component deliveries with packaging schedules.
• Co‑Packing & Subcontracting Management
  • Set up and maintain subcontracting processes for co‑packers, including subcontract BOMs, routing, and purchase orders.
  • Ensure accurate component issuance (movement type 541) and reconciliation of finished‑goods receipts (543) from co‑packers.
  • Monitor co‑packer capacity utilization, yield variances, and conversion costs.
  • Support vendor onboarding and periodic audits to ensure compliance with food‑grade standards (GMP, HACCP).
• Forecasting & Demand Translation
  • Partner with the Demand Planning and Sales teams to translate forecast signals into executable production plans.
  • Support short‑ and medium‑term forecasting processes to manage seasonal launches and promotional activities.
  • Track forecast accuracy, bias, and service level performance by product family.
• BOM & Master Data Management
  • Build and maintain multi‑level Bills of Material (BOMs) for finished goods, semi‑finished goods, and packaging components.
  • Coordinate with R&D and Quality teams to update ingredient compositions, flavor profiles, and regulatory data.
  • Maintain version control to manage product changeovers, flavor variants, and regional packaging differences.
  • Support cost roll‑ups to ensure accurate COGS visibility by SKU.
• Participate in S/4
  
  HANA supply chain transformation or SAP enhancement projects involving PP/MM integration, co‑packing automation, and forecasting integration with IBP.
• Lead testing, documentation, and training for planning teams and co‑packer users.
• Identify automation opportunities through Fiori apps, SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC), and SAP BTP AI extensions to improve forecast accuracy and MRP efficiency.

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, or Food Science.
• Minimum 5 years of SAP PP/MM experience in a CPG food or confectionery environment (e.g., candy, lozenges, chewing gum, nutraceuticals).
• Proven hands‑on expertise in MRP, subcontracting/co‑packing, and BOM configuration.
• Understanding of batch management, lot traceability, and shelf‑life planning.
• Strong analytical and cross‑functional collaboration skills with commercial and technical teams.

• Familiarity with SAP IBP, SAP APO DP/SNP, or advanced forecasting models.
• Knowledge of FDA, GMP, and food‑safety compliance standards.
• Experience with SKU proliferation management, promotional lift modeling, and seasonal inventory builds.
• Exposure to AI‑enabled demand planning or predictive replenishment within SAP BTP or Datasphere.
• Strong Excel, SQL, or analytics capabilities for ad‑hoc supply diagnostics.

• MRP exception closure rate & forecast accuracy (>85%)
• Inventory turns improvement & service level adherence
• Reduction in material write‑offs and co‑packing variance

• Mid‑Senior level

• Contract

• Supply Chain and Consulting

• Food and Beverage Manufacturing