Planning & Buying Manager

• Pay or shift range: $140,000 USD to $160,000 USD
  The estimated range is the budgeted amount for this position. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, location, qualifications and other job-related reasons.
• PLANNING
• Full-Time
• Requisition #: PLANN
  003846

Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent
Reporting To: Plant Manager
Location: St. Paul

About Us

Tate Americas is a key business within Kingspan Data Solutions and is at the forefront of delivering integrated solutions to the rapidly expanding data center market. We combine engineering expertise, advanced manufacturing and operational excellence to deliver complex, mission-critical projects for some of the world’s largest technology companies.

With significant investment and ambitious growth plans, Tate is evolving beyond traditional manufacturing to become a fully integrated solutions provider, offering customers a seamless delivery model from design and manufacturing through installation, commissioning and final handover.

About the Role

The Planning & Buying Manager is responsible for aligning production capacity, material availability, and supply execution to support business demand and operational performance. This role bridges strategic planning and day-to-day execution by leading capacity planning, master scheduling, inventory optimization, and supplier replenishment activities.

The successful candidate will own the divisional capacity planning process, support S&OP execution, manage inventory and replenishment strategies, and ensure materials are available to support production requirements. The role executes against supplier contracts and purchasing agreements established by Strategic Sourcing while driving continuous improvements in planning accuracy, inventory performance, and operational efficiency.

This position requires a strong blend of analytical capability, supply chain expertise, and leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.

What You'll Do

Capacity Planning & S&OP Leadership

• Own and lead capacity planning processes across manufacturing operations to align production resources with forecasted demand.
• Develop and maintain master production and material plans based on customer demand, forecasts, inventory levels, and operational constraints.
• Lead the divisional Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process, aligning stakeholders across Operations, Sales, Logistics, Procurement, and Finance.
• Analyze demand patterns, production trends, inventory positions, and capacity utilization to develop short- and long-term operational plans.
• Define and manage operating capacity limits to support service, inventory, and production objectives.
• Balance workloads and capacity across manufacturing sites to maximize service levels and operational efficiency.
• Identify capacity risks and develop mitigation plans to maintain continuity of supply.
• Own material availability across manufacturing operations to ensure uninterrupted production.
• Develop replenishment strategies for raw materials, purchased components, and consumables using appropriate planning methodologies.
• Apply MRP, Kanban, reorder point, min/max, and safety stock methodologies based on material classification and business requirements.
• Plan and execute purchase orders against approved supplier contracts and agreements.
• Monitor inventory levels and optimize stock positions to balance service levels and working capital objectives.
• Manage replenishment parameters and planning system settings to improve inventory accuracy and supply reliability.
• Lead inventory reviews and drive corrective actions to eliminate recurring stockouts and excess inventory.

Supplier Execution & Supply Continuity

• Execute purchasing activities within established supplier contracts, pricing agreements, and commercial terms.
• Coordinate directly with suppliers on delivery schedules, quantities, order status, and replenishment requirements.
• Expedite critical materials and proactively resolve supply disruptions before they impact production.
• Monitor supplier performance, including on-time delivery and responsiveness.
• Escalate recurring supply, quality, pricing, or compliance concerns to Strategic Sourcing for resolution.
• Partner with Strategic Sourcing by providing operational insights, demand trends, and supplier performance feedback.

Operational Execution & Performance

• Collaborate closely with Production Scheduling, Operations, Warehouse, and Logistics teams to ensure production readiness.
• Adjust plans and replenishment…