Req ID: 487357
Material Planner
Location: Widnes (Onsite)
Appointment Basis: Permanent
Salary: c. £38K + Benefits
Closing Date: 22nd August 2025
At Alstom, we understand transport networks and what moves people. From high-speed trains, metros, monorails, and trams, to turnkey systems, services, infrastructure, signalling and digital mobility, we offer our diverse customers the broadest portfolio in the industry. Every day, more than 80 000 colleagues lead the way to greener and smarter mobility worldwide, connecting cities as we reduce carbon and replace cars.
Could you be our Material Planner at Alstom UK, managing critical material requirements and enhancing supply chain performance in a transformative rail industry setting?
Your future role
Take on a new challenge within Alstom UK’s Supply Chain function and apply your expertise in material planning to support our major growth programme. You’ll report to the Supply Chain Manager and work alongside a dedicated and skilled team.
Day-to-day, you’ll manage material requirements using the SAP system, ensuring effective planning and coordination in a fast-paced environment. You’ll be responsible for validating demand and creating requisitions while maintaining MRP parameters to ensure material availability. Your role will involve collaborating with internal and external teams to tackle material shortages, ensuring compliance with quality and operational standards.
We’ll also look to you to:
1. Review Material Requirements Planning (MRP) output to assess material needs.
2. Validate demand and generate requisitions, including transfers, to align with requirements.
3. Measure and report on planned orders and requisitions needing additional sourcing data.
4. Maintain MRP parameters (order points and policies) for optimal material supply based on lead times and costs.
5. Create depot-specific Material Masters for new items.
6. Identify and manage obsolete materials in collaboration with Stores Management for disposal.
7. Provide additional data in reports, Line of Business (LOB), and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as specified by the Supply Chain.
8. Ensure compliance with procedures and processes, maintaining all Material Master records.
9. Support supply chain activities for identified projects and requirements.
10. Serve as an ambassador for Alstom and the Supply Chain function both internally and externally.
11. Liaise with project teams at Alstom depots and plants regarding material issues.
12. Manage material shortages and coordinate transport requirements for material availability.
13. Expedite critical materials and take responsibility for order placement.
14. Interface with other functions to address emerging material issues and project risks.
15. Develop action plans to resolve material shortages before kits are required.
16. Attend weekly or daily production meetings during the overhaul programme as necessary.
17. Identify kitting requirements and develop/manage storage media (Kanban) for consumable materials at the point of use.
All about you
We value passion and attitude over experience. That’s why we don’t expect you to have every single skill. Instead, we’ve listed some that we think will help you succeed and grow in this role:
Essential:
18. Proven experience in a material planning, supply chain, or production planning role, ideally within a manufacturing environment.
19. Experience in using SAP
20. Educated to A-Level or equivalent level qualification
21. Ability to make decisions and act with a sense of urgency.
22. Team spirit and strong communication skills.
23. Sound understanding of costing, planning, and risk management practices.
24. Resilience.
Desirable:
25. Degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering or a related field preferred.
Things you’ll enjoy
Join us on a life-long transformative journey – the rail industry is here to stay, so you can grow and develop new skills and experiences throughout your career. You’ll also:
26. Enjoy stability, challenges and a long-term career free from boring daily routines
27. Collaborate with transverse teams and helpful colleagues
28. Contribute to innovative projects
29. Utilise our agile working environment
30. Steer your career in whatever direction you choose across functions and countries
31. Benefit from our investment in your development, through award-winning learning
32. Benefit from a fair and dynamic reward package that recognises your performance and potential, plus comprehensive and competitive benefits (pension, life ins., medical)
33. Up to 52 weeks full maternity and adoption pay
34. 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the opportunity to buy or sell holidays
35. Option to enjoy a brand new electric or hybrid vehicle with our salary sacrifice scheme
36. A wide range of flexible benefits that you can tailor to suit your lifestyle
Equal opportunity statement:
Alstom is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive working environment where all our employees are encouraged to reach their full potential, and individual differences are valued and respected. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by local law.
As a “disability confident leader accredited employer”, we will interview all disabled job applicants who match the essential criteria of the job description or specification.
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Job Segment: Supply Chain, Supply, Supply Chain Manager, SAP, ERP, Operations, Technology