Sr. Import Material Planner

Why Work at Kaneka North America?
At Kaneka North America, you’ll find more than just a job—you’ll find a place to build a career. We offer a people‑first, safety‑focused environment where employees are encouraged to learn, grow, and contribute. Whether you’re early in your career or bringing years of experience, you’ll have the chance to do meaningful work, collaborate across teams, and support products and industries that make a difference every day. Your contributions are valued, and your development is supported.

Our Culture & Values
Our culture is built on respect, teamwork, and doing things the right way. We believe people do their best work when they feel supported, trusted, and empowered to speak up and share ideas. Safety, integrity & trust, quality, and innovation guide everything we do, and we invest in our employees through continuous learning, collaboration, and opportunities for growth. At Kaneka North America, you’re encouraged to take ownership of your work, grow your skills, and build a long‑term career in an environment that values both accountability and people.

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Analyze demand forecasts and current stock levels to develop procurement plans for imported products, ensuring timely replenishment and alignment with customer demand and business objectives.
• Issue purchase orders based on requirements from Customer Service and Import Material Planning, ensuring the use of approved suppliers, negotiated pricing, and adherence to company purchasing policies. Owns process from purchase orders from creation through final delivery.
• Coordinate the flow of imported materials to manufacturing facilities by leveraging SAP and planning systems to maintain accurate inventory, optimize material availability, and support customer requirements.
• Maintain expertise in tariff regulations and import duties by staying current on changes to tariff schedules, trade agreements, and government regulations. Assess the operational and financial impact of tariff changes and communicate recommendations to support informed sourcing and procurement decisions.
• Ensure compliance with company safety policies, hazardous material regulations, import/export requirements, and internal material control procedures.
• Cross functional collaboration to implement cost saving and inventory strategies.
• Actively participate in continuous improvement initiatives and cross-functional projects to enhance supply chain efficiency, service levels, and operational performance.
• Evaluate supplier performance based on quality, cost, delivery, and responsiveness, collaborating with suppliers to improve on-time delivery and overall performance.
• Manage relationships with customs brokers, freight forwarders, and international suppliers to coordinate import shipments, proactively monitor freight in transit, and communicate shipment status, delays, and delivery expectations to Customer Service and internal stakeholders.
• Receive, review and submit import documents for both air and ocean shipment (commercial invoice, packing list, BOL and arrival notice) to customs broker.
• Ensure all import and customs documentation, including commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, and arrival notices, is accurate, complete, and submitted on time to customs brokers and customers as required.
• Track and trace international shipments to ensure timely delivery and proactive communication regarding transportation issues or schedule changes.
• Prepare, analyze, and maintain open order reports and other purchasing metrics to support supply chain visibility and decision-making.
• Continuously evaluate department processes to identify opportunities for improved efficiency, accuracy, and service.
• Maintain professional, timely, and effective communication with internal and external stakeholders using appropriate communication methods.
• Ensure accurate and timely transaction processing and master data maintenance within SAP in accordance with established standard operating procedures.
• Provide SAP training and support to team members while identifying opportunities to improve system utilization and business processes
• Identify and implement freight cost reduction opportunities while maintaining service and delivery performance.
• Works with little supervision and manages day-to-day activities independently.
• Work to improve flow of information and record-keeping.
• Drive continuous improvement across the MRP implementation and maintenance of master data profiles and settings to ensure the integrity of SAP.
• Stay engaged and informed of the DX Company Goals.
• Look for opportunities within SAP and other systems to advance DX transformation and improve automation within MRP.
• Take ownership of DX transformation initiatives through education, training and research.
• Ensure that all department activities meet requirements of JSOX and all other regulatory compliance.

• Must demonstrate the following emotional intelligence skills:
  • Emotional Empathy
  • Positive Attitude
  • Excellent Communication Skills
  • Flexibility / Adaptability