Utilities Supervisor

We are looking for a Materials Specialist to join our Supply Chain team in Costa Rica. This role is responsible for ensuring the right materials are available in the right quantities and at the right time to support production at our manufacturing operations and external manufacturing partners. The position combines materials planning, inventory management, supplier coordination and data analysis, with a strong focus on anticipating risks and maintaining continuity of supply. You will work closely with Planning, Procurement, Logistics, Manufacturing and other cross-functional teams to balance material availability with healthy inventory levels. A key part of the role will be looking beyond day-to-day execution: identifying potential shortages or excess inventory in advance, building different scenarios, understanding root causes and recommending actions that support business decisions.

Key Responsibilities
• Plan and manage the availability of raw and packaging materials according to production requirements.
• Create and manage purchase orders to ensure materials are available for internal and external manufacturing operations.
• Monitor inventory levels, material coverage and stock health, identifying potential shortages, excess inventory and obsolete materials.
• Coordinate material deliveries with suppliers while considering production requirements, lead times and warehouse capacity.
• Analyze material requirements and investigate discrepancies within MRP, including master data, BOMs, calendars and other planning parameters.
• Develop mitigation plans when material availability is at risk, including rescheduling, supplier follow-up, alternatives and prioritization scenarios.
• Translate medium and long-term production plans into future material requirements, inventory projections and supplier capacity needs.
• Manage and maintain inventory policies, including safety stock, coverage and MOQ considerations.
• Partner with Procurement to evaluate supplier constraints, minimum order quantities and inventory-reduction opportunities without compromising continuity of supply.
• Track supplier performance and support action plans to improve service levels and supply reliability.
• Support new product launches and innovation projects by ensuring materials are available according to project timelines.
• Support new SKU and material setup processes within SAP.
• Analyze actual material consumption versus plan, lead-time deviations and other planning variances.
• Build “what-if” scenarios to anticipate potential disruptions such as supplier delays, demand increases or production changes.
• Identify opportunities to improve planning processes through automation, data quality improvements, MRP optimization and reporting enhancements.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Planning, Procurement, Logistics, Manufacturing, Finance and Marketing teams.
• Support Supply Planning activities when required. What We’re Looking For
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, Operations or a related field.
• Approximately 2-4 years of experience in Materials Planning, Supply Planning, Procurement Planning, Inventory Management or a related Supply Chain role.
• Experience working with MRP and materials planning processes.
• Experience with SAP; exposure to SAP MRP and/or MDG is highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of inventory management, material availability and stock policies.
• Intermediate Excel skills; advanced capabilities are a plus.
• Experience with Power BI, Tableau or similar BI tools is desirable.
• Experience supporting projects, new product launches or innovation initiatives is a plus.
• Spanish and English proficiency.
• Experience in manufacturing, consumer goods, food or other fast-paced environments is highly desirable. Skills & Competencies We are looking for someone who is:
• Analytical and detail-oriented, with the ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Proactive and able to anticipate supply risks before they impact production.
• Comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong in critical thinking and problem solving.
• Able to build scenarios and make recommendations when information or supply conditions change.
• Collaborative and comfortable working across multiple functions.
• Strong in supplier communication and negotiation.
• Disciplined when working with master data, inventory parameters and follow-up activities.
• Comfortable challenging assumptions and identifying the root cause behind planning issues.
• Adaptable and able to respond quickly to changes in demand, supply or production. What Success Looks Like Success in this role means maintaining a strong balance between material availability, inventory health and operational continuity. You will contribute to improving service levels, reducing excess and obsolete inventory, strengthening supplier performance and ensuring potential supply risks are identified and addressed proactively.