Material Supply and Planning Manager

The Opportunity:

The Material Supply and Planning Manager is a key member of the Lagimodiere Site Leadership Team, responsible for integrating production planning, material supply, inventory management, and short-term capacity planning across the facility.

Reporting to the Site Leader, this role translates business and customer requirements into realistic, executable production plans. The manager connects demand, plant capacity, product mix, material availability, inventory health, and operational constraints to ensure risks are identified early and addressed through coordinated cross-functional action.

The successful candidate will lead and develop the Material Supply and Planning team and work closely with Operations, Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance, Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Reliability, Sanitation, and other site functions.

Any MLF team member interested in being considered for this role are encouraged to apply online by October 15. Applications received beyond that date are not guaranteed consideration.

Snapshot of a Day-in-the-Life:

Planning and Material Supply

• Lead the site production-planning process and develop realistic, executable manufacturing schedules.
• Balance customer requirements with plant capacity, product mix, labour, material availability, sanitation, maintenance, and other operating constraints.
• Translate production plans into material requirements for raw materials, ingredients, packaging, and indirect supplies.
• Identify material shortages, capacity constraints, inventory risks, and service concerns before they affect execution.
• Coordinate recovery plans when production or material performance deviates from plan.
• Develop scenarios and recommendations to support decisions involving sequencing, inventory builds, overtime, weekend production, and competing business priorities.

Inventory and Performance Management

• Maintain effective governance over raw material, work-in-process, packaging, ingredient, and other assigned inventories.
• Monitor inventory accuracy, aging, stock rotation, excess inventory, shortages, and write-off exposure.
• Lead assigned physical-inventory processes and ensure variances are investigated and addressed.
• Establish clear daily, weekly, and monthly visibility to planning and material-supply performance.
• Track key measures including schedule adherence, production attainment, material availability, inventory health, capacity versus demand, recovery-plan execution, and customer service.
• Communicate risks, financial impacts, recommended actions, and required decisions to site leadership.

Operational Excellence

As a leader within OpEx: The Maple Leaf Way, you will:

• Establish clear standards, planning routines, visual performance measures, and escalation processes.
• Use data and structured problem solving to identify losses, understand root causes, and implement sustainable improvements.
• Support Direction Setting routines and 90-Day Loss Elimination Plans.
• Develop leading indicators that provide early warning of material, inventory, capacity, schedule, and service risks.
• Engage Team Members and cross-functional partners in simplifying processes and eliminating non-value-added work.
• Build capability using a Learn, Do, Teach and Coach approach.
• Help move the organization from reactive issue management toward proactive, disciplined planning and execution.

People and Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a team that may include planners, buyers, and hourly unionized Team Members.
• Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, and accountability.
• Build team capability and confidence through regular coaching, feedback, and development.
• Serve as the primary planning integration point across site and supply-chain functions.
• Influence stakeholders through strong business judgment, credible data, and clear communication.
• Promote collaboration, Team Member ownership, servant leadership, and continuous learning.

What You’ll Bring:

• Post-secondary education in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Materials Management, Business, Engineering, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Progressive experience in production planning, materials management, inventory control, supply chain, or manufacturing operations.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing teams in a complex, fast-paced environment.
• Strong understanding of production scheduling, capacity planning, material requirements, and inventory management.
• Functional experience with SAP planning, procurement, inventory, or related processes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead across functions, influence stakeholders, and manage competing priorities.
• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Experience in food manufacturing or another regulated manufacturing environment is preferred.
• Experience in a unionized environment is an asset.
• Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, or Six Sigma experience is preferred.

What We Offer at Maple Leaf Foods:

• Being part of a high-performance, people-focused company that has an inspiring and unique vision to become the most sustainable protein company on earth, and a deep commitment to sustainable protein across North America.
• An inclusive company culture and a work environment that keeps our people safe, rewards excellence, and empowers everyone to learn and contribute their best.
• Competitive Health and Wellness benefits that offer flexibility to meet your individual or family needs, including programs focused on improving mental health and wellbeing. These benefits start on your first day of employment.
• Defined Contribution Pension Plan with company matching that starts on your first day of employment.
• Learning and development opportunities, including workshops, ‘speaker series’ events, and resources that allow you to develop your skills and progress your career.
• Comprehensive tuition reimbursement program that supports continuous learning and development of our team members through investment in eligible degrees, diplomas, professional certification, or trades programs.
• Supporting our deep commitment to community impact, we offer up to two paid days annually to volunteer at a cause of your choice.

About Us:

We’re a carbon neutral food company on a purposeful journey to Raise the Good in Food through better nutrition, safer food and workplaces, more humane animal care, and environmental sustainability efforts that protect our planet. We care about our communities and commit to reducing food insecurity in Canada. Join us on the journey. Let’s build a better future, together.

We’re passionate about food. For more than 100 years, we’ve made delicious, healthy protein that Canadians love under iconic national and regional brands, like Maple Leaf®, Schneiders®, and Greenfield Natural Meat Co.® We’re on a journey to become the most sustainable protein company – not just in Canada – but on earth.

• We are carbon neutral.
• We are one of the only food companies in Canada to set science-based targets.

We’re a global food company with approximately 10,000 team members. We operate sites in 20+ locations across Canada. We also have locations in the U.S. and Mexico, and do business in Asia.

A diverse and inclusive work environment

Championing diversity and inclusion is a critical component to advancing our collective purpose and vision and living the Maple Leaf Leadership Values. We believe in building, investing in, recognizing, and rewarding remarkable people who value an inclusive workplace, embrace all forms of diversity, and commit to including every voice in our collaborative environment. We’re so much stronger when we know we’re accepted and valued for who we are and what we each bring to the workplace.

We embrace a strong, values-based culture

Our eight Leadership Values are our north star. They guide the decisions we make for all our stakeholders: our consumers, our customers, our people, our communities, our shareholders, and the environment.

• Doing What’s Right
• Shared Value
• High Performance
• Diverse and Inclusive Teams
• Disciplined Decision Making
• Our Accountability
• Intense Curiosity
• Transparency and Humility

We thank all applicants for their interest in exploring employment opportunities with Maple Leaf Foods; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Applicants may be subject to a background check and must meet the security criteria designated for the position.

Championing diversity and inclusion is a critical component to advancing our collective purpose and vision, living the Maple Leaf Leadership Values, and delivering winning results. Accommodation is available upon request for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment and assessment process and when hired; please contact our Talent Attraction Team at [email protected].

Disclaimer: Please note that salaries posted on sites other than the MLF Careers Page are not a reflection of Maple Leaf Foods and are an estimated salary range provided by that particular job board. Maple Leaf Foods offers competitive wages and an attractive total rewards package, which will be discussed during an interview with our Talent Team.

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