Senior Material Planner

About the role

Lotus is looking for an experienced Senior Material Planner to join its Material Control team at the Hethel headquarters in Norfolk. The role supports the smooth supply of materials for vehicle manufacturing, keeping production schedules on track while maintaining cost-effective inventory levels. It works closely with suppliers and internal teams, and supports the Material Planning Team Supervisor with day-to-day leadership of Material Planners.

Key responsibilities

• Support the Material Planning Team Supervisor in managing material planning activities.
• Oversee supplier material schedules so materials arrive on time and in the right quantities.
• Manage and support Material Planners, ensuring suppliers stick to agreed delivery schedules.
• Monitor supplier capacity, scheduling constraints and bottlenecks, and act proactively to keep material flow continuous.
• Work with Purchasing, Supplier Quality Assurance, Logistics, Material Handling and suppliers to coordinate material requirements.
• Balance inventory levels and material availability against production needs while managing working capital.
• Liaise with suppliers on production volumes, shipping schedules, build requirements and deliveries, and resolve supply issues to minimise downtime.
• Independently review and adjust supplier schedules to improve performance.

Required profile

• Experience in managing teams, business processes, documentation and similar projects in a complex environment such as automotive, ideally in a premium brand.
• Desirable: experience in a manufacturing or automotive material planning environment, and experience coordinating supplier readiness and capacity.
• Desirable: flexibility to make occasional supplier visits.
• Eligible to work in the UK without visa sponsorship; the role is on-site at the Hethel plant.

Required skills

• Strong knowledge of ERP and MRP systems and processes.
• Good understanding of Bill of Materials (BoM) structures.
• Knowledge of procurement practices and commercial awareness.
• Understanding of supply and demand planning and S&OP.
• Analytical, problem-solving and stakeholder management skills, with attention to detail.

What we offer

• 25 vacation days plus bank holidays.
• A non-contractual performance bonus scheme.
• A pension scheme.
• Private healthcare coverage.