Associate Planner Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

Your Career Begins at Timken
If you're ready for a challenging career that provides you with the ability to advance personally and professionally, look to Timken. Our associates make the world more productive by improving the efficiency and reliability of the machinery that keeps industry in motion.
Job Title: Procurement & Materials Planning Analyst
Role Summary: The Procurement & Materials Planning Analyst is responsible for supporting procurement and materials planning processes for OE and reconditioning operations through effective configuration, data management, transactional support, and cross-functional collaboration in SAP (S/4HANA or ECC). This role ensures material availability, optimizes inventory levels, and drives continuous process improvements across procurement, MRP, and inventory functions to support business objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
• Support day-to-day SAP procurement and materials planning activities, including purchase requisitions, purchase orders, goods receipts, materials planning, invoice verification, and supplier master data maintenance.
• Execute and monitor MRP runs, analyze results, and adjust parameters (e.g., MRP type, lot-sizing, safety stock, reorder points) to ensure material availability and minimize stockouts and overstock.
• Maintain and validate material master and vendor master data relevant to procurement and planning (e.g., purchasing view, MRP view, valuation, lead times).
• Configure and maintain SAP settings related to procurement and materials planning in coordination with SAP Basis/functional teams (e.g., PIRs, source lists, quota arrangements, release strategies).
• Investigate and resolve procurement and MRP exceptions (e.g., long lead-time alerts, forecast vs. consumption variances, unplanned demands), escalating when required.
• Collaborate with demand planners, production planners, buyers, suppliers, and warehouse teams to align forecasts, production schedules, material, inventory, and purchase plans.
• Support supplier onboarding and performance tracking related to delivery performance, lead times, and quality metrics.
• Prepare and deliver regular reports and dashboards on inventory levels, days of supply, purchase order status, supplier performance, and MRP exception trends.
• Lead or participate in projects and continuous improvement initiatives (process documentation, automation, SAP enhancements, testing, and training).
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, internal controls, and audit requirements.
• Provide end-user support and training materials for SAP procurement and MRP transactions and processes.
Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, Business, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 3+ years of experience in procurement, materials planning, inventory management, or SAP functional support.
• Practical experience with SAP MM/PP modules (S/4HANA or ECC) including material master, vendor master, MRP, purchasing, inventory planning, and inventory transactions.
• Strong analytical skills with experience using SAP reporting tools or BI tools to monitor KPIs and drive decisions.
• Solid understanding of inventory planning concepts: safety stock calculation, lot-sizing, lead time management, forecast consumption, and demand-driven planning fundamentals.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills; ability to work across functions and with suppliers.
• Detail-oriented with strong problem-solving and troubleshooting capabilities.
Preferred Skills:
• SAP certification in MM, PP, or S/4HANA functional module(s).
• Experience with advanced planning tools (e.g., IBP, APO, Kinaxis) or integration of SAP with external planning systems.
• Hands-on experience with SAP configuration (IMG activities) for procurement and MRP parameters.
• Familiarity with procurement processes such as strategic sourcing, SRM, contract management, and eProcurement tools (Ariba).
• Lean, Six Sigma or continuous improvement certification.
Performance Indicators (KPIs):
• On-time delivery from suppliers (OTD %)
• Inventory Days of Supply (DOS) and target adherence
• Stockout rate or service level %
• MRP exception count and resolution time
• Purchase order cycle time (requisition-to-order)
• Accuracy of forecast vs. actual consumption
• Number of manual interventions per MRP run
Typical Tools & Systems:
• SAP S/4HANA or ECC (MM/PP modules)
• Excel (advanced), Power BI/Tableau, SAP Analytics Cloud
• APS/IBP/Advanced planning systems (optional)
• eProcurement / SRM platforms / Ariba
• Collaboration tools (Teams, SharePoint, Jira)
Working Conditions:
• Office-based (as per company policy)
• Regular cross-functional meetings and occasional travel to supplier sites or manufacturing locations may be required.
Timken is a global technology leader in engineered bearings and industrial motion. Our expanding portfolio of next-generation solutions helps customers around the world improve efficiency, solve their toughest challenges, and push the boundaries of performance. We employ 19,000 people globally, operate from 45 countries, and posted $4.6 billion in sales in 2025.
We have been recognized as one of America's Most Responsible Companies 6x by Newsweek and one of the World's Most Ethical Companies® 15x by Ethisphere.
Why Choose Timken?

• Over a century of knowledge and innovation
• A culture of top performance
• A global, diverse environment
• Products that contribute to a sustainable world
• A conviction to improve communities around us
• Competitive salary and benefits

Not Ready To Apply?
Stay connected by joining our network and we'll keep you informed about upcoming events and opportunities that match your interests.
Talent Community
Job Segment: Procurement, SAP, Lean Six Sigma, Strategic Sourcing, Supply Chain Manager, Operations, Technology, Management