Job Family Group:

Procurement & Supply Chain Management Group

Job Description:

BP Original Role Title: Material Planning SME Lead

Shift: 11:30 AM – 8:30 PM IST

Role Overview

The Material Planning SME Lead is responsible for leading and optimizing forecasting and planning processes to ensure the uninterrupted supply of critical raw materials across the supply cluster. This role works closely with regional material planning teams, Procurement, and manufacturing plants to align demand, supplier capabilities, and inventory strategies, ensuring short-, medium-, and long-term supply resilience.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and own end-to-end forecasting and planning processes for critical raw materials across the supply cluster.
• Ensure demand signals provided to suppliers are accurate, aligned with supplier capabilities, and support business requirements across all planning horizons.
• Collaborate with regional material planning teams and Procurement to improve material forecasting accuracy, inventory optimization, Vendor IFOT, and Supplier Performance Management (SPM).
• Embed best-in-class material planning processes across the cluster, working closely with the Planning Excellence Manager to drive continuous improvement.
• Establish and systemize Material Requirements Planning (MRP) processes at manufacturing plants, fully integrated with Master Production Schedules (MPS), leveraging planning systems such as SAP APO or JDE.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a network of raw material planners, driving capability building, training, and adoption of best practices through a defined capability framework.
• Partner with NPI & Product Lifecycle teams and manufacturing plants to manage raw material changes effectively, minimizing write-offs while ensuring supply continuity.
• Define and govern raw material stocking and replenishment policies, including inventory methodologies, to meet service, financial, and cash-flow targets, while managing SLOBS.
• Support Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) initiatives in partnership with Procurement, driving improvements in supplier reliability and Vendor IFOT.
• Enable effective Plan, RF, and LBM processes to ensure supplier capacity aligns with forward demand, proactively identifying and mitigating supply-demand imbalances.
• Act as the Single Point of Accountability (SPA) for critical raw material supply disruptions, actively participating in Incident Management Teams (IMTs) and crisis forums to drive resolution.
• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) and corrective action plans with Procurement to prevent recurrence of supplier disruptions.

Education & Qualifications

• MBA or equivalent professional experience preferred
• Specialization in Supply Chain Management preferred
• Supply Planning Accreditation (APICS or equivalent) desirable

Experience Required

• Proven track record of influencing and leading at a senior business leadership level
• Extensive experience in supply chain planning within a regional or business context
• Strong working knowledge of S&OP and end-to-end supply planning processes
• Demonstrated experience leading supply chain transformation initiatives from basic to best-in-class
• Strong people leadership capabilities with experience building high-performing teams
• Hands-on experience implementing advanced planning systems (SAP APO or similar)
• Deep functional expertise in detailed supply chain planning processes and policies.

Skills & Competencies

• Level 4 proficiency in Material Requirements Planning (MRP) and Supply Chain Understanding
• Level 3 proficiency in Master Production Scheduling (MPS)
• Strong decision-making capability related to raw material requirements, planning, and stocking policies

Why Join our team?

At bp, we support our people to learn and grow in a diverse and challenging environment. We believe that our team is strengthened by diversity. We are committed to crafting an inclusive environment in which everyone is respected and treated fairly. Diversity Statement: At bp, we provide an excellent environment and benefits such as an open and inclusive culture, a great work-life balance, tremendous learning and development opportunities to craft your career path, life and health insurance, medical care package and many others. Diversity sits at the heart of our company and as an equal opportunity employer, we stay true to our mission by ensuring that our place can be anyone's place. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Travel Requirement:

Negligible travel should be expected with this role

Relocation Assistance:

This role is eligible for relocation within country

Remote Type:

This position is not available for remote working

Skills:

Agility core practices, Agility tools, Analytical Thinking, Business Acumen, Commercial Acumen, Digital Fluency, Inventory Management, Logistics Management, Master Production Scheduling (MPS), Material Forecasting, Material Resource Planning (MRP), Materials Requirements Planning (MRP), Negotiating, Negotiation planning and preparation, Project Management, Raw Material Planning, Risk Management, Supplier Relationship Management, Supply Analysis, Supply chain management, Sustainability awareness and action, Value creation and management

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Legal Disclaimer:

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, neurodiversity/neurocognitive functioning, veteran status or disability status. Individuals with an accessibility need may request an adjustment/accommodation related to bp’s recruiting process (e.g., accessing the job application, completing required assessments, participating in telephone screenings or interviews, etc.). If you would like to request an adjustment/accommodation related to the recruitment process, please contact us.

If you are selected for a position and depending upon your role, your employment may be contingent upon adherence to local policy. This may include pre-placement drug screening, medical review of physical fitness for the role, and background checks.