Raw Material Planning Project Lead

Position Summary / Basic Function

Provide raw material purchasing and planning support in alignment with Materials Requirements Planning (MRP), Delegation of Authority (DOA), and Operational Excellence procedures. This includes determining raw material requirements, releasing purchase orders, monitoring inventory levels, and expediting materials to ensure uninterrupted supply while maintaining optimal inventory levels.

In addition, this role serves as the primary project and process lead for the Mexico raw material planning team, driving operational efficiencies and ensuring compliance with local regulatory requirements and LyondellBasell (LYB) requirements. The role will also act as a backup to the US raw material planning team and play a key role in harmonizing best practices across the Mexico and US regions.
This position does not include direct people management responsibilities.

Key Responsabilities

A) Mexico Raw Material Team – Project & Process Leadership (Primary Focus)

• Act as the lead individual contributor for raw material planning–related projects within the Mexico organization.
• Design and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency, standardization, and execution reliability across Mexico raw material planning activities.
• Lead initiatives required to meet local Mexico regulations and LYB internal requirements, ensuring processes are clearly defined, documented, implemented, and auditable.
• Develop and deploy standard work, workflows, controls, documentation, and training materials to support new or updated processes.
• Partner closely with Procurement, Manufacturing, Logistics, Finance, Supply Chain, and Regulatory stakeholders to ensure requirements are translated into executable and sustainable processes.
• Track and report progress, risks, and benefits of projects to relevant stakeholders.

B) Raw Material Planning – Core Responsibilities

• Review MRP outputs and planned requirements; translate demand into timely procurement actions.
• Issue purchase orders/releases and expedite as required to protect service and production continuity.
• Communicate directly with internal and external suppliers to confirm orders, shipments, and resolve delivery risks.
• Identify, investigate, document, and communicate raw material shortages or risks to key stakeholders (Asset Management, Operations Planning, Manufacturing, Marketing, etc.).
• Coordinate purchasing, packaging, and transfers of raw materials between LYB manufacturing locations, including cross-border movements when applicable.
• Identify long lead-time materials and support safety stock strategies to mitigate supply risk.
• Utilize planning and forecasting tools (e.g., IBP) to incorporate demand signals into purchasing and inventory decisions.
• Monitor inventory health and support the disposition of stagnant, slow-moving, aged, or obsolete raw materials.
• Maintain accurate procurement and planning data in SAP, including PO quantities, dates, and status updates.

C) US Team Backup & Regional Best-Practice Harmonization

• Serve as a backup resource for the US raw material planning team to support business continuity during absences, disruptions, peak workloads, or special initiatives.
• Identify, share, and help implement best practices between the Mexico and US raw material planning teams.
• Support alignment of planning parameters, shortage response routines, inventory governance, and performance metrics across both regions while respecting local requirements.

D) Continuous Improvement & Stakeholder Engagement

• Monitor key performance indicators related to raw material service, shortages, inventory health, and process execution.
• Lead root-cause analysis for recurring planning or supply issues and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Support internal and external audit readiness by maintaining process documentation and compliance evidence where required.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• 4-year degree with a minimum of 5 years of experience or 7+ years of experience in purchasing, inventory control, production planning, or a manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency in SAP and standard planning processes (MRP).
• Fluency in both English and Spanish (written and verbal) required to effectively support Mexico and US stakeholders and teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Demonstrated experience leading projects or process improvements in a supply chain or manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence across functions and regions without direct authority.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, cross-regional, and cross-cultural environment.

Competencies