Smelter Blend Planner

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Smelter Blend Planner to support raw material planning and concentrate management for a large-scale Copper Manufacturing Complex. The role will be responsible for ensuring uninterrupted availability of copper concentrate through effective planning, blending coordination, inventory management, shipment tracking, and cross-functional collaboration with Commercial, Supply Chain, Port Operations, Laboratory, Finance, and Smelter Operations teams.

The ideal candidate will possess strong expertise in concentrate planning, inventory governance, logistics coordination, material reconciliation, and production support, ensuring optimal utilization of raw materials while maintaining production continuity and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Raw Material Planning & Availability

• Develop rolling plans for copper concentrate requirements aligned with smelter production targets and inventory norms.
• Monitor concentrate inventory across port locations, warehouses, stockyards, plant storage areas, and in-transit shipments.
• Track daily receipts, consumption, stock coverage, inventory aging, and material availability.
• Coordinate with procurement and commercial teams on shipment schedules, material allocation, and supply continuity.
• Identify and mitigate risks related to concentrate shortages, shipment delays, quality variations, and inventory constraints.

Blend Planning & Consumption Optimization

• Support concentrate blend planning based on copper grade, impurity levels, moisture, recovery targets, and operational requirements.
• Coordinate with Process, Operations, and Laboratory teams to ensure blend suitability and process stability.
• Monitor planned versus actual concentrate consumption and analyze deviations.
• Support optimization of concentrate utilization and secondary raw material consumption to maximize operational efficiency.
• Maintain planning parameters and quality records for effective decision-making.

Logistics & Shipment Coordination

• Coordinate with port, logistics, and supply chain teams to ensure timely movement of concentrate from port to plant.
• Monitor vessel schedules, unloading progress, material evacuation, transport planning, and storage availability.
• Track shipment status, transit inventories, and logistics bottlenecks.
• Support planning reviews by providing updates on material movement and inventory coverage.

Inventory Control & Governance

• Maintain visibility of opening stock, receipts, consumption, closing stock, and in-transit inventory.
• Coordinate periodic stock reconciliations with Operations, Stores, Finance, Commercial, and Port teams.
• Analyze inventory variances and support corrective actions.
• Ensure accurate reporting of concentrate stocks, shipment positions, and planning metrics.
• Maintain inventory dashboards, MIS reports, and planning trackers.

Planning Analytics & Continuous Improvement

• Prepare daily, weekly, and monthly planning reports for management review.
• Develop scenario plans for production changes, logistics disruptions, and raw material supply risks.
• Support digitalization initiatives through SAP reports, dashboards, and automated planning tools.
• Drive improvements in planning accuracy, inventory visibility, stock governance, and reporting effectiveness.
• Build strong understanding of concentrate characteristics, plant consumption patterns, logistics networks, and smelter operations to provide reliable planning support.

Qualifications

• B.E./B. Tech in Metallurgy, Chemical, Mining, Mechanical, Industrial Engineering, or related discipline.
• MBA/PGDM in Supply Chain, Operations, Logistics, Materials Management, or Business Analytics will be preferred.

Experience

• 8-15 years of experience in raw material planning, concentrate planning, supply chain, logistics, inventory control, production planning, or operations planning.
• Experience in Copper, Non-Ferrous Metals, Mining, Smelting, Refinery, Port-Based Operations, or Heavy Manufacturing industries.
• Hands-on exposure to concentrate planning, inventory management, shipment tracking, material reconciliation, and cross-functional coordination.
• Working knowledge of SAP, inventory management systems, planning tools, and analytical dashboards.

Key Competencies

• Copper Concentrate Planning & Blending
• Inventory Management & Stock Governance
• Supply Chain & Logistics Coordination
• Production Planning Support
• Data Analysis & Reporting
• SAP & Digital Planning Tools
• Problem Solving & Risk Management
• Stakeholder Management & Cross-Functional Coordination