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Production Planner

Reports To: Operations Manager

Compensation: $70,000–$75,000 + bonus eligibility

Position Summary

The Production Planner is responsible for developing, coordinating, and maintaining production schedules that support customer delivery requirements while maximizing manufacturing efficiency.

This role works closely with Manufacturing, Purchasing, Engineering, Customer Service, and Quality to ensure materials, labor, and equipment are aligned to meet production goals. The Production Planner monitors capacity, inventory levels, and customer demand to optimize workflow and minimize production disruptions.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules based on customer demand, inventory requirements, and manufacturing capacity.
• Analyze sales orders, forecasts, inventory levels, and material availability to create achievable production plans.
• Coordinate with Purchasing to ensure raw materials and components are available to support production schedules.
• Monitor work orders and production progress, adjusting schedules as needed to address material shortages, equipment downtime, engineering changes, or shifting customer priorities.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing Supervisors to balance workloads and improve resource utilization.
• Review production performance and identify opportunities to improve throughput, schedule adherence, and on-time delivery.
• Maintain accurate planning data within the ERP/MRP system.
• Communicate schedule changes and production priorities to cross-functional teams.
• Support inventory control initiatives by balancing customer service requirements with appropriate inventory levels.
• Participate in Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and production planning meetings.
• Assist with continuous improvement initiatives focused on lean manufacturing, waste reduction, and process optimization.
• Generate production planning reports and key performance indicators, including schedule attainment, inventory accuracy, capacity utilization, and on-time delivery.
• Ensure compliance with company quality standards, safety policies, and operational procedures.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and manufacturing planning experience will also be considered.

Experience

• 3–5 years of production planning, scheduling, or supply chain experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience in thermal management, metal fabrication, or industrial manufacturing preferred.
• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar platforms.
• Experience supporting Lean Manufacturing or continuous improvement initiatives is a plus.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding of production planning, inventory control, capacity planning, and material requirements planning (MRP).
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills across multiple departments.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills. Experience with reporting and data analysis tools is preferred.
• Ability to interpret production data and recommend process improvements.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in both office and manufacturing environments.
• Occasional walking throughout the production floor.
• Ability to sit, stand, and use a computer for extended periods.

Preferred Certifications

• APICS Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM)
• APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt preferred

Key Performance Indicators

Success in this role will be measured through areas including:

• Production schedule adherence
• On-time customer delivery
• Inventory accuracy
• Manufacturing capacity utilization
• Material availability
• Work order completion
• ERP data accuracy
• Production efficiency improvements