Production Planner

Description

The Production Planner is responsible for planning, coordinating, and releasing production work to support operational efficiency, on-time delivery, and effective utilization of labor, equipment, and materials. This position plays a critical role in ensuring production schedules align with customer demand, available capacity, inventory levels, and material availability.

This is a hands-on role that requires a strong presence on the manufacturing floor. The Production Planner works closely with Operations, Procurement, Engineering, Quality, and other teams to monitor production flow, identify potential constraints, and proactively resolve issues before they impact production or customer delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and adjust production schedules based on customer demand, inventory levels, material availability, production capacity, and operational priorities.
• Make decisions regarding the release, firming, cancellation, or deferral of production work based on current production requirements and constraints.
• Monitor adherence to production schedules and escalate significant delays, risks, or capacity concerns to production leadership.
• Analyze work center and machine capacity to identify potential constraints and recommend solutions such as schedule adjustments, overtime, outsourcing, or changes in production priorities.
• Proactively identify scheduling, material, and capacity constraints by reviewing work center loads and upcoming production requirements.
• Partner with Procurement and Inventory teams to ensure materials and inventory levels support scheduled production.
• Coordinate the implementation of Engineering Change Notices (ECNs), including communicating changes, managing affected inventory, coordinating material changes, and minimizing scrap or rework.
• Maintain an active daily presence on the production floor to monitor workflow, validate schedule execution, identify operational barriers, and support problem resolution.
• Participate in daily 8:00 a.m. Gemba walks and collaborate directly with production leadership and employees.
• Support the use of Kanban systems, wait/work boards, method sheets, and other production planning tools to improve flow and on-time delivery.
• Apply lean and flow manufacturing principles when developing production schedules and work-release processes.
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Procurement, Engineering, and Quality to address production risks and maintain continuity of operations.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives, including Kaizen events, production-flow improvements, and waste-reduction efforts.
• Generate and analyze production and scheduling reports to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for operational improvement.
• Balance scheduling priorities, reporting requests, analysis, and cross-functional support while maintaining focus on production and customer delivery requirements.

This position does not have direct supervisory responsibility but may provide guidance, training, and support to employees and cross-functional partners as needed.

Work Environment & Schedule

This position works in both a professional office environment and an active manufacturing facility. Regular movement throughout the production facility is an essential part of the role, including walking work centers, observing production flow, and communicating directly with production teams.

The position may occasionally require lifting office products or supplies weighing up to 20 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

This is a full-time position with standard hours of Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Additional hours or overtime may be required based on production and business needs.

No regular travel is expected.

Requirements

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in production scheduling, production planning, inventory control, purchasing, or a related function within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience working with an ERP or MRP system.
• Strong understanding of production scheduling, capacity planning, material availability, and inventory management.
• Ability to analyze production data, work center loads, and capacity requirements to identify potential risks and recommend solutions.
• Ability to read and interpret production documentation, technical drawings, and blueprints.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to make timely decisions based on changing production needs.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across multiple departments.
• Strong attention to detail, accountability, and sense of urgency.
• Comfortable spending a significant portion of the workday on the manufacturing floor interacting directly with production teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Management, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or a related field. An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may also be considered.
• Three to five years of experience in production scheduling, planning, inventory control, or purchasing within a fabrication or manufacturing environment.
• Experience with lean manufacturing, flow manufacturing, Kanban systems, or continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience participating in Kaizen events or other structured continuous improvement activities.
• APICS or another relevant supply chain or manufacturing certification.
• Strong ERP/MRP and production data analysis skills.

Key Competencies

• Production Planning & Scheduling
• Capacity Planning
• Problem Solving & Critical Thinking
• Prioritization & Sense of Urgency
• Organization & Time Management
• ERP/MRP Systems
• Data Analysis
• Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Communication
• Accountability & Ownership
• Adaptability & Decision-Making
• Attention to Detail

Other Duties

This job description is not intended to contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time based on business needs.