Master Production Planner

General Overview:

Responsible for creating, maintaining, and communicating production, staffing, and capacity plans that balance customer demand, labor resources, and manufacturing capabilities. Owns the master production schedule and capacity planning processes, ensuring alignment with the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process and approved operating plan.

Develops and maintains rolling production, staffing, load, and capacity plans across short-, mid-, and long-range planning horizons.

Duties

• Own and maintain the site's Master Production Schedule (MPS), balancing customer demand, production capacity, staffing, inventory, and operational constraints.
• Develop and maintain daily, weekly, weekend, and rolling production plans to support customer requirements and efficient manufacturing execution.
• Develop and maintain 3-month staffing and production plans, as well as 6-month, 1-year, and 5-year capacity, load, and workforce plans.
• Analyze demand, capacity, labor availability, equipment utilization, and production constraints to identify risks, gaps, and improvement opportunities.
• Balance demand and supply requirements through the SIOP process, ensuring alignment with approved operating plans, forecasts, and business objectives.
• Lead scenario planning activities to evaluate changes in customer demand, production requirements, staffing needs, capital investments, and capacity utilization.
• Identify and resolve material, labor, and capacity constraints; escalate risks and recommend mitigation plans to maintain customer commitments and business objectives.
• Partner with Production, Supply Chain, Sales, Engineering, Finance, and site leadership to align priorities, communicate requirements, and support execution of the operating plan.
• Lead and facilitate planning, scheduling, and SIOP review meetings; present staffing, capacity, and production recommendations to management and senior leadership.
• Monitor and drive planning performance through key metrics including schedule attainment, on-time delivery, capacity utilization, forecast accuracy, inventory performance, backlog, and load versus available capacity.
• Maintain accurate planning data, schedules, system parameters, reports, and supporting documentation to ensure effective decision-making.
• Serve as the site's subject matter expert for master scheduling, capacity planning, and production planning processes while driving continuous improvement initiatives that improve planning accuracy, schedule stability, throughput, and lead times.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge

• Ability to work independently.
• 5+ years of experience in roles of progressively increasing responsibilities in production planning in a manufacturing environment
• Knowledge of MRP computer systems is strongly preferred.
• Detail oriented.
• Leader with superior analytical skills, exceptional oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative and matrixed team environment
• Fluency and proficiency in the practical application of MRP logic, scheduling log, order policies, capacity planning, input/output control, product structures, routing, and standards maintenance
• Knowledge in master scheduling, demand management, stockroom, purchasing, design cell, and cost accounting techniques
• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex materials issues within the company
• Highly skilled in data analysis, and presentation, including software skills with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Access
• Strong understanding of the business systems and processes used in support of the above functions
• Previous experience implementing Master Scheduling in a large plant preferred

Education / Experience

High School Diploma or GED with at least 13 years of Supply Chain Management or related experience.

Or

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management with at least 5+ years of related experience.