Production Planner

Production Planner 

Position Title: Production Planner
Department: Operations / Supply Chain
Reports To: Plant Manager or Supply Chain Manager

Position Summary

The Production Planner is responsible for developing, coordinating, and maintaining production schedules to ensure customer demand is met while optimizing inventory levels, labor utilization, machine capacity, and manufacturing efficiency. This role works closely with Operations, Purchasing, Customer Service, Engineering, and Warehouse teams to ensure materials, resources, and production capacity are aligned to achieve business objectives.

The ideal candidate is highly analytical, data-driven, and capable of balancing competing priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules based on customer demand, inventory levels, and available capacity.
• Coordinate production plans with manufacturing leadership to ensure labor, equipment, and materials are available to meet requirements.
• Monitor production progress and adjust schedules to address changing priorities, equipment downtime, material shortages, or customer needs.
• Analyze production data and key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify opportunities for improved efficiency and throughput.
• Collaborate with Purchasing and Inventory teams to ensure adequate raw material availability.
• Review customer orders, forecasts, and demand trends to support production planning activities.
• Work closely with Customer Service to communicate production timelines and shipment expectations.
• Maintain accurate planning data within ERP/MRP systems.
• Track inventory levels and recommend adjustments to minimize excess inventory while preventing stockouts.
• Prepare reports related to production performance, schedule adherence, inventory turns, capacity utilization, and service levels.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on operational efficiency and process optimization.
• Participate in daily production meetings and provide updates regarding scheduling priorities and capacity constraints.
• Assist with new product launches, engineering changes, and production transitions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Business, Engineering, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of production planning experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience utilizing ERP/MRP systems.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data analysis.
• Understanding of manufacturing processes, inventory management, and supply chain principles.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to effectively communicate with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• APICS/CPIM certification preferred.
• Experience in Lean Manufacturing environments.
• Experience supporting high-volume manufacturing operations.
• Knowledge of capacity planning and demand forecasting.
• Experience with Power BI or other reporting and analytics tools.

Key Competencies

• Production Planning & Scheduling
• Capacity Planning
• Demand Forecasting
• Inventory Management
• ERP/MRP Systems
• Data Analysis
• Problem Solving
• Attention to Detail
• Process Improvement
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Communication Skills
• Continuous Improvement Mindset

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The Production Planner may be evaluated on:

• Schedule adherence
• On-time delivery performance
• Inventory accuracy
• Inventory turns
• Production efficiency
• Customer service levels
• Manufacturing throughput
• Capacity utilization
• Material availability
• Reduction of expedited orders and production disruptions

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in both office and manufacturing environments.
• Frequent sitting, standing, walking, and computer use.
• Occasional exposure to manufacturing noise, equipment, and varying temperatures.
• Ability to adhere to all safety policies and procedures.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The successful Production Planner is a proactive, data-driven professional who can effectively balance customer requirements with manufacturing capabilities. They use data to make informed decisions, communicate effectively across departments, and continuously seek opportunities to improve efficiency, service, and operational performance.