Production Planner​/Buyer

Founded in 1959 by Ed Miller near Chicago, Prince Industries has grown from a one-man shop into a global manufacturing partner. With seven facilities across the U.S. and China, we serve industries from hydraulics to aerospace, handling everything from just-in-time components to high-volume assemblies.

At Prince, we don’t just make parts—we solve complex supply chain challenges. We are a strategic partner, focused on helping clients improve products, reduce costs, and simplify operations. Certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485, and AS9100 standards, we combine quality, innovation, and growth-minded thinking to deliver real value.

The Production Planner / Buyer is responsible for planning, scheduling, and coordinating manufacturing activities to ensure on-time delivery, optimal inventory levels, and efficient utilization of plant resources. This role serves as a critical link between Customer Service, Engineering, Production, Purchasing, and Shipping to ensure customer requirements are met while maximizing operational efficiency.

The Production Planner / Buyer develops and maintains production schedules, manages material requirements, procures raw materials and outside services, monitors inventory levels, and drives timely communication regarding order status and delivery commitments. The successful candidate will be highly analytical, detail-oriented, and experienced working within an ERP/MRP environment. Experience with Epicor ERP is strongly preferred.

• Develop, maintain, and execute production schedules for all manufacturing departments.
• Analyze customer demand, capacity requirements, lead times, and material availability to establish realistic production priorities.
• Monitor production performance and adjust schedules as necessary to meet customer commitments and changing priorities.
• Coordinate with Production Supervisors to ensure efficient workflow and resource utilization.
• Identify production bottlenecks and recommend corrective actions to maintain on-time delivery.
• Expedite critical orders and resolve scheduling conflicts.

• Utilize ERP/MRP tools to plan material requirements and support production schedules.
• Monitor inventory levels and maintain appropriate stock quantities while minimizing excess inventory.
• Analyze inventory usage, lead times, safety stock levels, and forecast requirements.
• Investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies and material shortages.
• Support cycle counting and inventory accuracy initiatives.

• Procure raw materials, components, consumables, and outside processing services required to support production.
• Create and manage purchase orders within the ERP system.
• Monitor supplier performance regarding quality, delivery, and responsiveness.
• Coordinate with suppliers to expedite deliveries, resolve shortages, and mitigate supply chain disruptions.
• Maintain accurate supplier records, pricing, and lead time information.

• Review incoming customer orders and determine achievable delivery dates based on capacity and material availability.
• Communicate order status, scheduling constraints, and revised delivery dates to Customer Service and management.
• Collaborate with Customer Service to prioritize orders based on customer needs and business objectives.

• Maintain accurate planning, inventory, and purchasing data within the ERP system.
• Ensure Bills of Material (BOMs), lead times, routing information, and planning parameters remain current.
• Generate and distribute weekly production, delivery, inventory, and purchasing reports.
• Analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) and recommend process improvements.