Production Planner

The Production Planner supports efficient manufacturing operations by developing production schedules, coordinating material availability, and aligning capacity with customer demand. This role analyzes production specifications, prepares work orders, and collaborates closely with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth material flow, balanced workloads, and on-time delivery. Working directly on the warehouse floor around heavy machinery, the Production Planner helps optimize resources, respond to changing priorities, and maintain accurate planning data to support reliable and flexible production performance.

• Analyze production specifications to determine appropriate manufacturing processes, tools, and personnel requirements.
• Ensure material flow and production activities are aligned with demand and capacity constraints.
• Prepare, issue, and maintain work orders to support daily production operations.
• Recommend schedule changes when necessary due to material or labor shortages, design changes, or production backlogs.
• Use Job BOSS, ERP, or other software-generated reports to update and maintain the capacity cutoff calendar.
• Collaborate with Sales and Materials teams to generate accurate demand forecasts and adjust production plans based on forecast changes.
• Coordinate with Customer Service and Materials teams to align production schedules with order intake for both regular and rush jobs.
• Work closely with Programming and Operations teams to plan jobs across various machines, prioritizing orders based on lead time, capacity, and customer requirements.
• Balance production loads across machines and resources to optimize throughput and minimize bottlenecks.
• Assess manpower, machine, and material availability to improve production efficiency and schedule reliability.
• Reassign or reschedule workloads in response to scheduled maintenance, machine breakdowns, or other disruptions.
• Create, verify, and arrange the transfer of material pick orders for each machine to support scheduled work.
• Maintain clear visibility of order flow and proactively identify and flag potential delays, such as material stockouts, over utilized machines, or tooling issues.
• Maintain and update the daily Delivery Schedule report to ensure alignment between actual production and the planned schedule.
• Respond to expedite requests by adjusting priorities and rescheduling tasks to meet urgent order requirements.
• Coordinate with Production, Procurement, and Shipping teams to execute expedited orders efficiently and on time.
• Collaborate with Quality and Engineering teams to ensure timely release of PPAPs, as applicable, in support of new or modified products.
• Perform tasks and duties associated with product manufacture planning, including producing production schedules, materials lists, and comprehensive production plans.
• Apply production planning, production scheduling, supply chain, inventory management, purchasing, and planning scheduling concepts to daily operations.
• Meet defined employee attributes and competencies while contributing to a safe, efficient, and collaborative work environment.

• Zero (0) to 3 years of experience in a production planning or scheduling role within a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to read and understand engineering drawings, as applicable to production planning.
• Knowledge of the different processes involved in manufacturing parts and components.
• Ability to create, interpret, and use reports to support production planning decisions.
• Basic math and reading skills typically obtained through a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Proficiency with computers and common business software applications.
• Interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with plant leadership, sales staff, and warehouse personnel.
• Ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple priorities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to convey plans, changes, and requirements clearly.
• Ability to understand production equipment and tolerances to ensure realistic and accurate planning.
• Familiarity with production planning, production scheduling, supply chain, ERP, SAP, inventory, schedule planning, purchasing, and inventory management concepts.

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, engineering, or a related field is preferred.
• Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems, with experience using Job BOSS and SAP considered a plus.
• Strong…