Production Planner

We are seeking a Production Planner to support our client, a fast-growing oral care manufacturing company in Buena Park, CA.

As the Production Planner, you will lead the end-to-end planning and coordination of daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules for our mouthwash and toothpaste product lines. You are the heartbeat of our manufacturing operations, ensuring that resources are optimized, customer orders are fulfilled on time, and quality standards are never compromised.

You will serve as a strategic bridge between cross-functional teams—including Procurement, Quality Assurance, and Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)—to balance supply and demand while minimizing costs and lead times.

• Develop and manage the Master Production Schedule (MPS) based on demand forecasts and plant capacity.
• Issue detailed schedules for all oral care lines, encompassing blending, filling, and packaging.
• Monitor schedule adherence and proactively pivot plans to mitigate bottlenecks, material shortages, or equipment downtime.

• Secure the timely availability of raw materials and packaging to meet production targets.
• Partner with Warehouse and Procurement to maintain optimal inventory levels, preventing both overstock and stockouts.
• Coordinate with R&D and Formulation teams for New Product Introductions (NPIs) and pilot batches.

• Forecast requirements for manpower, equipment, and utilities based on volume.
• Identify capacity constraints and recommend solutions such as overtime or shift adjustments.
• Leverage Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and line efficiency data to drive smarter scheduling decisions.

• Maintain high data integrity within ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics).
• Generate key performance reports, including production attainment, WIP tracking, and material consumption.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to sharpen planning accuracy and reduce waste.

• Ensure all scheduling aligns with GMP, ISO, and FDA regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with QA/QC to integrate quality holds, batch releases, and validation protocols into the live schedule.
• Maintain rigorous documentation to ensure audit readiness and traceability.

• 3–7 years of production planning experience in a regulated manufacturing environment (FMCG, Pharma, or Personal Care).
• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related technical field (e.g., Chemistry).
• Mastery of ERP/MRP systems (SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards, etc.).
• Advanced Excel skills (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs, data modeling).
• APICS CPIM or CSCP Certifications preferred
• Knowledge of Methodologies like Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma Green Belt preferred
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 or ISO 22716 standards preferred
• Understanding of manufacturing processes: batch blending, tube filling, and high-speed packaging.
• High-pressure decision-making and priority management.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving mindset.
• Strong "bridge-building" communication style for cross-functional collaboration.