Production Planning Manager

Job Summary

The Planning Manager is responsible for leading the end‑to‑end production planning, master scheduling, and material coordination processes to ensure on‑time delivery, optimized capacity utilization, and accurate inventory levels across machining, assembly, and kitting operations. This role oversees a team of planners, schedulers, and/or buyers to translate the sales forecast and customer demand into executable production plans aligned with operational capabilities and strategic business objectives.

The ideal candidate is a hands‑on, data‑driven leader who thrives in a fast‑paced environment, demonstrates strong cross‑functional communication, and models company values through integrity, teamwork, and continuous improvement. They can balance customer requirements, manufacturing constraints, and inventory strategies to drive predictable, stable, and high‑performing operations.

• Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing planning team responsible for scheduling, capacity planning, and material readiness.
• Establish clear expectations, performance metrics, and accountability for planning workflows.
• Promote a culture of transparency, collaboration, and problem‑solving with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Procurement, and Production.
• Translate backlog, sales forecasts, and stocking strategies into weekly and monthly production plans.
• Balance machine and labor capacity across machining and assembly lines to ensure feasible schedules.
• Oversee material planning to ensure component availability while maintaining optimal inventory levels.
• Partner with Supply Chain to establish safety stock, reorder points, and planning parameters.
• Drive excellence in ERP (e.g., Syteline/Cloud Suite) planning parameter accuracy—lead times, batch sizes, safety stock, BOM integrity, etc.
• Develop planning dashboards and reports for operations leadership.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives within planning tools and ERP processes.
• Act as the primary liaison between Sales, Operations, Procurement, and Manufacturing Engineering regarding demand changes, constraints, and plan execution.
• Support Lean initiatives such as kitting, material flow optimization, and cycle time reduction.
• Develop standard work for planning processes and ensure consistent application across the team.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Engineering, or related field.
• 5–8+ years of experience in production planning, scheduling, or supply chain in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong ERP experience (Syteline/Cloud Suite preferred but not required).
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing teams.
• Exceptional analytical skills, with proficiency in Excel and planning analytics.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and conflict‑resolution skills.

Preferred

• Experience in aerospace, defense, or other high‑mix, low‑volume manufacturing.
• APICS/ASCM certifications (CPIM, CSCP).
• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement tools.
• Understanding of machine shop workflows, assembly operations, and routings.

Management reserves the right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

EOE, including disability/vets