Production Planner Overview:
The Production Planner plays a crucial role in the efficient operation of manufacturing processes by developing production plans and schedules that optimize resource utilization, increase production efficiency, and ensure timely delivery of quality products. This position involves analyzing in-house production demands, inventory levels, and production capacity to create feasible production manufacturing planning while considering factors such as lead times, material availability, and resource constraints. The Production Planner collaborates closely with cross-functional teams, including production, purchasing, sales, warehousing, and quality, to coordinate activities and ensure alignment in production planning efforts. The Production Planner will utilize our ERP system and other tools, such as Smartsheets, to release proper work orders for production.
Production Planner Responsibilities
- Lead production meetings with cross-functional leaders to establish production priorities
- Own the production schedule for the company and make sure it is updated and current daily
- Prepare daily, weekly and monthly production plans and schedules per workstation
- Evaluate and assure workforce capacity is aligned with demand; interact with Production and Sales to adjust workforce capacity including initiating cross training and/or request customer shipment date changes to assure on-time delivery to sales orders due date
- Partner with Production to optimize order of operations and assembly sequence to maximize production efficiency, improve workforce utilization, reduce production lead time, and reduce non-conforming parts and worker error
- Assist and support activities through operations across workstations and assist supervision in keeping products on schedule
- Follow/expedite material, tooling, documentation, parts, subassemblies, and/or completed assemblies through all operations and processes in sufficient time to meet scheduled shipment/completion dates
- Coordinate with warehouse technicians to receive, inspect, pick and deliver released orders to production on schedule
- Partner with Procurement to assure on-time deliveries from suppliers, expedite items and reduce stockouts
- Partner with Quality to manage first-pass-yield, and assure we order sufficient components for needed demand
- Interact cross-functionally to ensure work instructions are accurate and comprehensible
- Maintain ERP master data, including but not limited to part number revisions, make vs buy setup, production standard times, unit of measure, raw material consumption, work centers, and operations.
- Read production work instructions to understand production complexity and customer requirements of orders being released for production
- Interact with Sales to validate capability and resources for implementing new value-add work on-site
Planner Qualifications
- Preferred bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Project Management, or engineering, preferably Mechanical, Manufacturing or Industrial Engineering
- Minimum of 2 years manufacturing experience in production planning, inventory management, procurement, shop supervision, lean manufacturing, logistics and supply chain optimization would be preferred
- Certification in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) would be preferred
- Ability to read mechanical or electrical blueprints would be preferred
- Strong analytical abilities to interpret data, analyze trends, and make informed decisions regarding production scheduling, inventory levels, and resource allocation
- Proficiency in using analytical tools and software for data analysis, such as Microsoft Excel, Smartsheets, or ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems
- Understanding of manufacturing processes, cycle times and lead times, and production capacity constraints to develop feasible production schedules that meet customer demand while maximizing resource utilization
- Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies to streamline production workflows and eliminate waste
- Excellent communication and organizational skills
- Good understanding of warehouse safety regulations
- Computer skills and knowledge of data entry and inventory software programs
- Must be fluent in both written and spoken English and Spanish
- Must have basic Math skills
- Must have a passion for doing a job well
- Must be a “self-motivated” team player
