Production Planner

Position Summary

The Production Planner serves as the planning hub between Demand Planning, Procurement, and Operations by translating approved forecasts into an executable Master Production Schedule and forward-looking material requirements. This role is accountable for producing accurate, timely, and decision-ready planning outputs that provide the Director of Planning with visibility into plan quality, risks, and tradeoffs; enable procurement to consolidate and prioritize purchasing across states; and support operations with a feasible, capacity-aligned production plan. While this role influences decisions through data, analysis, and scenario planning, it does not execute purchasing transactions.        

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

·        Production & Capacity Planning

o   Own the development, maintenance, and communication of the Master Production Schedule (MPS), ensuring alignment with approved demand forecasts and operational constraints.

o   Translate demand plans into a feasible production plan and provide clear, role-specific planning outputs to the Director of Planning, VP Supply Chain & Operations, and Facility Director.

o   Partner with the VP Supply Chain & Operations, and Facility Director to review the MPS, highlight risks to execution, and support successful adherence to the plan.

o   Continuously evaluate production capacity, labor availability, and sequencing constraints, escalating issues and recommendations to the Director of Planning and the VP Supply Chain & Operations.

o   Support cross-functional planning cadence (e.g., S&OP, MPS reviews) by preparing scenarios, assumptions, and tradeoff analysis.

·        Materials Planning

o   Convert the approved MPS into raw material and packaging requirements and serve those requirements to the centralized procurement team for ordering and consolidation across states.

o   Provide procurement with forward-looking visibility into material demand, risks, and priority changes to enable proactive sourcing decisions.

o   Maintain and periodically review planning parameters (lead times, safety stock targets, reorder triggers) and present recommendations to the Director of Planning for approval.

o   Support ERP system setup, data integrity, and continuous improvement related to material planning and planning outputs.

o   Identify material availability risks and clearly communicate timing, impact, and options to planning, procurement, and operations.

·        Inventory & Risk Management

o   Develop inventory planning views that support decision-making for the Director of Planning, procurement, and operations, including exposure, aging, and working capital impacts.

o   Monitor inventory health and serve actionable insights related to excess, expiry, slow-moving inventory, and stockout risk.

o   Assess and communicate inventory and material impacts resulting from reforecasts, schedule changes, cancellations, and rework.

o   Proactively identify supply, capacity, and labor risks and surface them with recommended mitigations to planning and operations leadership.

·        Reporting & Continuous Improvement

o   Prepare and maintain planning reports and dashboards that provide visibility into plan quality, risks, and tradeoffs.

o   Serve tailored planning outputs to procurement (material requirements, timing, priorities) and operations (production volumes, sequencing assumptions, capacity risks).

o   Track and report on key planning metrics including inventory levels, working capital, material availability, schedule reliability, and MPS adherence.

o   Support continuous improvement by analyzing planning performance and recommending process, data, or system enhancements

Qualifications

Education and Experience

o   Bachelor’s degree in business management, operations, plant science, or a related field – Required

o   Minimum 5 years of progressive leadership experience in cannabis production, manufacturing, or a regulated industry, with at least 3 years in a senior supervisory or managerial role – Required

o   Demonstrated track record of successfully leading teams and achieving operational goals in a fast-paced, compliance-driven environment

·        Minimum Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

o   Strong leadership abilities with proven success in team development, performance management, and fostering a positive, high-accountability culture.

o   Deep knowledge of cannabis cultivation, processing, manufacturing, and regulatory compliance (state-specific regulations, seed-to-sale tracking).

o   Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills; ability to prioritize and adapt in a dynamic environment.

o   Skilled at conflict resolution, employee relations, and handling escalated issues with integrity and fairness.

o   Proficient in production/inventory management software, seed-to-sale systems (e.g., Metrc or equivalent), Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), and other relevant tools.

o   Must pass federal and state-mandated background checks.

o   Operates with high integrity; trustworthy, reliable, and committed to ethical standards.

o   Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

o   Proficient with inventory systems and office equipment

o   Knowledge of plant tracking software; state-mandated

Compensation and Benefits

•      Annual compensation commensurate with experience
•      Full suite of medical, dental, and vision insurance
•      Paid parental leave
•      401(k)
•        Paid Time Off
•      Long-Term Disability
•      Employee Assistance Program
•        Employee life insurance and supplemental life
•      Spouse and child life and AD&D
•       Pet insurance
•       FSA and HSA available