Master Planner

The Master Planner is responsible for development and maintenance of plant production schedules for finished goods and assemblies. The Master Planner works with the Plant Planning Manager to maintain the plant master schedule in the time period from the current day to an 8-week planning horizon.

In order to perform the duties of this position, the Master Planner must acquire product and process knowledge of the plant such as workflow, allergen constraints and manufacturing capabilities. They must have a working knowledge of planning and ERP systems and will work closely with the Plant Planning Manager and corporate planning group to ensure customer demand is met. The position requires one skilled in communicating effectively with other plant and corporate groups and having the ability to effectively manage changes, including re-scheduling.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES may include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Manage the short-term production schedule to achieve target production at SKU level while maximizing manufacturing efficiency.
• Recommend appropriate schedule changes when required due to changes in material supply, resource availability or customer demand.
• Solicit input from production groups as needed to ensure the schedule is achievable.
• Ensure timely firming of schedule and communication of schedule changes.
• Ensure accurate and timely creation of work orders.
• Maintain knowledge of raw material constraints as input to schedule development.
• Coordinate plans for irregular production shifts, including HR events, R&D tests, rework, special handling and material substitutions.
• Participate in regular schedule review meetings with plant operations groups and provide insight for determination of appropriate resolution for schedule conflicts. 
• Manage plant WIP inventory levels according to agreed standards.
• Communicate appropriately when plant and material limitations impair ability to schedule production at target levels.
• Acquire knowledge of Amy’s products, BOMs, processes and production operations in order to build effective manufacturing schedules.
• Provide insight regarding manufacturing capacity deficiencies and underutilized manufacturing resources.
• Review planning settings as needed and recommend corrections when appropriate.
• Assist with identification of recipe inaccuracies and coordination of recipe correction.
• Provide backup support for other planning positions as needed.
• Interact with other groups, including corporate planning, manufacturing, sourcing, quality assurance, customer service, and logistics. Ensure effective, timely communication with them.

It is the responsibility of all employees to uphold the mission of the Amy’s Food Safety and Quality Policy. This includes following all Food Safety and Sustainability programs and participating in all required training.

QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree (B. A. or B. S.) from four-year college or university or equivalent combination of training and experience.

EXPERIENCE

• Two to five years of experience in manufacturing and material scheduling, preferably in the food industry.
• Technical level expertise in principles of planning and procurement in a production environment.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.

MATHEMATICAL / COMPUTER SKILLS

• Ability to analyze and solve basic math and algebraic problems.
• Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
• Capable of using the computer as a tool: spreadsheets, word processing and presentation skills. MRP and ERP experience required.

REASONING ABILITY and CREATIVITY

• Ability to creatively solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Highly reliable and responsive to production needs.
• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced team environment essential, with a high degree of flexibility and tolerance to change.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.