MES Production Scheduler - Erlanger, KY

MES Production Scheduler - Erlanger, KY

Position Summary
The MES Production Scheduler serves as the critical link between Production Planning and Manufacturing Execution, transforming released manufacturing orders into optimized, executable finite production schedules within the Manufacturing Execution System (MES). This role ensures production plans can be successfully executed by balancing customer demand, capacity constraints, material availability, equipment capabilities, personnel availability, quality requirements, and operational priorities.
Operating at the intersection of Planning and Production, the Scheduler drives schedule execution, maximizes manufacturing capacity, and improves On Time In Full (OTIF) performance through effective coordination, proactive problem solving, and data-driven decision making. The role requires strong manufacturing knowledge, technical system expertise, and the ability to collaborate across multiple functions to maintain efficient production flow and rapidly respond to changing conditions.

Key Responsibilities
Production Scheduling & Execution

• Develop, maintain, and optimize finite production schedules in MES for manufacturing orders released by Production Planning.
• Sequence production to maximize throughput, reduce changeovers, minimize downtime, and improve overall manufacturing efficiency.
• Continuously adjust schedules based on operational conditions, business priorities, and production realities while ensuring visibility and communication of changes.
• Coordinate upstream and downstream manufacturing activities to support smooth execution and schedule adherence.
• Monitor production performance against schedule and manage deviations through re-sequencing, recovery planning, and cross-functional coordination.

Capacity Optimization & Constraint Management

• Identify and manage current and future capacity constraints affecting production performance.
• Analyze MES and production data to increase utilization of constrained resources and improve throughput.
• Develop alternative scheduling strategies, campaign runs, and changeover reduction opportunities.
• Partner with Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, and Continuous Improvement teams to address bottlenecks and recover lost capacity.
• Support root cause analysis and corrective actions related to recurring production or capacity losses.

Production Readiness & Coordination

• Verify manufacturing order readiness by assessing material availability, inventory status, packaging requirements, equipment readiness, and quality approvals.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain, Inventory, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, and Technology teams to proactively resolve issues before they impact production.
• Serve as the primary communication link between Planning and Production regarding priorities, risks, constraints, deviations, and recovery efforts.
• Maintain visibility of execution risks and provide timely updates to stakeholders.

MES, ERP & Exception Management

• Utilize MES, MAPICS/AS400, ERP, and related systems to manage scheduling, production status, inventory, capacity, and execution requirements.
• Leverage system data, reporting, and analytical tools to improve scheduling decisions and production performance.
• Monitor transaction exceptions, system issues, and offline files that could impact manufacturing operations.
• Coordinate resolution of operational and technical issues with MES support, ERP support, GT, OT, and other functional teams.
• Participate as a scheduling subject matter expert in system testing and validation activities.

OTIF & Continuous Improvement

• Support site OTIF performance through accurate scheduling, risk identification, effective scheduling attainment, and effective recovery planning.
• Analyze production performance, schedule attainment, and execution metrics to identify improvement opportunities.
• Promote disciplined use of MES and standardized scheduling practices.
• Build strong working relationships across Production, Planning, Supply Chain, Inventory, Quality, Maintenance, Engineering, and Technology functions.
• Maintain a strong shop floor presence while using data and practical manufacturing knowledge to drive continuous improvement.

Key Performance Measures
Success in this role is measured through:

• Schedule Attainment
• Production Plan Attainment
• Manufacturing Order Readiness
• Capacity Utilization and Improvement
• Schedule Stability
• Recovery Effectiveness
• Constraint Management
• Contribution to OTIF Performance

The Scheduler is accountable for the quality, executability, and optimization of the finite schedule while ensuring visibility, communication, and coordination across the production execution process.

Qualifications
Education

• Required: High School Diploma or equivalent
• Preferred: Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Engineering Technology, Business, Logistics, Information Systems, or related field.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of manufacturing, production scheduling, production planning, supply chain, inventory management, or related operational experience.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing workflows, material movement, capacity constraints, and shop floor operations.
• Experience coordinating activities across multiple functions in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Preferred experience with finite scheduling, batch/process manufacturing, MES, ERP, MRP, APS, SAP, MAPICS/AS400, BatchMetrics, or similar systems.

Technical & Professional Skills

• Strong knowledge of finite scheduling, production sequencing, capacity planning, inventory management, and manufacturing operations.
• Proficiency with MES, ERP systems, Microsoft Excel, and analytical reporting tools.
• Ability to analyze complex operational data and make effective scheduling decisions.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority and coordinate cross-functional teams.
• Excellent problem-solving, prioritization, and decision-making capabilities.
• Continuous improvement mindset with strong attention to detail and business awareness.

Excited about this role but don’t think you meet every requirement listed? We encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings.

ADM requires the successful completion of a background check. 

REF:113635BR