Production Planner

POSITION PURPOSE:

The Production Planner is responsible for developing, coordinating, and maintaining production plans and finite schedules in an engineer-to-order (ETO) / make-to-order (MTO) environment. This role leverages SAP (PP/MM modules) to perform production planning, capacity balancing, and resource allocation to ensure customer orders are delivered on time. The planner serves as the primary liaison between scheduling, engineering, purchasing, and operations to translate unique customer requirements into executable production schedules while optimizing resource utilization.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Develop and maintain finite capacity production schedules using SAP to meet customer demand and on-time delivery targets.
• Translate sales orders, forecasts, and engineering releases into executable production plans, balancing short-term needs with long-term capacity.
• Conduct capacity and resource planning, analyzing labor and machine availability against demand; recommend overtime, resource shifts, or outsourcing as required.
• Partner with Engineering to ensure accurate and timely release of BOMs and routings and manage planning impacts of ECOs/PECRs or design changes.
• Coordinate with Purchasing and Materials Management to ensure timely availability of parts and raw materials, proactively addressing shortages.
• Monitor schedule adherence, capacity utilization, and production bottlenecks; escalate risks and implement recovery plans as needed.
• Communicate regularly with production leadership on scheduling priorities, changes, and constraint resolutions.
• Provide data analysis and reporting on KPIs such as OTD, capacity utilization, and schedule compliance to support leadership decision-making.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives (Lean, BACX, OTD, scrap reduction) by refining planning and scheduling processes.
• Perform month-end closing duties, physical inventory support, and other assigned departmental tasks as required.

NATURE AND SCOPE:

The Production Planner reports to the Planning and Logistics Manager and collaborates closely with Master Scheduling, Purchasing, Engineering, and Operations leadership. This role has no direct reports but plays a key coordination role across multiple functions to ensure efficient and reliable order execution.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s degree in operations management, Supply Chain, Business, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in production planning, scheduling, or supply chain within a manufacturing environment; ETO/MTO experience strongly preferred.
• APICS/CPIM or equivalent certification preferred.
• Proficiency in SAP PP/MM modules, including MRP, capacity leveling, and finite scheduling required.
• Strong understanding of production processes, routing, and BOM management in an engineer-to-order environment.
• Analytical skills to evaluate capacity constraints, resource utilization, and schedule adherence.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, Outlook).
• Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and follow-up skills with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively across departments.
• Ability to adapt quickly to change and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Bachelor’s degree in related field preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

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 accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. While performing this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk up to 50% of the time. This position requires occasional lifting up to 25 pounds and travel both domestically and internationally up to 10% of the time.

This is primarily an Office Position with frequent requirements to be present in the factory. When in the factory, the noise level is generally high and hearing protection is required. Eye protection, hearing protection and safety shoes must be worn at all times. Good plant safety practices will be required. Individual will be working in an environment that includes occasional exposure to the elements, inclement weather, and heights.