Production Planner

Key Responsibilities (but not limited to):

• Owns an assigned portfolio of active work orders from job release through customer shipment; always maintains real-time visibility into the status of every open job

• Tracks each job through every routing operation — setup, machining operations, in-process inspection, finishing, final inspection, packaging, and shipment

• Conducts daily follow-up with machining supervisors, quality, and purchasing to confirm jobs are progressing on schedule and surfaces any delays before they impact committed ship dates

• Proactively identifies schedule gaps, capacity constraints, production holds, and purchasing delays — and takes direct action to resolve them in coordination with the appropriate department

• Maintains a strong floor presence; regularly walks the production floor to visually confirm job status, build working relationships with machine operators and supervisors, and surface issues not yet reflected in the ERP system

• Works cross-functionally with machining, quality, engineering, and purchasing to bridge schedule gaps; owns the follow-up and resolution — not just the identification — of issues affecting the job portfolio

• Executes MRP runs in Epicor and applies a thorough understanding of Epicor planning attributes — including lead times, lot sizing rules, planning parameters, and order policies — to accurately predict MRP output and evaluate the validity of system-generated suggestions before acting on them

• Creates, manages, and closes manufacturing work orders and job travelers; monitors WIP progression through all operations and ensures each job is placed to meet its ship date

• Schedules production operations at the machine level, balancing setup time and run time across machining centers in a high mix, low volume job shop environment

• Validates and maintains routing accuracy in Epicor — including operation sequences, machine assignments, and standard cycle times — prior to each MRP run

• Performs capacity analysis and load leveling to develop realistic, executable production schedules; identifies and escalates constraint bottlenecks before they impact customer deliveries

• Follows up with purchasing on outside processing (OSP) status and material availability that affects active jobs; escalates purchasing delays that put ship dates at risk

• Collaborates with manufacturing engineering on tooling and fixture availability before releasing jobs to the floor; flags tooling gaps that will prevent on-time job starts

• Coordinates with the quality team on First Article Inspection (FAI) scheduling and in-process inspection holds; builds inspection time into job schedules and follows up on dispositions without delay

• Manages rework and scrap recovery planning; immediately adjusts affected schedules and communicates revised commit dates to customer service before the customer is impacted

• Monitors engineering change orders (ECOs) for impact on in-process jobs; replans affected work orders and communicates schedule changes to all stakeholders promptly

• Responds to semiconductor customer expedite requests in coordination with customer service; reprioritizes the production floor dynamically while protecting commitments on other active jobs

• Provides realistic production lead times to customer service and sales for new quotes, change orders, and customer-requested pull-in dates based on actual shop capacity

• Communicates proactively with customer service and sales when any job in the portfolio is at risk; delivers a recovery plan and revised commit date — does not wait for the customer to ask

• Prepares and presents a daily portfolio status update to the Master Scheduler / Planning Manager highlighting at-risk jobs, active gaps, and resolution actions in progress

• Generates and distributes production reports including schedule adherence, capacity loading, on-time delivery metrics, and WIP status

• Tracks key performance indicators (KPIs) including on-time delivery (OTD), schedule adherence, and production efficiency

• Maintains accurate records in Epicor for all planning activities; ensures job status, operation completions, and schedule dates are current at all times

• Ensures compliance with company procedures, quality standards, and safety regulations in all planning activities

Essential Skills:

• Job shop / HMLV scheduling: hands-on experience planning production in a high mix, low volume, make-to-order or job shop manufacturing environment; precision plastic machining experience preferred

• MRP expertise and Epicor planning attribute knowledge: must demonstrate a strong working understanding of Epicor planning attributes — lead times, lot sizing methods, order minimums, planning parameters, and operation scheduling logic — sufficient to anticipate MRP output, evaluate system suggestions critically, and make informed adjustments before releasing planned orders

• Advanced data analysis: proficiency in Microsoft Excel beyond basic functions — including Power Query (plus), Lookups and PivotTables with calculated fields for open order management, priority dispatch report, capacity tracking, and schedule analysis

• Machining process awareness (big plus): ability to read basic engineering drawings and understand machining operation sequences; basic working knowledge of CNC milling, turning, and common finishing operations as they relate to scheduling and throughput time

• Capacity planning: demonstrated ability to analyze machine-level workload, identify overload conditions, and develop executable load-leveled schedules in a job shop environment

• Outstanding communication skills: communicates clearly and professionally with production supervisors, machine operators, purchasing, quality, engineering, and customer service teams; adapts communication style to the audience — concise on the floor, structured in reporting

• Strong floor presence: genuinely comfortable spending significant time on the production floor; able to build credibility and rapport with machinists and supervisors through consistent follow-through and technical awareness

• Obsessive attention to detail: able to manage large amount active work orders simultaneously without losing visibility into any individual job; builds and maintains personal tracking discipline to ensure nothing falls through the cracks

• Proactive, ownership mindset: does not wait to be told a job is late; independently identifies schedule slippage and acts immediately; brings solutions and recovery plans, not just status updates

• Urgency and composure under pressure: thrives in a fast-paced, high-urgency environment; able to rapidly reprioritize in response to expedites, scrap events, or capacity disruptions without losing control of the broader schedule

• Assertive cross-functional follow-up: comfortable initiating direct, professional conversations with other departments and purchasing to move issues forward; does not passively wait for updates

• Resolves problems utilizing analytical thinking and acquired knowledge; identifies root cause, proposes a recovery plan, and executes with urgency

• Demonstrates strong personal time management and self-direction

Qualifications:

• 3–5 years of production planning or scheduling experience in a precision machining, job shop, or contract manufacturing environment; semiconductor equipment or similar high-precision industry experience a strong plus

• Hands-on MRP execution experience in an ERP environment is required; candidates who have relied solely on manual or spreadsheet-based scheduling without ERP/MRP execution will not be considered

• Demonstrated understanding of ERP planning parameters and their downstream effect on MRP output; ability to critically evaluate system-generated suggestions rather than blindly accepting them

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and manufacturing routings is required

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to interface clearly and professionally with production supervisors, operators, purchasing, quality, engineering, and customer service under time pressure

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field preferred; equivalent professional experience in a precision machining or manufacturing environment will be considered in lieu of degree

• CPIM certification is a strong plus; candidates actively working toward CPIM are encouraged to apply

• Must be able to follow written and oral instructions

• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively in a team environment

• Must be authorized to work in the United States

Compensation / Benefits

· Competitive Salary, 401K

· Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance for all Full Time employees

Other:

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• On-site, full-time role at our manufacturing facility; this position requires significant daily floor presence and is not eligible for remote or hybrid work

• Significant walking and floor time is expected and required — this role is not a desk-only position; the planner is expected to physically follow jobs through the shop and engage directly with production personnel

• Fast-paced job shop environment with frequent schedule changes, competing priorities, and time-sensitive customer demands from semiconductor OEM customers

• Regularly required to use hands, fingers, and tools to operate a computer, phone, and other office equipment as needed

• Occasional extended hours may be required during MRP go-live, end-of-month shipping pushes, or periods of high customer expedite activity

PLEASE NOTE RELOCATION PACKAGE/ASSISTANCE IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Pay: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Location:

• Hayward, CA 94544 (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $75,000 - $85,000