Maintenance Planner & MRO

Work Environment:

This position operates in both an office and manufacturing plant environment. The noise level in the office setting is typically low to moderate; however, time spent on the production floor may involve exposure to higher noise levels, moving equipment, and varying temperatures.

The role may require frequent interaction with production areas to support maintenance planning, inventory management, and coordination of maintenance activities.

Summary:    

The Maintenance Planner & MRO is responsible for planning and coordinating maintenance activities while managing MRO inventory to ensure equipment reliability, operational readiness, and production continuity. This role integrates maintenance planning, procurement, inventory control, spare parts storeroom management, and CMMS system administration to ensure the right parts, materials, and resources are available when needed. The position oversees material inventory levels for maintenance spare parts and critical production components to support plant uptime and customer demand. Responsibilities include planning and procurement of MRO materials to minimize stockouts, obsolescence, and excess inventory while maximizing equipment availability and service levels. This role is responsible for managing and organizing the maintenance storeroom, including layout, labeling, stocking strategies, and inventory accuracy to support efficient maintenance execution. 

The Maintenance Planner & MRO works directly with equipment OEMs and vendors to obtain quotes, issue purchase orders, and ensure timely delivery of parts and services. This role coordinates closely with maintenance and production teams to plan and schedule work activities, including downtime events and annual overhauls, ensuring alignment with the production schedule and minimizing operational impact.

Additional responsibilities include managing purchase orders, tracking inventory, maintaining accurate CMMS data, supporting inbound/outbound logistics for parts, and handling related administrative tasks.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Maintenance Planning & Coordination

• Plan, prioritize, and schedule maintenance work in coordination with maintenance and production teams.

• Ensure all required parts, materials, tools, labor, and permits are available prior to scheduled work.

• Coordinate maintenance schedules to minimize production downtime and operational disruptions.

• Align maintenance activities with production schedules, including planned downtime, shutdowns, and annual overhauls.

• Collaborate with OEMs and vendors to support job planning, quoting, and execution of maintenance activities.

Inventory & Storeroom Control (MRO)

• Manage and organize the maintenance parts cage and storeroom to ensure accessibility, efficiency, and standardization.

• Maintain proper labeling, location control, and storage practices to ensure accurate and efficient part retrieval.

• Ensure compliance with First-In, First-Out (FIFO) inventory standards and material handling best practices.

• Perform routine cycle counts, investigate discrepancies, and maintain high inventory accuracy.

• Maintain appropriate MRO stock levels, including critical spares, to support preventive and corrective maintenance activities.

• Monitor inventory usage trends and adjust min/max levels to prevent stockouts, excess inventory, and obsolescence.

Procurement & Sourcing

• Convert internal requisitions into purchase orders (POs) and track through delivery and receipt.

• Source MRO and production parts; obtain quotes from OEMs and vendors and negotiate pricing, lead times, and terms.

• Work directly with equipment OEMs to support maintenance planning, service needs, and critical spare parts strategy.

• Identify and procure alternate or substitute parts to mitigate downtime due to backorders or obsolescence.

• Coordinate with maintenance and production to align parts procurement with scheduled work, shutdowns, and annual overhauls.

• Build and maintain strong vendor and OEM relationships to ensure reliable supply, service support, and rapid response.

CMMS / ERP Management

• Utilize CMMS/ERP systems (e.g., SAP, ILS) to plan, schedule, and manage maintenance activities and MRO inventory, including:

o    Planning and creating maintenance work orders with required labor, parts, tools, and job steps

o    Tracking inventory levels, usage, and transactions

o    Issuing and allocating parts to work orders

o    Creating and maintaining accurate Bills of Materials (BOMs) for assets

o    Setting and managing min/max levels and automated reorder points

•    Maintain accurate and up-to-date data across CMMS, including parts master, asset records, job plans, and inventory locations.

•    Drive maintenance planning standards within the CMMS, ensuring all work is properly planned, scheduled, and ready for execution.

•    Support continuous improvement of CMMS processes, data integrity, and system utilization across the maintenance team.

Additional Responsibilities

• Follow all safety procedures and promote a safe working environment.

• Communicate effectively with maintenance, production, and external vendors/OEMs.

• Maintain and distribute weekly and daily maintenance schedules, including planned work and shutdown activities.

• Support continuous improvement initiatives in maintenance planning, CMMS usage, and inventory management.

• Input and manage purchase orders, work orders, and inventory transactions within the CMMS/ERP system.

• Adjust maintenance and material plans in response to schedule or operational changes.

• Coordinate with vendors to ensure timely delivery of MRO parts and services.

• Support planning and execution of shutdowns, major repairs, and annual overhauls.

• Work scheduled shifts, including weekends and extended hours as required.

• Maintain regular and punctual attendance.

• Perform additional duties as assigned to support maintenance and plant operations.

Experience for success:

• Strong organizational skills with high attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced maintenance environment.

• Effective communication skills with the ability to work cross-functionally with maintenance, production, vendors, and OEMs.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel (data tracking, inventory analysis, and reporting).

• Working knowledge of CMMS/ERP systems (e.g., SAP, ILS) for maintenance planning, work order management, and inventory control.

• Understanding of MRO inventory management, storeroom operations, and maintenance processes.

• Ability to prioritize and adapt to changing maintenance schedules and operational demands.

• Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on minimizing downtime and improving equipment reliability.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

While performing the duties of this role, the employee is regularly required to communicate effectively, including talking and hearing. The employee frequently sits and uses hands to handle, feel, and reach with arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and move throughout the facility, including bending, stooping, kneeling, or crouching.

The role requires the ability to lift and/or move up to 10 pounds regularly, up to 25 pounds frequently, and up to 50 pounds occasionally. Specific vision abilities required include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.