What are the responsibilities and job description for the Operations Scheduling Manager position at Request Foods?
Operations Scheduling Manager
On-site, Holland, Michigan
There has never been a more exciting time to join Request Foods. We’ve been selling products to many of the world’s leading food companies, retailers and restaurants for over 35 years. A privately owned and financially sound company, we do our best to run our business based on Christian values. Whether it’s cooking up great tasting food, assisting in customer support, providing quality and production leadership, or supporting administrative or technical activities, a career at Request Foods is a great opportunity. At Request, we’ve achieved success by treating our employees with integrity, trust and respect. If you’re passionate about food, and the people who help produce it, then Request Foods might just be for you.
Benefits and Perks:
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
- 401k
- Paid Paternity Leave
- Wellbeing programs
- Immediate Holiday Pay
- Paid Time Off
- Profit Sharing
Request Foods is seeking a visionary and results-driven Operations Scheduling Manager to lead the development and execution of food production schedules across a complex, multi-plant manufacturing network, ensuring end-to-end operational efficiency and timely customer delivery. This role is critical to optimizing production processes and aligning scheduling with customer demands and company goals. The role is about leading the business through strategic thinking, process innovation, and technology advancement. The ideal candidate will be a transformational leader who can inspire teams, drive operational excellence, and build scalable systems that can support growth and agility. Close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including production, procurement, quality, and logistics, is essential to drive operational excellence.
Essential Responsibilities:
- Own and evolve the enterprise-wide scheduling strategy across multiple manufacturing sites.
- Align scheduling practices with broader business goals, including customer service, inventory optimization, and capacity utilization.
- Champion the use of advanced planning and scheduling tools, ERP systems, and data analytics to drive efficiency and visibility.
- Partner with DT (Digital Transformation) to implement and optimize scheduling technologies.
- Leverage existing and new ERP solutions to reimagine customer demand-agile manufacturing-robust supply chain solutions.
- Design and implement standardized scheduling processes, KPI’s, and governance models.
- Leverage data to drive an insights driven approach to leading business execution.
- Lead cross-functional initiatives to improve throughput, reduce lead times and enhance responsiveness.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives related to scheduling processes and operational workflows.
- Influence across the business to drive organizational change; thought leadership and innovation.
- Build, coach, and lead a high-performing team of schedulers and planning professionals.
- Foster a culture of accountability, adaptability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
- Creating structure and processes leading to strong succession planning.
- Be inquisitive and a constant learner of advanced supply chain solutions meeting changing needs.
- Serve as the key liaison between manufacturing, supply chain, procurement, sales, logistics and finance to ensure goal alignment.
- Develop S&OP vision, strategy, and actions resulting in long-term capacity planning.
- Collaborate with quality assurance teams to ensure scheduling aligns with food safety and quality standards (FDA, USDA, and company food safety policies).
- Communicate schedules and updates effectively to all stakeholders, including plant managers, shift supervisors, and external partners.
- Manage labor planning to balance workforce capacity with production needs, minimizing overtime while meeting deadlines.
Key Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in operations management, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
- 10 years of experience in production scheduling, operations management-leadership, or a similar role in a manufacturing environment, preferably in food production.
- Proven expertise in using ERP/MRP systems (SAP) for production scheduling and resource planning.
- Demonstrated leadership experience, with a track record of developing and leading high-performing teams to achieve operational goals.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to optimize schedules, interpret data and make data-driven decisions to optimize production efficiency.
- Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with a track record of managing complex schedules in a fast-paced environment.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams and external partners.
- Knowledge of food safety regulations (FDA, USDA, HACCP) and experience in a regulated manufacturing environment.
- Proficiency in ERP systems and scheduling tools for data analysis and reporting.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, adapt to changing demands, and solve problems under pressure while maintaining attention to detail.
- Commitment to fostering a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement in all scheduling and operational activities.
- Strong transformational leadership and team member engagement capabilities.
- Experience with ERP systems and processes preferred (SAP, Oracle, Blue Yonder, Plex).
- Project management mindset and skills preferred (PMO).
- Lean manufacturing and six sigma certifications preferred
- Familiarity with HACCP, GMP, and other food safety standards preferred
- Supply chain certifications preferred (APICS- CSCP, CPIM)