What are the responsibilities and job description for the Maintenance Planner position at RHI Magnesita?
Fully On-Site
MRO / Maintenance Planner
Travel Requirement: Minimal (site-based role)
Role Summary
The MRO/Maintenance Planner creates value by driving plant reliability and ensuring maintenance work is planned, scheduled, and executed efficiently. This role supports maintenance excellence through accurate job planning, workflow coordination, inventory oversight, and the development of preventive and predictive maintenance programs. As a key member of the maintenance organization, the Maintenance Planner works closely with mechanics, operations, and leadership to prepare detailed job plans, manage backlog, and improve the overall quality of maintenance work.
This position reports directly to the Maintenance Manager.
What You’ll Do
Required Qualifications
RHI Magnesita is the leading global supplier of high-grade refractory products, systems and solutions which are critical for high-temperature processes in a wide range of industries. Serving customers around the world, RHI Magnesita has more than 20,000 employees in 65 main production sites (including raw material sites), 12 recycling facilities and more than 70 sales offices.
RHI Magnesita’s team in North America helps build refractory products that solve the most extreme manufacturing challenges. From advanced lithium-ion batteries for laptops and EVs and specialized glass on smartphones and tablets, to the steel and cement that build the world around us, our high-performance bricks and linings make it possible to melt, bend, shape, and refine these materials at extreme temperatures.
With a vertically integrated value chain, RHI Magnesita has helped forge the materials that build industries and economies for almost 200 years. Refractory products are essential to the production processes for cement, steel, aluminum, and many other industrial producers in the region.
Nearest Major Market: Gary
Nearest Secondary Market: Chicago
MRO / Maintenance Planner
Travel Requirement: Minimal (site-based role)
Role Summary
The MRO/Maintenance Planner creates value by driving plant reliability and ensuring maintenance work is planned, scheduled, and executed efficiently. This role supports maintenance excellence through accurate job planning, workflow coordination, inventory oversight, and the development of preventive and predictive maintenance programs. As a key member of the maintenance organization, the Maintenance Planner works closely with mechanics, operations, and leadership to prepare detailed job plans, manage backlog, and improve the overall quality of maintenance work.
This position reports directly to the Maintenance Manager.
What You’ll Do
- Review, approve, prioritize, schedule, and close corrective work orders.
- Develop new or modify existing Preventive and Predictive Maintenance tasks.
- Review weekly backlog for assigned areas and lead discussions on required work.
- Meet with mechanical and production owners to plan upcoming maintenance jobs.
- Build weekly, down-day, and outage schedules in Microsoft applications.
- Plan work by identifying required materials, parts, rental equipment, and contractor needs.
- Create detailed job plans and PM plans with clear labor, tools, and materials requirements.
- Develop and update Bills of Materials (BOMs) for equipment.
- Create or revise Standard Maintenance Procedures (SMPs) and validate them in the field.
- Perform parts verification for received materials.
- Ensure all job parts are kitted and ready before work begins.
- Notify contractors of safety training requirements prior to site arrival.
- Review technician notes and parts usage before closing work orders.
- Participate in or lead improvement initiatives and continuous improvement projects.
- Operate forklifts or other mobile equipment when required.
- Adhere to all plant safety and environmental guidelines, including proper PPE use.
- Perform physical tasks such as lifting up to 50 lbs., climbing stairs/ladders, walking, standing, stooping, and reaching.
Required Qualifications
- 1–2 years of supervision or lead experience.
- Ability to work in a fast‑paced, rapidly changing environment.
- Strong prioritization, self‑management, and follow‑through.
- Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
- Solid basic math and computer skills.
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Shipping/logistics background preferred.
- Knowledge of general inventory management strategies.
- Strong collaboration and communication capabilities.
- 3 years in an industrial, military, or manufacturing environment.
- Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook.
- Experience using a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
- Opportunity to directly impact plant reliability and maintenance performance.
- Work with a collaborative maintenance and operations team.
- Exposure to planning, scheduling, continuous improvement, and workflow optimization.
- A stable, growth-oriented environment with opportunities to contribute to long-term success.
RHI Magnesita is the leading global supplier of high-grade refractory products, systems and solutions which are critical for high-temperature processes in a wide range of industries. Serving customers around the world, RHI Magnesita has more than 20,000 employees in 65 main production sites (including raw material sites), 12 recycling facilities and more than 70 sales offices.
RHI Magnesita’s team in North America helps build refractory products that solve the most extreme manufacturing challenges. From advanced lithium-ion batteries for laptops and EVs and specialized glass on smartphones and tablets, to the steel and cement that build the world around us, our high-performance bricks and linings make it possible to melt, bend, shape, and refine these materials at extreme temperatures.
With a vertically integrated value chain, RHI Magnesita has helped forge the materials that build industries and economies for almost 200 years. Refractory products are essential to the production processes for cement, steel, aluminum, and many other industrial producers in the region.
Nearest Major Market: Gary
Nearest Secondary Market: Chicago