Planning Specialist

Description

Planning Specialist – Richards Industrials

Location:              Cincinnati, Ohio

Reports to:          Jordan Valve Value Stream Manager

Company Profile  

Richards Industrials, founded in 1961, is a manufacturer of pressure regulators, control valves, and other fluid control products, known by our customers for high quality products, great customer service, and fast & reliable deliveries.  Our products are marketed under a series of distinct brands, each of which is used in unique applications that require precise technical attributes.  The company serves a range of end markets, including pharmaceutical, food & beverage, chemical, petrochemical, and various industrial segments. 

The company has two locations, Cincinnati OH and Fletcher NC, and a global headcount of 190.  Equipped with an experienced, passionate team, Richards focuses on driving profitable growth through operational excellence, opening new channels to market, and investing in new products.  

Richards has four Core Values:

• Empowerment – Employees are our most valuable asset
• Collaboration – Together we achieve more
• Pioneering Spirit – Curiosity and innovation are our driving forces
• Service Mindset – Never stop advocating for the Customer

And our purpose is to solve tomorrow’s demanding fluid control problems, today. 

The Position:

Richards is now seeking an experienced, motivated, and results-oriented Planning Specialist to help us elevate our Core Richards business based in Cincinnati.  This business is comprised of the Jordan Valve, Low Flow, Steriflow, Steriflow Food & Beverage, Marwin, Hex, and Bestobell product lines.

The Planning Specialist will report directly to Richards’ Jordan Valve Value Stream Manager.

He or she will be responsible for the following:

• Develop and maintain the Master Production Schedule (MPS) for the Jordan Valve product line.
• Convert sales and demand forecasts into executable production plans.
• Balance capacity and load across machines and assembly areas
• Coordinate with procurement and suppliers to ensure material availability aligns with production needs.
• Monitor schedule performance and proactively address variances.
• Issue detailed work orders and communicate priorities to production teams.
• Collaborate daily with Value Stream Leaders, Buyers, and Customer Service to manage changes in demand or production constraints.
• Track progress against the schedule, identifying risks and developing recovery plans when needed.
• Communicate schedule status, backlog, and delivery performance metrics in daily and weekly meetings.
• Support implementation of digital scheduling and planning tools as part of the Jordan Valve digital transformation.
• Identify and eliminate scheduling and planning inefficiencies.
• Contribute to initiatives that improve on-time delivery, lead time reduction, and capacity utilization.
• Partner with maintenance and operations to integrate downtime and predictive maintenance schedules into the MPS.
• Analyze production performance metrics such as schedule adherence, capacity utilization, and inventory turns.
• Provide data-driven insights to improve forecasting accuracy and planning stability.
• Maintain accurate ERP/MRP system data to ensure planning integrity.

Qualifications Include:

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 3–5 years of experience in production planning, scheduling, or supply chain management within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience in high-mix, low-volume production preferred. 
• Training and experience with Continuous Improvement business practices
• Complete understanding of supply chain metrics and the ability to use them to drive performance
• Solid interpersonal, communications, self-motivation, self-directed and analytical skills
• Demonstrated ability to manage a complex project to successful completion

Personal Characteristics:

• Strong work ethic
• Calm and resilient
• Organized and detail-oriented
• Motivated and proactive
• Curious and creative
• Disciplined
• Quantitative in nature, with outstanding communication and presentation skills
• Committed to meeting customer needs and providing exceptional service
• Committed to Continuous Improvement
• Outstanding Problem Solver
• High level of self-confidence, integrity, and intellectual honesty
• Adaptable, able to thrive in a dynamic work environment

Why would this role be exciting for me?

• Richards Industrials is a profitable, thriving company that’s investing for growth -> career development is important for us
• This is an opportunity to join a talented, hard-working team that’s pushing itself to be the best it can be
• We actively contribute to the community through philanthropic initiatives and community service engagements

Richards Industrials firmly supports the principle and philosophy of equal opportunity for all individuals. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Qualifications