What are the responsibilities and job description for the Production Planner Scheduler - Manufacturer position at Strategic Logistics?
Production Planner & Scheduler / Operations Support Lead
We are seeking a driven, high-level Production Planner & Scheduler / Operations Support Lead to join our growing manufacturing operation. This is a critical role responsible for keeping production moving efficiently, ensuring materials and labor are aligned with demand, and driving communication between planning, purchasing, engineering, quality, and production teams.
This is not a back-office planning role. You will be heavily involved in the day-to-day execution of manufacturing operations — balancing schedules, monitoring throughput, resolving bottlenecks, and helping ensure customer deadlines are met in a fast-paced production environment.
The ideal candidate thrives under pressure, communicates well across departments, and understands how to turn production plans into real-world execution on the shop floor.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and manage daily and weekly production schedules to maximize efficiency and on-time delivery
- Build and maintain Bills of Materials (BOMs), routing structures, labor requirements, and machine allocations
- Coordinate production priorities based on customer demand, material availability, and production capacity
- Monitor production throughput and provide reporting on efficiency, bottlenecks, downtime, and scheduling performance
- Work directly with Production, Engineering, Quality, and Purchasing teams to resolve operational challenges
- Support raw material forecasting and collaborate with Purchasing to ensure inventory availability aligns with production schedules
- Identify and address production delays, labor shortages, machine downtime, and workflow inefficiencies
- Facilitate production and contract review meetings while tracking action items and operational improvements
- Assist in developing process improvements that reduce production costs, improve throughput, and increase operational profitability
- Maintain production documentation and records in compliance with ISO 9001 quality standards
- Serve as a key communication bridge between office operations and the manufacturing floor
- Maintain regular shop floor presence to ensure schedules are being executed accurately and efficiently
What We’re Looking For
- Minimum 5 years of experience in Production Planning, Scheduling, Manufacturing Operations, or Supply Chain Coordination
- Strong understanding of manufacturing workflows, capacity planning, scheduling, and production control
- Experience working in fast-paced manufacturing or industrial environments
- Ability to prioritize changing production demands and adjust schedules accordingly
- Strong communication and leadership skills with the ability to work cross-functionally
- Experience coordinating with Purchasing, Engineering, Production, and Quality teams
- Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities
- Comfortable working both in an office setting and directly on the production floor
- ERP/MRP system experience preferred
- Experience with Microsoft Business Central is a plus, but not required
Why This Role Matters
This position plays a vital role in ensuring production runs smoothly, customer commitments are met, and operational efficiency continues to improve. The right person will have the opportunity to make a direct impact on production performance, workflow improvements, and overall manufacturing success.
If you are highly organized, solutions-driven, and enjoy being at the center of manufacturing operations, we want to hear from you.
Salary : $27 - $30