Production Scheduler

Production Scheduler

POSITION SUMMARY

The Production Scheduler owns the master production schedule for TuscoMFG's shop floor — sequencing incoming orders and building the daily/weekly schedule across all departments (Laser/Turret, Form, Press Direct, Weld processes, Finishing, Assembly). This role carries no supervisory or disciplinary authority over production staff or the Production Manager but has explicit authority to question the status of any job in process, request explanation when standards or schedule commitments are not met and escalate accountability concerns when needed. The Scheduler is the single source of truth for “what should be running and when.”

SCHEDULE AUTHORITY & ACCOUNTABILITY

This is the defining feature of the role and should be read carefully by anyone considering this position.

• Has the authority to ask any Team Lead or production employee where a specific job stands in the process, and to expect a direct answer.

• Has the authority to raise schedule-adherence concerns directly with the Production Manager when a department or job is behind, and to request a specific recovery plan — what will be done, by when, to close the gap.

• Does NOT have authority to discipline, direct headcount/staffing decisions, or override a Team Lead's or the Production Manager's technical or operational decisions. This authority is limited to requesting visibility and a stated recovery plan — it does not include approving, rejecting, or directing the Production Manager's chosen approach.

• If the Scheduler believes a recovery plan is inadequate, or the same schedule-adherence issue recurs without resolution, that concern is escalated to the Director of Operations & Facilities Management rather than pursued further with the Production Manager directly.

• Is expected to raise schedule-risk issues early and in writing (daily standup, or direct escalation) rather than absorbing the risk silently.

Working relationship note: The Production Manager and Production Scheduler operate in a checks-and-balances relationship on schedule adherence — the Scheduler owns visibility into “what should be happening,” and the Production Manager owns “making it happen.” The Scheduler's questions about job status or recovery plans, including when directed at the Production Manager, are a normal and expected operating input, not a challenge to the Production Manager's authority over staff.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Scheduling

• Build and maintain the daily and weekly production schedule across all departments based on due dates, capacity, and material/tooling availability.

• Sequence incoming job orders as they release from Engineering/Quoting; re-sequence as priorities, rush orders, or capacity constraints change.

• Maintain schedule integrity in the ERP system; keep job status, routing steps, and due dates current and accurate.

• Coordinate with Purchasing on material availability that affects schedule feasibility.

Floor Coordination & Accountability

• Walk the floor regularly to verify actual job status against the published schedule.

• Follow up directly with Team Leads and operators when a job is behind and document the reason.

• Follow up with the Production Manager when a department-level or cross-department delay puts the schedule at risk and documents the stated recovery plan.

• Flag recurring schedule-adherence issues in a specific area to the Production Manager with supporting detail; flag recurring or unresolved issues at the Production Manager level to the Director of Operations & Facilities Management.

• Communicate schedule changes clearly and with enough lead time for departments to react.

Reporting

• Publish daily schedule-adherence and on-time delivery metrics.

• Provide capacity and load visibility to the Director of Operations and Production Manager for staffing and overtime decisions.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 3 years of production scheduling, planning, or production control experience in a manufacturing environment.

• Strong ERP/MRP proficiency (e.g., Epicor, or comparable); comfortable owning schedule data directly in the system.

• Working knowledge of job-shop, high-mix/low-volume production flow, and routing logic.

• Confident, direct communication style — this role requires asking pointed questions of people across all levels of the floor, including the Production Manager, without supervisory authority to back it up.

Preferred

• Prior experience in a role with schedule authority but no direct reports.

• Familiarity with metal fabrication process flow (laser/turret, forming, welding, finishing).

WORKING HOURS & ON-SITE EXPECTATIONS

• Primarily on-site during production hours to maintain direct, real-time visibility into where jobs stand on the floor relative to the published schedule.

• Occasional flexibility to work remotely for schedule-planning, ERP/reporting, or administrative tasks that don't require floor presence, as approved by the Director of Operations & Facilities Management.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Frequent walking of the full production floor to verify job status.

• Primarily office/floor hybrid; exposure to shop floor noise and environment during floor checks.

• Extended periods of sitting at a desk/computer workstation for schedule building, ERP data entry, and reporting.

• Frequent use of computer, keyboard, and mouse; close visual work reviewing schedules, reports, and ERP/MES screens.

• Occasional lifting of files, binders, or office materials up to 15 lbs.