Production & Inventory Planner

Production & Inventory Planner 

COMPANY BACKGROUND 

Vulcan Industrial, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a precision engineering and manufacturing firm specializing in mission-critical components for the energy, defense, aerospace, and heavy industrial sectors. The company emphasizes advanced material science, rigorous quality control, and vertical integration to deliver high-performance solutions. With a significant portion of its workforce comprising degreed engineers, Vulcan fosters a culture of innovation and technical excellence. 

Vulcan's product offerings include stainless steel frac pump fluid ends, high-pressure pump components, valves, seats, and other specialized parts designed to withstand demanding operational environments. The company's aerospace and defense division adheres to stringent manufacturing standards, supplying components to entities such as the United States Navy and BAE Systems.  

Committed to American-based sourcing and manufacturing, Vulcan operates ISO 9001:2015 certified facilities, ensuring consistent quality and performance across its product lines. 

POSITION PURPOSE 

The Production & Inventory Planner is responsible for creating and managing production and assembly schedules with a primary focus on fluid end machining and assemblies. This role ensures material readiness across manufacturing facilities and supports VES Districts through effective inventory management, safety stock control, and transfer order execution. The planner serves as a key liaison between Sales, Manufacturing, Procurement, and Logistics, and acts as a subject matter expert in Syteline ERP, specializing in demand planning, safety stock strategies, and component-level shortage resolution. Strong data analysis and cross-functional communication are essential, with additional responsibility for KPI reporting using Cyberquery and BI tools. 

POSITION DUTIES 

• Develop, manage, and optimize detailed production and assembly schedules for fluid ends across manufacturing facilities. 
• Act as the primary point of contact for fluid end planning, aligning schedules with capacity, customer demand, and forecast outputs. 
• Convert Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) outputs into actionable production timelines and deliverables. 
• Maintain and enhance APS (Advanced Planning & Scheduling) inputs in Infor CloudSuite (Syteline). 
• Communicate production schedules to the shop floor and maintain work center dispatches. 
• Monitor material availability and identify supply gaps or component shortages; escalate risks and lead cross-functional recovery plans. 
• Ensure inventory compliance by managing stocking levels, safety stock, and forecasting accuracy across sites and district support locations. 
• Oversee and execute intracompany transfer orders to support field service and manufacturing demand. 
• Optimize freight spend by coordinating monthly safety stock "milk runs" and balancing transportation with material needs. 
• Conduct monthly reviews of District safety stock levels, Min/Max settings, lead times, and surplus inventory. 
• Serve as a technical expert in Infor CloudSuite (Syteline) for forecasting, planning, and inventory management. 
• Utilize tools like Cyberquery, Power Bi, FacoryWiz and Excel-based tools for real-time data mining, production reporting, and KPI generation. 
• Track and report on key supply chain metrics such as inventory turns, safety stock values, transfer order fulfillment, shortage frequency, and stock-to-sale ratios. 
• Monitor sales forecasts and demand fluctuations to adjust production planning accordingly. 
• Manage outside processing timelines to ensure timely procurement and availability of completed components. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Sales, Procurement, Logistics, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Quality to ensure full alignment of production and materials strategies. 

POSITION REQUIREMENTS 

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business, Engineering, or a related field. 
• 3 years of experience in production planning, inventory control, or supply chain management within a manufacturing environment. 
• 5 years of experience in a manufacturing setting preferred. 
• Hands-on experience with Infor CloudSuite (Syteline) preferred. 
• Experience with Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS) and demand forecasting tools. 
• Strong skills in Microsoft Excel (PivotTables, advanced formulas, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, conditional formatting, data validation); familiarity with Power Pivot and macros is a plus. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and Word for reporting, collaboration, and documentation. 
• Experience with Cyberquery and Power BI preferred. 
• Ability to interpret and manage Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) outputs to drive production scheduling. 
• Strong understanding of inventory management principles, including safety stock, Min/Max levels, and lead time analysis. 
• Demonstrated ability to resolve component-level shortages and optimize material availability. 
• Experience optimizing logistics and freight costs through inventory distribution strategies. 
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills. 
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to interact confidently with all levels of the organization. 
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and adapt quickly to shifting priorities. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

Repetitive lifting of items up to 50 lbs. Ability to stand, walk, or sit for extended periods of time. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

• Professional Growth: Access to ongoing training and development opportunities. 
• Performance Evaluation: Measured against key performance indicators (KPIs), including schedule adherence, production efficiency, and supply gap resolution. 
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Sales, Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, and Finance to drive operational success.