What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Supply & Production Planner 100% position at Zurich Instruments?
Zurich Instruments is a technology leader in advanced test and measurement instruments and in control electronics for quantum computing. Our products are used in many challenging research fields by scientists all over the world and by leading high-tech companies worldwide. We help advance science and build the next generation of quantum computers.
As Senior Supply & Production Planner, you own the link between demand and the availability of material and capacity. You translate forecast and order-driven demand into procurement plans with our suppliers, convert confirmed demand into an executable production plan, and anticipate capacity gaps on a rolling 6-month horizon. You work at the interface between Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Business Fulfillment, R&D and our suppliers, and are the single point of reference for the question "when can we build and ship this?"
\n- Translate the rolling demand forecast for series-production line into a 3–6 month procurement plan with suppliers, and maintain planning parameters (lead times, safety stocks, reorder points, lot sizes) in the ERP.
- Build procurement plan for our project-based business, identify long-lead components for preventive purchase before order intake, and quantify each commitment for approval.
- Run the MRP cycle, convert requirements into purchase orders, and track material readiness by project, escalating delivery risks early.
- Issue the weekly production plan, create and drive manufacturing orders, and coordinate internal logistics so material is picked and staged on time.
- Keep planning master data (BOMs, routings, work centre capacities) accurate with Manufacturing Engineering and R&D, and confirm feasible dates to Business Fulfillment and Sales.
- Evaluate production capacity on a rolling 6‑month horizon, flag bottlenecks early, and propose measures such as load leveling, build‑ahead, or outsourcing.
- Own planning processes in the ERP and report key KPIs: on-time delivery, material shortages, inventory coverage, forecast accuracy, and capacity load.
- Technical or commercial education (HF, FH or BSc) in supply chain, industrial engineering or a comparable field; a planning certification (e.g. APICS CPIM) is an advantage.
- 5-10 years' planning experience in a high-mix / low-volume electronics or precision instrumentation environment.
- Solid ERP planning skills: MRP (Material Requirements Planning) and MPS (Master Production Scheduling), manufacturing orders and capacity planning; experience with Odoo is an advantage.
- Comfortable working with both forecast-driven and order-driven project planning logic in parallel.
- Strong analytical skills, confident with data and Excel.
- Able to take decisions under uncertainty, and to substantiate a "no" with facts.
- Clear communicator across manufacturing, supply chain, sales and suppliers.
- Fluent English; German is a big advantage.
We offer a diverse work environment with an open and transparent company culture where personal development forms the basis of our success. We thrive on cooperation and support distributed decision-making that allows everyone to take responsibility and generate substantial impact from the start and on many levels.
Now is a great time to join the team.
We look forward to receiving your resume and motivation letter.