Planner

Inventory And Manufacturing Planner

This role leads inventory strategy, configuration management, and production planning for advanced robotic manipulation systems in a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment. You will design and own the planning and inventory control infrastructure that supports products moving from early development through full-rate production across multiple facilities. Working at the intersection of engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing operations, you will translate demand signals into executable build plans and ensure that when engineering is ready to build, production can execute reliably and on time. This position offers direct impact on the scalability of next-generation robotics platforms and provides significant exposure to cutting-edge automation technologies.

Responsibilities

• Develop and enforce inventory control policies and procedures, and drive inventory accuracy through structured cycle count programs, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Optimize inventory levels and reduce excess and obsolete (E&O) material through proactive lifecycle management, disposition strategies, and demand-aligned replenishment.
• Design and implement new inventory strategies that scale with program growth, evolving manufacturing requirements, and multiple product lines.
• Own Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and Manufacturing Change Orders (MCOs) across supported programs, ensuring accurate and timely implementation into production.
• Build and maintain Manufacturing Bills of Materials (BOMs) with full configuration accuracy and traceability across all robotic manipulation systems.
• Set up and maintain Bills of Distribution and Sourcing Rules, partnering with engineering on master data, routings, and resource rates to ensure accurate planning inputs.
• Create finite capacity production schedules that account for equipment, labor, and material constraints to maximize throughput and meet build commitments.
• Develop detailed build schedules and release work orders through their complete lifecycle, with particular emphasis on early New Product Introduction (NPI) programs.
• Develop and maintain short-term and medium-term capacity models, identify bottlenecks through constraint analysis, and drive actions to resolve them.
• Perform sequence optimization to minimize changeovers and maximize manufacturing throughput in a high-mix environment.
• Build and maintain KPI dashboards to track inventory, planning, and schedule performance, and use data-driven insights to guide decisions and improvements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to enhance planning processes, inventory accuracy, and production efficiency.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, procurement, and logistics teams to ensure effective supply plan execution and manufacturing readiness.
• Support master production scheduling by performing finite scheduling, releasing work orders, and maintaining accurate capacity models for robotic manipulation systems.
• Lead velocity planning and inventory efforts, including inventory strategy development, replenishment optimization, and E&O management for high-mix product lines.
• Support NPI planning for next-generation platforms by creating and maintaining BOMs, managing ECOs/MCOs, and ensuring production readiness for new programs.
• Own root cause corrective action (RCCA) for inventory accuracy, including cycle count program design and systemic accuracy improvements across multiple facilities.
• Participate in daily standups, engineering syncs, and procurement alignment meetings to quickly resolve material, capacity, and configuration issues.
• Prepare and present planning and inventory insights in weekly planning reviews with operations leadership, highlighting risks, constraints, and mitigation plans.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree, or a minimum of 2 years of professional or military experience.
• Knowledge of supply chain management concepts, including forecasting, planning, sourcing, optimization, and logistics, or equivalent experience.
• Experience working in high-volume manufacturing environments, preferably with complex or high-mix products.
• Experience with reporting and data visualization tools such as QuickSight, Tableau, Power BI, or comparable business intelligence platforms.
• Knowledge of Six Sigma tools and Lean techniques and the ability to apply them to drive continuous improvement.
• Experience in stakeholder and communication management, including cross-functional collaboration with engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain teams.
• Experience with engineering change management processes, including ECOs and MCOs, and hands-on experience with BOM management.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and supply chain planning tools, including experience with modules related to procurement, inventory, and production planning.
• Demonstrated capability in scheduling, inventory control, procurement, and production planning in a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to perform finite capacity scheduling, including consideration of equipment, labor, and material constraints.
• Experience with inventory control and NPI planning, including lifecycle management and readiness for new product launches.
• Ability to build and maintain KPI dashboards and use data to drive decisions and improvements.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with SQL for querying data and supporting analytical and reporting needs.
• APICS certification such as CPIM (Certified in Planning and Inventory Management) or CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional), or progress toward these certifications.
• Experience with Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) or equivalent ERP platforms for procurement and planning.
• Familiarity with SAP or similar enterprise resource planning systems.
• Background in high-mix, low-volume advanced manufacturing environments, particularly with complex electromechanical or robotics products.
• Experience designing or improving cycle count programs and leading root cause corrective action (RCCA) initiatives for inventory accuracy.
• Exposure to NPI environments, including creating BOMs, managing ECOs/MCOs, and preparing manufacturing for new product introductions.
• Comfort working in fast-paced, high-ownership teams where ambiguity is common and decisions must be made quickly.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to dive deep into data and processes to identify constraints and improvement opportunities.

Work Environment

This role is based on-site in the greater Boston area, within a robotics manufacturing and technical operations environment. The typical schedule is 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, with occasional overtime of up to approximately 10 hours per week during NPI ramps or production surges.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of North Reading, MA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $49.00 - $51.00/hr. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in North Reading,MA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 24, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

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