Senior Manufacturing Production Planner

Job Description

Job Description

Overview

The Senior/Lead Production Planner is a critical contributor to our manufacturing operations, responsible for constraint management, issue resolution and planning optimization across multiple work centers and planning horizons. Operating at a senior level, this role goes beyond day-to-day execution to lead scheduling discussions, analyze complex capacity, labor and material constraints, and drive meaningful improvements in demand planning performance through effective use of ERP/MRP systems, planning parameters, and process improvements. The ideal candidate brings manufacturing and assembly planning, scheduling, and capacity planning experience along with strong analytical capabilities, cross-functional leadership skills, and ability to translate operational data into actionable recommendations. Serving as the primary Planning contact, this role will work closely with Procurement, Engineering, Quality, Machine Shop, Assembly, Warehouse, Customer Service, and Finance.

Responsibilities

Schedule & Production Planning

• Lead daily production huddles and scheduling discussions, setting priorities across work centers
• Manage the production job schedule across multiple work centers and planning horizons to support on-time supply and delivery dates
• Build and assess planning scenarios in response to demand changes, capacity constraints, or supply disruptions
• Resolve complex scheduling, WIP, and delivery issues that exceed day-to-day planner scope

Forecasting & Demand Planning

• Review sales forecasts and recommend production forecasts for leadership input and approval
• Analyze inventory performance and forecast accuracy; identify risks and recommend corrective actions
• Identify and recommend routine discontinuations or runout actions based on demand trends and inventory analysis
• Identify and drive demand planning efficiency improvements in collaboration with Production teams

Constraint & Risk Management

• Analyze capacity, labor, and material constraints across functions to identify and resolve planning risks
• Proactively identify risks to customer delivery and escalate as needed
• Compile and maintain strategic watchlists for high-risk or high-impact items
• Partner with Procurement and Engineering on material risks and supplier constraints to protect supply continuity

Metrics & Continuous Improvement

• Prepare KPI and metric reporting; monitor performance against targets, identify trends and root cause of misses, and drive actionable improvement recommendations
• Recommend process improvements and system changes to enhance planning effectiveness

New Product Release & Cross-Functional Support

• Coordinate new product release planning across Planning, Production, Engineering, and Procurement to ensure supply readiness at launch
• Provide capacity and constraint data inputs to support long-range planning discussions
• Support financial review processes by providing planning data inputs for inventory and forecast analysis; collaborate with Finance on inventory performance

Team Development

• Mentor and support Production Planners and Planning Coordinators
• May provide functional guidance to L1/L2 team members; no formal direct reports

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Logistics, Business Administration, or related field or equivalent work experience to substitute for the bachelor’s degree. 
• Minimum of 5 years of related experience. 
• Strong proficiency in ERP/MRP systems; ability to analyze and interpret system data to drive planning decisions
• Demonstrated experience managing production schedules across multiple work centers
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify root cause and recommend solutions
• Experience with forecast review, inventory analysis, and demand/supply balancing
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; comfortable leading cross-functional discussions
• Proven ability to prioritize, manage competing demands, and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment
• Understanding of manufacturing processes, BOMs, routings, and work center operations
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite including advanced Excel skills
• Professional certifications such as CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) or CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional) preferred