Production Planner

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

The Production Planner serves as the planning hub between Demand Planning, Procurement, and Operations by translating approved forecasts into an executable Master Production Schedule and forward-looking material requirements. This role is accountable for producing accurate, timely, and decision-ready planning outputs that provide the Director of Planning with visibility into plan quality, risks, and tradeoffs; enable procurement to consolidate and prioritize purchasing across states; and support operations with a feasible, capacity-aligned production plan. While this role influences decisions through data, analysis, and scenario planning, it does not execute purchasing transactions.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

·        Production & Capacity Planning

o   Own the development, maintenance, and communication of the Master Production Schedule (MPS), ensuring alignment with approved demand forecasts and operational constraints.

o   Translate demand plans into a feasible production plan and provide clear, role-specific planning outputs to the Director of Planning, VP Supply Chain & Operations, and Facility Director.

o   Partner with the VP Supply Chain & Operations, and Facility Director to review the MPS, highlight risks to execution, and support successful adherence to the plan.

o   Continuously evaluate production capacity, labor availability, and sequencing constraints, escalating issues and recommendations to the Director of Planning and the VP Supply Chain & Operations.

o   Support cross-functional planning cadence (e.g., S&OP, MPS reviews) by preparing scenarios, assumptions, and tradeoff analysis.

·        Materials Planning

o   Convert the approved MPS into raw material and packaging requirements and serve those requirements to the centralized procurement team for ordering and consolidation across states.

o   Provide procurement with forward-looking visibility into material demand, risks, and priority changes to enable proactive sourcing decisions.

o   Maintain and periodically review planning parameters (lead times, safety stock targets, reorder triggers) and present recommendations to the Director of Planning for approval.

o   Support ERP system setup, data integrity, and continuous improvement related to material planning and planning outputs.

o   Identify material availability risks and clearly communicate timing, impact, and options to planning, procurement, and operations.

·        Inventory & Risk Management

o   Develop inventory planning views that support decision-making for the Director of Planning, procurement, and operations, including exposure, aging, and working capital impacts.

o   Monitor inventory health and serve actionable insights related to excess, expiry, slow-moving inventory, and stockout risk.

o   Assess and communicate inventory and material impacts resulting from reforecasts, schedule changes, cancellations, and rework.

o   Proactively identify supply, capacity, and labor risks and surface them with recommended mitigations to planning and operations leadership.

·        Reporting & Continuous Improvement

o   Prepare and maintain planning reports and dashboards that provide visibility into plan quality, risks, and tradeoffs.

o   Serve tailored planning outputs to procurement (material requirements, timing, priorities) and operations (production volumes, sequencing assumptions, capacity risks).

o   Track and report on key planning metrics including inventory levels, working capital, material availability, schedule reliability, and MPS adherence.

o   Support continuous improvement by analyzing planning performance and recommending process, data, or system enhancements

Qualifications

Education and Experience

o   Bachelor’s degree in business management, operations, plant science, or a related field – Required

o   Minimum 5 years of progressive leadership experience in cannabis production, manufacturing, or a regulated industry, with at least 3 years in a senior supervisory or managerial role – Required

o   Demonstrated track record of successfully leading teams and achieving operational goals in a fast-paced, compliance-driven environment

·        Minimum Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

o   Strong leadership abilities with proven success in team development, performance management, and fostering a positive, high-accountability culture.

o   Deep knowledge of cannabis cultivation, processing, manufacturing, and regulatory compliance (state-specific regulations, seed-to-sale tracking).

o   Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills; ability to prioritize and adapt in a dynamic environment.

o   Skilled at conflict resolution, employee relations, and handling escalated issues with integrity and fairness.

o   Proficient in production/inventory management software, seed-to-sale systems (e.g., Metrc or equivalent), Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), and other relevant tools.

o   Must pass federal and state-mandated background checks.

o   Operates with high integrity; trustworthy, reliable, and committed to ethical standards.

o   Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

o   Proficient with inventory systems and office equipment

o   Knowledge of plant tracking software; state-mandated

Compensation and Benefits

• Annual compensation commensurate with experience
• Full suite of medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid parental leave
• 401(k)
• Paid Time Off
• Long-Term Disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee life insurance and supplemental life
• Spouse and child life and AD&D
• Pet insurance
• FSA and HSA available