Inventory & Production Planning Manager

Job Description

We are a fast-growing plastics recycling and resin manufacturing company, and we are hiring our first true Planning Manager. Today, planning responsibilities are split across three to four people with no single owner. There is no unified production schedule, no formal S&OP process, and no one accountable for inventory accuracy from end to end. That changes with this hire.

This is a builder role. The person we are looking for will not inherit a functioning planning department — they will create one. That means designing the processes, building the tools, establishing the cadence, and earning the trust of the people around them. If you are looking for a role where the system is already set up and you manage it, this is not it. If you are energized by the idea of building something from scratch in a company that is ready to invest in getting it right, keep reading.

You will own the production plan — not just the spreadsheet, but the outcome. You will run the weekly S&OP cadence, maintain accurate inventory across multiple locations, and make sure the right material is in the right place at the right time so our lines run and our customers are not surprised.

What You Will Build

Production Planning & Scheduling

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• Design and own the weekly and daily production scheduling process across recycling, blending, and extrusion lines — starting from scratch and building toward a repeatable, reliable cadence.
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• Establish the S&OP process: who meets, when, what decisions get made, and how the approved schedule is communicated so every function knows what to do and why.
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• Convert customer orders and forecasts into a firm, realistic schedule with clear priorities, formulations, lot requirements, packaging specs, and delivery timing.
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• Build the feedback loops so that when demand shifts, equipment goes down, or quality holds material, the plan updates quickly and the right people know immediately.
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Inventory Control & Accuracy

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• Define and build the inventory control system — targets, transaction discipline, labeling, lot tracking, and cycle count cadence — across all IR locations.
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• Own inventory accuracy for raw materials, additives, packaging, WIP, and finished goods; this means knowing what is actually on the floor, not just what the system says.
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• Investigate variances, identify root causes, and close them with the responsible departments — not just post adjustments and move on.
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• Chase down negative balances, unposted transactions, lot discrepancies, and yield concerns until they are resolved.
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Cross-Functional Coordination

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• Partner with purchasing to align inbound deliveries with production requirements, manage shortages, and drive substitution decisions.
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• Work with sales and customer service on available-to-promise dates, order priorities, and risks to customer commitments.
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• Coordinate with quality to ensure holds, rework, and nonconforming material are reflected in the plan before they cause a line stoppage or a missed shipment.
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Reporting & Process Development

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• Build the planning reports and dashboards that give leadership and operations real visibility into schedule attainment, inventory accuracy, on-time delivery, and material constraints.
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• Document the processes you build so they are repeatable, trainable, and do not live only in your head.
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• Evaluate and recommend system improvements — ERP, barcode/scanning, material identification — that make the planning function more accurate and less manual over time.
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Qualifications

Required

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• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, operations, business, engineering, or a related field — or equivalent experience.
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• 5+ years in production planning, inventory control, materials management, or supply chain in a manufacturing environment.
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• Demonstrated experience building or significantly improving a planning function — not just maintaining one.
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• Strong analytical skills and advanced Excel proficiency; experience with ERP or MRP systems.
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• Ability to make clear decisions when demand, capacity, materials, and customer needs compete — and communicate those decisions in a way people can act on.
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• High attention to detail on quantities, units of measure, lot numbers, grades, formulations, and dates.
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• Direct communicator who can challenge inaccurate information, escalate risks early, and hold the line on a plan.
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Preferred

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• Experience in plastics, recycling, compounding, extrusion, or a multi-site manufacturing operation.
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• APICS CPIM or CSCP certification, or active pursuit.
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• Experience integrating or improving ERP, MRP, or inventory management systems.
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• Familiarity with lean manufacturing and cycle counting practices.
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